It's a Sony by Michael Lund Pedersen.pdf

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It's a Sony by Michael Lund Pedersen

DISCLAIMER: This personal project may not reﬂect the views or plans of Sony. DISCLAIMER: The used pictures and fonts will not be part of any form of commercial activity.

Simplify. Streamline. Sony. I help companies simplify and streamline their oﬀerings. I help them leverage their qualities and strengthen their identities. I acknowledged that Sony needs to change. Be simpler and more streamlined than it is today. Make people yet again say "It's a Sony."

People used to have Sony homes In the 80s and 90s, Sony was synonymous with quality and innovation. Sony was the most powerful brand in the consumer electronics industry, and no other company rivaled Sony's ability to sell devices. People loved to show oﬀ their new Sony Trinitron TVs and listen to music on their Sony Walkman portable audio tape players. A whole generation of kids could not wait to get back home from school to play games with their friends on their Sony PlayStation video game consoles. Sony devices were more expensive than those oﬀered by competitors, but they were also better looking and had a cultural sway that no other brand could match. Sony did not compete on price but rather value.

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Diminishing market share Nowadays, only one Sony device is a household name; the Sony PlayStation. According to Statista, the Sony Bravia line of TVs only has an international market share of around 5%, and the Sony Xperia line of phones only around 2%. These general diminishing market shares of Sony devices are caused by various problematic factors. In this project, I will attack three key factors and oﬀer a plan on how to solve them. Because the problems can be solved, but it will require work in areas that one may not expect.

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The key is not technological innovation alone One would think that the most innovative and high quality devices on the market would also be the most commercially successful. But that is not always the case. Because one thing is the actual quality of a certain device, another is the perceived quality. The key for Sony is not technological innovation alone, and Sony cannot persuade anyone into buying its devices by only focusing on improving actual quality.

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More than a product With the introduction of high-end Bravia Android TVs and the growing quality of high-end Xperia Android phones, Sony has yet again proved its ability to craft world leading devices with high levels of performance and design. Why then does Sony not seem to be able to reach its former glory from the 80s and 90s? Because Sony was not merely an electronics company selling high quality consumer devices. Sony was a communications company selling a lifestyle. Owning a Sony device was really not about Sony. It was all about the owners of said devices. It said something about them that was far above and beyond the purchased product. It said that they knew what they were doing, and that they were discerning.

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An emotional bond Through marketing, Sony oﬀered experiences promoting a certain way of living. Their audience bonded with the experiences and bought into this lifestyle through the Sony devices. This can be compared to an audience in love with a certain band dreaming of living similar lives as the band members. Attending their concerts and buying their CDs and T-shirts just to be able to take a piece of this lifestyle home in order to remember the experience and show oﬀ their good taste to the world. Sony had that passionate audience but walked away from that emotional bond, and Sony is now rather known for its mere product features. Sony needs to pare down its oﬀerings and concentrate on deﬁning itself. Sony needs to be simpliﬁed and streamlined. Sony needs to be one brand, one design philosophy, and one experience.

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A company is only as good as the last product it sold me In the 80s and 90s, you bought Sony, because "Sony" actually meant "the best". If you were seen with a Sony device, people knew you had taste. It is that reputation that Sony has largely coasted on, but for the last two decades not been able to maintain. Sony needs to be the best again, and you do not become that by a philosophy that says: "Let's see what sticks and drop support for what doesn't." Spewing out products that are clearly part of no greater strategy has eroded the value of the brand and the trust that the audience should be able to put in it. Sony has to stop dumping as many products as possible in the market just to take up market share without considering the value of the product and its raison d'être. The pictured Sony XEL-1 OLED TV is a ﬁne way of cementing Sony's ability to innovate, but it is not a ﬁnal device that has a key role in the life of the audience. When someone buys a new and innovative Sony device, and it ends up not receiving any long term support or further attention as a platform, it stains the overall perception and value of the Sony brand, and the audience will be less likely to buy Sony devices again.

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Jack of all trades, master of none Sony oﬀers far too many diﬀerent models in each category in order for the audience to get to know the real identity of Sony. Because of that, no speciﬁc group feels targeted by Sony anymore, and it is no longer clear what Sony really is all about. Sony tries to target both the bargain and premium market, and as a result fails to cater to any of them. Someone seeking a premium phone that can showcase her or his personal style or status is not attracted to Sony devices, because the image of the brand is being tainted by all the cheaper low-end alternatives also oﬀered by Sony. A consumer seeking a bargain phone is not likely to choose a Sony phone either, as there will always be cheaper alternatives elsewhere. The right way to go for Sony is the premium market. And the premium market alone. But in order for Sony to be successful in this market, cheap and sluggish experiences have to be eliminated.

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Do not oﬀer anything but your best Of the three key factors, this will be the most diﬃcult to solve, as it will require major sacriﬁces. It will require for Sony to pare down its oﬀerings to only include its few best models in each category. For instance, instead of 18 diﬀerent phones, Sony needs to only oﬀer two concurrent models, one with a standard-sized screen and one with a large-sized screen. These two models are then replaced by upgraded versions once a year. At ﬁrst, this may seem to limit the potential of Sony, but, in the long run, this will be highly beneﬁcial and eﬀectively send a message that says: "Every company can churn out 18 diﬀerent phones. Sony has just one. And you know that's the best." In this way, a newly revealed Sony phone will have the attention of the audience and media all to itself instead of sharing it with the other 17 Sony phones currently on the market.

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Treat each device as something unique Of course, this level of paring down has to happen across every single category so that Sony no longer oﬀers 12 diﬀerent TVs, 16 diﬀerent interchangeable-lens cameras, 22 diﬀerent compact cameras, 12 diﬀerent video cameras, nine diﬀerent action cameras, 25 diﬀerent headband headphones, 14 diﬀerent in-ear headphones, eight diﬀerent high res speakers, 23 diﬀerent wireless speakers, 15 diﬀerent hi-ﬁ audio systems, 18 diﬀerent home theater sound bars, 18 diﬀerent in-car players, etc. If Sony treats each device as something unique instead of treating it as a "one of many", the audience will start to do the same.

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Create value and eliminate the perception of being overpriced The audience will begin to associate Sony exclusively with quality, as the poor low-end experiences are eliminated. This will not be an easy task, but, if done correctly, the audience will yet again feel proud to show oﬀ their Sony devices. The audience will now be willing to pay a higher price, as they are not buying the device per se but rather the chance to show oﬀ a certain status and lifestyle. This will result in a much healthier proﬁt margin for Sony. Though, it is not a matter of merely discontinuing the low-end devices and making the few high-end devices more expensive. Those $60,000 TVs, $2,300 headphones and $3,200 MP3 players must be cut from Sony's oﬀerings as well, as they create the perception that Sony devices in general are ridiculously overpriced according to their value. It is hard to excel at anything, when you spread yourself too thin. If Sony starts focusing on fewer devices, the audience will feel assured that no matter what Sony device they buy, it will be of high quality and supported for years to come. Though, cutting down the number of oﬀerings to only include best devices in each category will not be the only action needed. All lines of devices need to have a familiar face. A shared identity across the Sony brand. 19

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Too many diﬀerent faces Not only does Sony oﬀer far too many devices in each category. Sony is also far too invested in sub-brands, which causes its overall brand identity to appear fragmented and weak. Sony is basically asking the audience to choose a sub-brand rather than the parent company. Sony needs a recognizable brand across all of its diﬀerent lines of devices. The beneﬁt of a strong brand identity across diﬀerent categories is that people will buy into the brand and be more likely to make multiple purchases within that same brand. Someone buying a Bravia TV will not necessarily consider buying an Xperia phone, as she or he may not even realize that the two sub-brands are both oﬀered by Sony.

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One brand – "Sony" By only oﬀering the best Sony devices and by having a strong brand identity across diﬀerent categories, Sony will be able to create a loyal audience that stay within the Sony brand and Sony ecosystem possibly for life. If someone is satisﬁed with a certain branded device, she or he will have a positive predisposition towards other devices related to that brand. Does Sony have a brand suitable of creating a shared identity across TVs, phones, cameras, etc.? What is Sony's most valuable and recognizable brand really? Is it PlayStation? Xperia? Bravia? No. It is "Sony". According to Millward Brown and WPP, Sony is still the 20th most valuable technology brand in the world with a brand value of more than $8 billion. Sony needs to take advantage of this asset instead of hiding it away behind sub-brands like Xperia and Bravia. The less branding disparity, the better.

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One brand – Current scenario John has decided to buy a new 65" TV. Almost all of John's devices are from Apple, and it is a long time, since he bought a device from Sony. He recalls how his old Sony Trinitron TV kept going strong for many years, and then decides to check out, if Sony still makes good TVs today. Visiting Sony's website, John is met by a huge selection of diﬀerent TVs with a wide range of names such as XBR-65A1, XBR-65Z9D, XBR-65X930E, XBR-65X850E, XBR-65X930D, XBR-65X750D, etc. When John buys a new iPhone, he is used to feeling far more conﬁdent in making the right choice. Apple only has a few concurrent iPhone models, and all John has to do is to choose a screen size, storage capacity and color. Additionally, he always knows that it is the latest and best iPhone thanks to its simple naming scheme. But choosing between the diﬀerent Sony TVs is confusing, and John does not want to spend all day reading reviews of all the diﬀerent models. He basically just wants the best TV, Sony has to oﬀer, and checks the price of the most expensive one. The price is $6,500. That is more than John is willing to spend, and he is disappointed that he will not end up with the best Sony TV. Discouraged, he decides to read up on some reviews only to discover that none of the Sony TVs are getting top rankings. Many of the reviews are of Sony's cheaper low-end TVs, but it still convinces John to buy a TV from a competing company. 25

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One brand – Vision In order to get an audience like John interested in the Sony brand, Sony has to only oﬀer its few best models in each category so that the audience feel conﬁdent, no matter what Sony TV, phone, camera, etc. they are buying. Additionally, Sony has to create a shared identity and strong brand recognition across these categories in order to convince the audience to buy into its ecosystem. The picture shows my quick mockup of how a future lineup of Sony devices could be designed. Consisting of only premium experiences and no cheaper alternatives. A simple naming scheme with "Pro" indicating e.g. a larger screen size or a higher screen resolution. A lineup that is easy to understand and easy to invest in for the audience. A lineup of consistency.

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One brand - Sony Phone Sony Phone has a 5" screen and comes in two versions - 32 GB - 128 GB Sony Phone Pro has a 6" screen and comes in two versions - 32 GB - 128 GB Storage of all versions is expandable up to 256 GB.

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One brand – Sony Book Sony Book has a 8" screen and comes in three versions - 32 GB WiFi - 128 GB WiFi - 128 GB WiFi + LTE Sony Book Pro has a 10" screen and comes in three versions - 32 GB WiFi - 128 GB WiFi - 128 GB WiFi + LTE Storage of all versions is expandable up to 256 GB.

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One brand – Sony TV Sony TV has a 4K screen resolution and comes in ﬁve versions - 45" - 55" - 65" - 75" - 85" Sony TV Pro has an 8K screen resolution and comes in ﬁve versions - 45" - 55" - 65" - 75" - 85"

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One brand – Sony Watch Sony Watch has a 1.2" screen and comes in three versions - ﬂuoroelastomer band - leather band - stainless steel chain-link Sony Watch Pro has a 1.6" screen and comes in three versions - ﬂuoroelastomer band - leather band - stainless steel chain-link

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One brand – Sony PlayStation Sony PlayStation 4 has 1.84 TFLOP of processing power and comes in two versions - 500 GB - 1000 GB Sony PlayStation 4 Pro has 4.2 TFLOP of processing power and comes in one version - 1000 GB

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One brand – Sony Audio Sony Audio devices all feature LDAC

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One brand – Future scenario John has decided to buy a new 65" TV. Almost all of John's devices are from Apple, and it is a long time, since he bought a device from Sony. He recalls how his old Sony Trinitron TV kept going strong for many years, and then decides to check out, if Sony still makes good TVs today. Visiting Sony's website, John is met by a simple and easy to understand lineup of devices. There is a "Sony TV" with a 4K screen resolution and a "Sony TV Pro" with an 8K screen resolution. John loves the consistent design philosophy and the simplicity surrounding the naming scheme. It reminds him of, why he is a loyal user of Apple devices. As these two models are the only ones on oﬀer, John feels conﬁdent knowing that these are crafted with all of Sony's knowledge and expertise. He decides to buy a 65" Sony TV Pro which conveniently enables him to experience the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games that is set to be transmitted in 8K resolution. Before ordering, he reads up on a few reviews of the Sony TV Pro, and he discovers that it gets top marks in all of them. A Sony TV Pro is a bit more expensive than many 65" TVs oﬀered by competing companies, but John does not mind paying more for what, he feels, has a much higher value. He also paid more for his Apple devices. John completes his order and ends up being very satisﬁed with his new device. He is so happy with it that he decides to invest further in the Sony brand, as he likes the idea of having all his devices being closely connected under one brand and one ecosystem. 41

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One brand – Design takes time Designing and crafting this new lineup of devices is not something that is done overnight. Great design takes time. As a digital designer, I have completed many design processes, and one thing is certain; you can never be too thorough. Only the best is good enough for this new lineup, so naturally we have to examine each and every aspect of every single device to learn how both its user experience and usability can be improved. A method for this kind of examination is "participatory design"; a design method that has its roots here in Scandinavia. The good news is that due to the limited number of devices, this can be done in a far more focused and eﬀective manner than Sony has ever been able to. These new devices cannot be sold along the old product lines, as that would undermine the new identity and work against the consistency and simplicity that we are trying to create. The audience needs to know that no matter which Sony device they buy, it is the best you can get. 43

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One brand – A consistent naming scheme Another way to strengthen a shared brand identity across a lineup of devices is through a consistent naming scheme, name placement and typeface. The naming scheme of this new lineup of devices will all share the Sony brand name followed by what category, or line, the devices belong to and lastly their model name. As pictured, a product name such as "Sony Bravia XBR-65X930E" has to be eliminated, as it reeks of being one of many. Furthermore, it weakens the consistency and identity between devices in the diﬀerent lines. With a new, simple and consistent naming scheme, Sony will be able to promote its devices as unique and uniﬁed. There will be two concurrent TV models at a time, one featuring a 4K screen resolution and one featuring an 8K screen resolution, named "Sony TV" and "Sony TV Pro" respectively. Buying either a Sony TV or a Sony TV Pro, the audience will have to specify the desired screen size, (45", 55", 65", 75", or 85"), but this speciﬁcation will not be part of its marketed name. Additionally, a number will be added to the end of the name to specify what generation it belongs to, as is the case with the Sony PlayStation 4 Pro. The fourthgeneration Sony TV Pro will be named "Sony TV 4 Pro". The following year, it will be replaced by the "Sony TV 5 Pro". 45

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One design philosophy – An iconic corner To emphasize this new strong and consistent brand identity across the diﬀerent Sony devices, we will ensure that these devices share the same design philosophy in their graphical user interface as well as their physical appearances. The pictured drawing is an example of a physical design feature that many of the devices have in common; an iconic rounded corner. With the free form displays and similar new types of displays, it is possible to make devices with rounded corners while keeping the size of the bezels at a minimum. I suggest that Sony embraces this cutting edge technology as part of its design philosophy and identity. My mockups of the new Sony devices are examples of how rounded corners, free form displays, and bezel-less displays are implemented in the designs becoming part of Sony's signature and identity.

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One design philosophy – Rounded and smooth Some of our earliest memories in life are tied to objects with rounded or sharp corners. It is deeply rooted in our nature that sharp and square objects are dangerous, while round and smooth objects are safe to touch. When you were a child, your parents were most likely worried, the ﬁrst time you played under or around a table with sharp corners. Whereas they were completely calm seeing you playing with your favorite ball. You quickly learned that sharp corners hurt, and that rounded corners and objects are safe. Researchers in neuroscience refer to this as "avoidance response", because nature has taught us that sharp corners are often a threat. Likewise, rounded corners on devices are more likely to foster an emotional connection between the audience and the device. A device with rounded corners invites the audience to hold and touch it. A device with sharp corners does not. Rounded corners have another advantage that has less to do with our nature and more to do with the technical function of our eyes. Rounded corners point inward towards the center of a shape, as for instance a rectangle. This puts the focus on the contents inside the rectangle. Sharp corners point outward putting less focus on the contents inside the rectangle. 49

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One design philosophy – Consistent name placement and typeface The "SST Font by Sony Design and Monotype" is ideal as a typeface for this new lineup. The font is discrete, yet ﬁrm. It will be suitable for use in marketing as well as in the user interface of the devices. The model name of each device, (e.g. Sony TV Pro), will be visible on the front of the device, at the center alongside the bottom frame. The name will be written in white or light grey so that it appears clear against the black screen. As each Sony device, featuring a screen, will eventually have free form displays, allowing the screen to have rounded corners while ﬁlling the entire front leaving no bezels, the model name will be software-based displaying the name in standby, on lock screen, on home screen, in settings, etc. while fading away when the entire screen is needed for use, for instance when displaying a movie or a game.

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One design philosophy – The immaterial value In order for Sony to be successful, we have to ensure that every device oﬀer a high-quality user experience. We must achieve a seamless merging of the services of multiple disciplines, including engineering, marketing, graphical design, interface design, and industrial design. The quality of the user experience will decide, whether Sony succeeds in creating that emotional bond with its audience. As I stated in the beginning of this project, Sony used not to compete on price but rather on value. The audience bought a Sony Trinitron TV, even though there were cheaper alternatives, partly because it enabled them to showcase their discerning tastes and cool lifestyles. The audience will gladly pay a premium price for this value, and it is essential that Sony reaches that point again, where it competes on value.

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One design philosophy – Industrial design of solid materials An industrial design with the right selection and ﬁnish of materials will be essential in order to increase the immaterial value of Sony. Therefore, all Sony devices will be designed to have a premium look and feel, formed primarily of frameless glass fronts and brushed aluminum backs. This may sound like devices that are very expensive to craft and have to be priced accordingly in order to reach a healthy proﬁt margin, and so contribute to the notion of Sony devices being overproduced and overpriced. But many Sony devices today already have glass fronts and glass or metal backs. They just lack the ﬁnishing quality like a one piece metal body instead of several individual pieces. The new lineup will require an unprecedented attention to detail that, in short term, will make each individual device more expensive to design and craft, but with only a few models in each category, (e.g. one Sony Phone model and one Sony Phone Pro model), Sony will be able to mass produce each model in greater volumes resulting in a lower price per unit and higher long term proﬁt margin.

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One design philosophy – An eﬃcient business Even though, the Sony Phone Pro model with its 6" screen will be diﬀerent from the 5" Sony Phone, the overall design and engineering principles are still shared between them. That will be a tremendous improvement from the 18 diﬀerent phone models or 33 diﬀerent TV models currently on oﬀer. By no longer having 18 concurrent phones, 33 concurrent TVs, etc. each with its own design, engineering and marketing team, costs will be reduced drastically. This way, Sony will become far more streamlined and be able to operate in a far more eﬀective and cost eﬃcient manner.

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One experience – User experience and usability "User experience" is a way to measure and a tool to improve the overall experience of e.g. a new device, such as discovering, buying, unpacking, touching, using, showcasing, etc. "Usability" focuses strictly on the user interface, covering whether the system is easy to learn, eﬃcient to use, pleasant to use, etc. Design critic, Donald Arthur Norman, deal with the term "usability" in his work, The Design of Everyday Things, published in 1988 under a diﬀerent name; The Psychology of Everyday Things. Together with Donald Alan Schön and his work from 1983, The Reﬂective Practitioner, Norman has been one of the most inﬂuential guides for me as a designer. His work will be essential when designing these new experiences by Sony. Of the ﬁve quality attributes deﬁning "usability"; learnability, eﬃciency, memorability, error tolerance, and satisfaction, learnability will be beneﬁtting directly from making a recognizable and shared user interface across the diﬀerent device categories, as the interface of a Sony TV will seem familiar and be easy to navigate for someone, who has already mastered the interface of a Sony Phone. When you see a Sony device, you will think: "It’s a Sony. I know how to use those." Though, a shared graphical user interface will not only support a cohesive experience throughout all of Sony's oﬀerings but also strengthen a consistent brand identity, as is the case with recurring physical design signatures like the free form displays and rounded corners. 59

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One experience – Sony OS In the perfect world, Sony would have its own highly competitive operating system ensuring complete consistency in the user experience of every single device. With its own operating system and integrated content store, Sony would also be able to keep close to 100% of the revenue made from its own content and services as well as a 30% cut of all third party revenue. Sony may eventually be in a position, where it is able to attract the resources needed to create and maintain something as extensive as a fully-functional fast and secure operating system. Sony's "Orbis OS", a fork of FreeBSD version 9.0, is the operating system running on all PlayStation 4 home consoles. FreeBSD and similar open source Unix-like operating systems would make a solid basis for a shared and vast operating system across Sony Phones, Sony Books, Sony Watches, Sony TVs, Sony PlayStations, Sony Cams and Sony VidCams. The biggest challenge would be to attract and maintain content developers.

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One experience – A crowded market As Microsoft proved with the diﬃcult expanding of the Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile operating systems, there is hardly any place for a third player in the phone OS market. Android and iOS have too big of a lead in public awareness and too big of a lead regarding the sheer amount of available content in Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store. You would have to be in a leading market position to be able to attract and maintain content developers on your platform and have any hopes of competing. Therefore, Android is currently the key for Sony to create a shared user experience across the diﬀerent devices. Especially now, with Android O launching in Q3 2017, an operating system that puts emphasis on supporting a cohesive experience across diﬀerent devices and form factors. By creating a highly connected user experience between devices, Sony takes advantage of the phenomenon that can be termed as "halo sales", where an audience satisﬁed with their purchase invest further in the brand and ecosystem by buying additional devices from that same brand.

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One experience – A shared user experience across all devices Today, Sony already has Android running on its phones, tablets, smartwatches, and many of its TVs. The new line of devices, I have presented, all run Android as well, but we have to create a user interface and user experience that feel consistent and uniﬁed across all device categories. We have to create a recognizable "Sony UI" ensuring that using a Sony device does not feel like using an isolated product. We need to ensure that by buying a Sony device, you buy into a healthy ecosystem, where devices communicate not only with you but with each other as well. This way, devices across categories will get to know your taste and preferences, and be able to oﬀer a shared user experience that includes shared user proﬁles, shared user interfaces and shared services.

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One experience – Professional content With its professional content and entertainment, (e.g. music, ﬁlms, tv, and games), Sony is in a unique position with a lot of unfulﬁlled potential. Google has YouTube and user generated content but creates little hardware and professional entertainment of its own. Samsung does not create professional entertainment, and its hardware lineup does not include a home console with its games and services. Similar to Google, Apple hosts and sells a lot of entertainment but develops little to no entertainment in-house, and its lineup includes neither TVs nor home consoles. Until recently, Microsoft did not create much of its own hardware and entertainment and still only has little inhouse developed hardware and games. Chinese competitors like Huawei, OPPO, TCL, and Hisense have started to emerge but none of these create global entertainment, content and services. In this space, Sony stands alone as a provider of both a wide range of devices and a rich library of professional content.

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One experience – Tap into the potential Imagine if buying a Sony device gave you integrated and easy access to that vast library. Imagine if all Sony devices were connected to a single Sony account with relevant content and interaction shared between all of them. If Sony does what is necessary by consolidating their oﬀerings and creating highly integrated solutions, they will be the deﬁnitive communications company. Ensuring that services like PlayStation Music (powered by Spotify), PlayStation Video, Crackle, PlayStation Vue, PlayStation Now, and PlayStation Plus interact across all the diﬀerent devices is a major step in the right direction. But these services need to be fully integrated in the Android OS and available internationally.

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One experience – Future scenario, part 1 Two years ago, Paul bought a Sony PlayStation 4. Paul has been quite happy with his purchase and decides to invest further in Sony's ecosystem by buying a Sony Phone and a Sony TV. Booting the devices for the very ﬁrst time, he is oﬀered an option to sign in with his Sony ID that he created, the ﬁrst time he booted his PlayStation 4. Entering his user name and password, Paul is instantly granted access to relevant and personalized content. On PlayStation 4, Paul has been subscribing to PlayStation Vue, PlayStation Music, and PlayStation Now and by signing in with his Sony ID on his new Sony Phone and Sony TV, all of his progress is carried over. For instance, Paul can continue watching the latest "Better Call Saul" episode from where he paused it on his PlayStation 4, adding tracks to his "Favorite Music" playlist, racing on the Nürburgring in "Gran Turismo Sport", etc. Paul really likes this sharing of a rich user proﬁle that ensures a great and uniﬁed user experience across diﬀerent devices in the Sony ecosystem. He buys a Sony Cam Pro in preparation for the travel, he has been planning for the past months. Again, Paul is surprised how well the Sony devices are connected. Similar to his Sony Phone and Sony TV, the operating system on the Sony Cam is Android, and it easily lets him sort his pictures into folders and share them across the wanted Sony devices. During his travels, he places his favorite pictures in a shared folder, and returning home, the pictures are instantly available and viewable on his Sony TV for his friends to see. 71

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One experience – Future scenario, part 2 Recently, Paul got a new job. It is quite the distance from where he lives, and he travels by ﬂight ﬁve times a week. Paul always brings his Sony Phone and its entertainment services with him on the ﬂights. It makes waiting and travel time far more enjoyable. He does not want to move closer to his job, as his daughter, Lisa, comes to visit him every other weekend. Paul has a good relationship with Lisa, and the two often cook and play video games, when they are together. Lisa misses her father a lot in her everyday life, and lately, Paul has noticed that she has been very sad saying goodbye to him. Paul suggests that Lisa borrows his PlayStation 4, so that they can play games with and against each other, even when they are apart. They are having fun playing "LittleBigPlanet 3" and "Hot Shots Golf" together. Sometimes Paul leaves goofy video clips from "SingStar", and his bad singing skills make Lisa laugh. This helps a lot, and even though she only sees him every other weekend, it now feels like they are together more often.

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One experience – sony.com, setup By drastically reducing the number of devices on oﬀer, sony.com will naturally be simpliﬁed and improved. Though, the website will still need to undergo massive change. In its current form, it does hardly anything to attract new audiences. Visitors are met by a blog-like design with random news covering everything from new movie and game releases to competitions and surveys to actual information about the thing visitors come for; Sony's devices. The design of the current homepage belongs in a subpage with company news and press releases. In general, the website has to be close to invisible in order to have the devices be as visible as possible. Furthermore, every single Sony device has to be accessible by no more than one click. They cannot be hidden in a tedious drop down menu named "Electronics". Sony cannot survive selling "electronics". Sony has to start selling "experiences".

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One experience – sony.com, navigation The Sony website, just like the company, needs a focus. If Paul visits the current sony.com to buy a phone, he is met by a homepage with a pile of unfocussed information that has no real target group, and a main navigation bar with the tabs "Electronics", "PlayStation", "Entertainment", and "Support" as well as an option to sign in, access favorites, search and visit other Sony sites. Hovering the mouse over "Electronics" drops down a menu consisting of 42 diﬀerent options and among those is a tiny link named "Cell Phones". Clicking it opens a new tab and forwards Paul to sonymobile.com, which is another website with a diﬀerent design altogether. Finally, Paul is presented to the 18 diﬀerent phone models lined up as boring articles on a shelf. This is poor web design and a terrible way to present your oﬀerings.

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One experience – sony.com, information Sony needs to know their audience. The majority of visitors on sony.com are not looking for news about Sony Pictures or Sony Music. They visit to see the latest Sony devices. Therefore, I suggest that we simplify the design, and at the same time make all eight device categories, (Watch, Phone, Book, TV, Cam, VidCam, PlayStation, and Audio), reachable with only one click. No confusing drop down menus and no inconsistent design choices. Besides the "Sony" logo home button and the eight category tabs, we also have the tabs "Other" and "Support" as well as a search and a sign in function. By signing in with a Sony ID, visitors on sony.com will be oﬀered an even more streamlined and relevant experience in that "Support" will prioritize information based on which devices the visitor owns. Additionally, visitors who are signed in will be able to manage their Sony subscriptions, and suggestions for "Where To Buy" will be based on the visitor’s home address. Visitors must also be given the opportunity to buy the devices directly from Sony with worldwide free shipping. At third party retailers, Sony competes with a vast number of other brands. Sony needs to create an enticing shopping experience where Sony devices have the entire spotlight for themselves and are presented as unique experiences not found anywhere else. 79

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One experience – sony.com/phone

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One experience – sony.com/tv

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One experience – sony.com/watch

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One experience – sony.com/playstation

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Strong and recognizable identity With this project, I have spoken for a transformation of Sony in order to achieve a strong and recognizable identity, and I have presented, how I believe this transformation can be achieved through a uniﬁed brand, a consistent design philosophy, and a streamlined user experience. A uniﬁed brand will be achieved by drastically reducing the number of Sony devices on oﬀer and ensure that these remaining few devices are of proudest quality and presented as parts of the same brand. Sub-brands such as Bravia, Xperia, Walkman, α (Alpha), and Handycam are terminated in favor of one uniﬁed identity that all share the Sony brand and a simple, yet strong, naming scheme. Sony will no longer oﬀer 33 diﬀerent Sony Bravia models with names like "XBR-65X930E". Instead it will oﬀer a 4K Sony TV and an 8K Sony TV Pro that are both available in ﬁve diﬀerent screen sizes (45", 55", 65", 75", and 85") and are replaced with new models once a year. The same applies to Sony Phone and Sony Phone Pro, Sony Book and Sony Book Pro, Sony Watch and Sony Watch Pro, etc.

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Strong and recognizable identity A consistent design philosophy will be achieved by having all devices share recognizable physical appearances such as free form displays, iconic corners or the use of solid materials molded in one piece. Consistency in design will also be obtained by always having the device name placed the same place on the devices. A streamlined user experience will be achieved by ensuring that every single piece of what Sony communicates is designed to be cohesive and recognizable. From discovering, buying, unpacking, touching, using, showcasing, etc. a new device. The devices have to be connected, and their interfaces have to have a shared identity. We have to make the audience feel secure and conﬁdent using Sony devices. Whenever someone sees a Sony device, she or he will know how to use it because it has traits in its user interface similar to every other Sony device. We have to let the audience know that buying a Sony device is buying into a healthy ecosystem that dynamically transforms their lives.

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Streamlined marketing If Sony goes ahead with this transformation of the company and its image, it will also streamline its marketing immensely. By having fewer devices on oﬀer, Sony will be able to market its remaining oﬀerings in a far more focused and eﬀective way. For instance, the entire marketing budget devoted to the TV section is now promoting two diﬀerent lines, Sony TV and Sony TV Pro, instead of the current 16 diﬀerent lines, XBR-AE1, XBR-Z9D, XBR-X940E, XBRX930E, XBR-X900E, XBR-X850E, XBR-X800E, XBR-X930D, XBR-X940D, XBRX850D, XBR-X800D, XBR-X750D, XBR-X700D, KDL-W600D, KDL-W650D, and KDL-W630B. Furthermore, now that all devices have the "Sony" brand incorporated in their name, and they all share a simple naming scheme, it will make it possible to market the entire lineup as a uniﬁed brand and ecosystem. A consistent design philosophy in hardware and software will have a similar eﬀect, as marketing one of the devices practically markets the entire lineup of devices. When the audience sees an advertisement for a Sony Phone, associations to Sony Book, Sony Watch, Sony TV, etc. will automatically arise.

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Communicating the right message Even though Sony's marketing will improve naturally, we still have to work on the message Sony communicates. Because advertising is vital. Whether it takes the form of print ads, commercials, billboards, or even keynote announcements, the primary objective of advertising is to promote and get the word out that you have something exciting to oﬀer. It helps to raise your audience's awareness on the beneﬁts of your oﬀering. An ongoing advertising campaign is essential in reminding your existing or former audience that you are still alive and kicking, and at the same time it serves to attract new audiences that may not have any existing experiences with Sony. Currently, Sony depicts itself as an electronics company selling a huge pile of diﬀerent goods and it treats its audience simply as consumers; a tool to increase its revenue. Sony has to start seeing itself as a communications company selling experiences that transform lifestyles. Sony has to start seeing people as a potential audience interested in this transformation. By focusing on technical speciﬁcations, Sony does not express conﬁdence in the brand. Mistakenly, Sony tries to convince people to choose its oﬀerings based on numbers instead of focusing on how these oﬀerings could transform people's lives. Rather than being all about the audience, Sony's messages are all about "Sony". 95

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Emotional brand values A brand's value comes from people's willingness to bother themselves buying the brand and their willingness to pay more for it. Therefore, Sony has to start directing their message and marketing at speciﬁc groups of people so that these people feel targeted, chosen and valued. When they feel that, they will start valuing Sony as a brand. The most eﬀective way to build up and target your audience is by creating an emotional bond with them. Sony's marketing has to be built on emotional values and emotionally loaded words like friendly, gifted, loyal, smart, stylish, passionate, or privileged. These words are all examples of brand attributes that reﬂect on the audience and reﬂect on the relationship between Sony and the audience. Technical information and speciﬁcations about the devices have to be accessible, but it must be up to the audience when to access them. For instance, on the Sony website we need to keep it clean and simple giving all the attention to words that explain how these devices will transform the visitor's life. Then, depending on what type of information and when this information is desired, the visitor can navigate the site to read about e.g. technical speciﬁcations. Here, we can zoom in on the device through closeups. Though, we will still keep focusing on how the features will improve the life of the visitor. How does it transform my life to have a Sony TV with all of Sony's services? How does it transform my life to have a Sony Phone with a free form display? How does it transform my life to have a waterproof Sony Watch? 97

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The experience is the marketing As I have discussed previously in this project, Sony has to shift away from being an electronics company selling consumer goods and instead transform itself to become a communications company selling experiences that transform lives. Sony has to see people as their audience. Sony has to see its marketing as a way of giving experiences to its audience. Finally, Sony has to see its devices as means for the audience to incorporate that experience into their everyday lives. Transforming Sony means transforming the way the company approaches its audience, and by focusing on the audience's experiences rather than mere product speciﬁcations, Sony will spare itself from a lot of future marketing headaches.

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Do not miss your golden opportunity 20 years ago, Apple transformed and has since proﬁted immensely from being streamlined. Though recently they have actually started moving away from complete simplicity, e.g. by expanding the once simple iPad lineup to currently include both a 7.9" iPad mini 4, a 9.7" iPad, a 9.7" iPad Pro, and a 12.9" iPad Pro. Each comes in up to six diﬀerent versions; Wi-Fi 32 GB, Wi-Fi 128 GB, Wi-Fi 256 GB, Wi-Fi + LTE 32 GB, Wi-Fi + LTE 128 GB, and Wi-Fi + LTE 256 GB, and in up to four diﬀerent colors. Similarly, the Apple Watch lineup of devices now includes a "Series 1", a "Series 2", a "Nike+ Edition", an "Hermès Edition", and an "Apple Watch Edition". Which one should the audience choose? Why even oﬀer anything but your best? Due to the fear of being yesteryear's innovator and yesteryear's fashion, Apple has forced itself to leave its proven philosophies and change its winning team. This leaves a void for Sony to build up momentum and gain a brand position that it has not possessed since the 90s. We have the chance to make the audience start to associate Sony with a streamlined lifestyle concept. Let us embrace this opportunity. 101

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About me My name is Michael Lund Pedersen. I am a Digital Designer and an aspiring Experience Economist born and raised in Denmark. I help companies simplify and streamline their oﬀerings. I help them leverage their qualities and strengthen their identity. Hiring me will add a strong asset to Sony. An asset that will help transform, simplify, and streamline Sony. Email me at [email protected]. All pictures in this project are available in high resolution at itsasonyblog.wordpress.com. Thanks for reading.

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