Sony Opts Misses IBC To Concentrate On Customer Programme

Sony will not be exhibiting at this year's IBC in order to focus on a new customer engagement strategy, it has been announced.
Sony Professional announced the launch of the strategy, called the Star Programme, following the success of the EXperience campaign.
The programme sees the creation of a series of over 250 events, from tutorials and customer-led workshops to larger brand-led interactive showcases, delivered across Western and Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The EXperience campaign is a dedicated awareness programme focused on the EX range of broadcast camcorders and has so far seen more than 5,000 people, from across Europe, registering for the project. It is managed by a team of independently certified training experts running tutorials and hands-in training programmes for Sony Professional's customers.
David Bush, Director of Marketing, Sony Professional, said: "Our EXperience campaign has been one of our most successful marketing campaigns and taught us that customers want tailored programmes delivered to them locally, supported by ongoing communications and support through the year. The Star Programme builds on this and delivers a new customer engagement model fit for the 21st century and the new media age, one that takes Sony to the customer."
The Star Programme includes the following events:

• Star events - a series of 8 customer 'experience' events, across the EMEA region, delivered by Sony Professional and partners.
• Starlite - specifically aimed at taking the Sony Professional experience to customers and partners in Africa, the CIS and Middle East.
• Star roadshow - a showcase demonstrating the breadth of Sony Professional's solutions portfolio, focused on Eastern and Western Europe.
• Experience - a series of training events delivered by Sony Professional's Independently Certified Experts (ICE network).

The events will be complemented by a number of year-round initiatives that give Sony's customers access to Sony's expertise, solutions and support, including the launch of a new digital TV channel, b.link, which provides targeted video content to the Sony Specialist Dealers network.
Bush added: "In the current economic climate, we believe that we should be investing money directly in our customers and taking our message and solutions to them rather than relying on them coming to us. The Star programme ensures that we can engage with customers most effectively and provide a level of service and attention which is often not possible at the bigger, more traditional, events."
(KMcA/BMcC)