Sharp Creates Biggest LED Television: Victory or Failure?

Sharp is notorious for releasing products with groundbreaking technology that draw in the consumer. An example of this was when they released the “Aquos” technology that was supposed to be “crisp to the eye.” Catchy marketing and creative advertising has put Sharp back at the top of the Television market, making it one of the most competitive manufactures in the marketplace for TV’s.

 

Recently Sharp unveiled the first 90’’ LED Television. It stands at 4 feet tall and is 6 feet across. This new technology doesn’t come cheap either—at $10,999 a pop. Many are arguing if this was the right decision for Sharp. Very few consumers are able to afford or store a television with such high standards. In order for this to be successful, Sharp would have to forecast appropriately and make sure that the demographic of where the product is advertised will fit with the prospective buyers that are willing to invest in new technology. When any new product that is released, there are errors. Any consumer who purchases new technology knows that there is a possibility that the product will need to be tweaked and updates will need to be given to ensure customer satisfaction. A smart consumer will wait until the second version comes out to make sure that the product is functioning properly and no issues are seen—do we need to be reminded of the iPhone 4 release?

When reading this article, one thing jumped out at me. How did they plan for a product like this to be released? Obviously some type of planning software was used. The idea was first generated, then presented, then implemented and then it went through an excessive amount of testing. All of these things are essential to ensure the success of a product launch. When each of the tasks were broken down, they had to evaluate how much time would need to be allocated for each task. For example, say the construction of the machine took 4 months. The testing period would not start until the previous 4 month period would end. In addition to planning, forecasting has a large impact on the first launch of a product. This luxurious item will only be purchased by those who can afford it, meaning that demographics will play a major factor in where this product will be available. Initially the demand of the product will be high, because the newest technology is always desired. However, the amount that will be purchased will be different from the perceived demand that customers are giving.

One thing is for sure; Sharp is clearly making a new name for themselves and appealing to a new market—a wealthy market. Whether or not you believe this product will show immediate success, people will be in line to get the first viewing.

 

Source:
Gross, Doug. “Sharp Unveils ‘world’s Biggest’ LED TV – CNN.com.” CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 21 June 2012. <http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/19/tech/gaming-gadgets/largest-tv-sharp/index.html>.

5 thoughts on “Sharp Creates Biggest LED Television: Victory or Failure?

  1. Sharp is a fairly luxury brand television. The 90″ television is definitely not the right route to go, but what else will set them apart other than 3D television at this time? Testing is obviously necessary for all products, but what I gathered is that this is a very thin television, potentially being used for the hospitality side of business. I understand where you are coming from with the second generation idea, but you’re comparing a different consumer product and company. The results of this television in relation to sales will be interesting, but I believe that Sharp set itself apart, at least by holding the “largest LED television” position.

  2. Having such a big TV at home is a great thing to have when you have time and money. However I would wait till the inspections are completed and the tv will not have any errors. Sharp is trying to beat other companies by bringing this tv to market as soon as possible knowing that other TV companies will follow them with even better quality of TVs.

  3. While Sharp is a very good brand, i’m not sure if their pricing of the product was a good idea. Sharp should take into account that these past few years have been hard economic times worldwide and most individuals are not able to afford such expensive items. I don’t think that they will be having sales through the roof on this new television especially since this is the first version of the product. They will more than likely have greater success when the second version comes and all the tweaks are out. People will then be more willing to spend that kind of money on a product because they will be assured of the quality.

  4. Sharp may be known for good quality televisions, but I do not think this was the best decision for the company. It is obvious that they wanted to come out with a new product to attract more customers and make more profits, but I think they could have gone a different route. While they could make decent sales if they market the new 90″ television to a certain segment, such as the wealthy. They probably make more of a profit and attract more customers, if the television was a more reasonable size and price.

  5. I will say it’s a victory for Sharp, I don’t think that Sharp is trying to make a profit out of this 90″ TV; but what they are doing is trying to distinguish their brand from other TV companies by making the biggest LED TV. I came to this conclusion after looking at Sharp’s website, the price of this 90″ LED TV is 10,999$ while on the other hand the 80″ LED TV (which has better specifications) costs 4,000$ less. In addition to the many other TV sizes with very competitive prices. So their approach is to market their products through “the largest TV in the market” as if customers will consider looking at the company who made “the biggest LED TV” before making their decision.

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