ღHeavy Rotationღ: Midterm Assignment: Sony

"Sony is an exciting and innovative global company with a unique range of buoperating in a variety of diverse marketplacehttp://www.sony.co.uk/hub/european-graduate-programme/3s."sinesses
Sony has also been a well-loved brand since its early beginnings. Sony did not start with the name Sony; "originally called Tokyo Tsushin Kogyoalso known as Tokyo telecommunications Engineering Company". Sony was actually founded in 1946 by two intelligent men by the name of Maasura Ibuka and Akio Morita. For a living Maasura and Akio repaired radios as well as voltmeters back in the post-war Japanese economy. The first ever interesting invention by these two innovative men was the very first automatic rice cooker which had limited quantities made.

Many have wondered where the name Sony came from and why they had chosen the name."Sony derives from the Latin word sonus meaning sound and the English word sonny-boy - a term used by the Americans in the 1950's to denote a bright youngster". The sound and quality that emitted out of the headphones was the main reason behind the name.

The first ever product branded by Sony was the TR-55 transistor radio in 1955. 1958 Sony officially changed its name to Sony Corporation which was the very first step in becoming a powerful company. Sonys first headphones was invented back in 1979 when the first Walkman was created. Every person had to have this popular and amazing new product that provided lightweight headphones. The products debut price was $200 dollars back in 1979 while today you can enjoy many Sony headphones that range from $12 to $100. Sony headphones were created because during the 1970’s many headphones were heavy and often enormous for a headphone. Every headphone created was part of Sonys way of being a step ahead of other companies.

During Sony's major success in the headphone industry another brand was fighting against Sony. Koss was also one of the most successful headphone companies during 1950’s."The company pioneered the stereo headphone in the 1950s" and was actually the first company to ever create the stereo headphones. Koss was a Sony competitor up until it filed for bankruptcy in 1980 which gave Sony the advantage of expanding its line of headphones as well as creating new products. Before its bankruptcy Koss was perceived as a quality headphone company and a brand that provided speakers for computers and audio technology.

Why was Sony so popular among people? Sony was loved not for its products but rather more for innovative exciting ideas. Sony expanded more and provided not only headphones but also owned record labels and other appliances. Sony headphones were one of pop culture’s most wanted and desired products. Every new color and model of headphones people had to own it as soon as it was released.

Sony was widely popular in America for quite a long period of time until it had hit its peak and eventually a strong powerful company was taken over. The ipod was then created and offered more options and exciting features. Sony had not created any new product to be in the game which led to the fall. Economic growth was held back and Sony let Apple beat it in the electronic industry. “For some people in Japan, Sony is already dead” stated Jake Adelstein in his article and while Sony is considered dead in Japan it is also dead in the U.S. Natural disasters also caused 10 plants in Japan to close which also led in the decrease of blu-ray discs, batteries, and other Sony products such as headphones. Sony had just fallen and had been beaten by Apple; today we still see Sony headphones and other products but they are not widely popular as how they were in the 1970’s.