Philips targets women with new hardware design
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FEB. 22 | Philips is promoting product design more than ever in 2008, distinguishing itself as a brand particularly keen on female tastes.
Philips’ new products are designed to be pleasing to the eye.
Philips formally kicked off its beautification initiative, internally dubbed ‘flair design,’ at January’s Consumer Electronics Show. Under this fashion-forward program, Philips major product categories, including Blu-ray Disc players, portable MP3 players, theater audio systems and HDTVs, will feature certain models with a shared, minimalist curved appearance. For example, the front face of Philips upcoming BD set-top, the BDP7200, matches the front bezel of many of its higher-end TVs. Launching in April, Philips BDP7200 is the manufacturer’s first BD player that is picture-in-picture functional.
The idea is that Philips can strengthen its product promotion to women, who are growing influencers of electronics purchases. Today, women play a part in about 90% of all household consumer electronics purchases, according to the Consumer Electronics Assn.
“This is a market opportunity for the company,” said Michael Gay, Philips VP of marketing. “You see the softened edges and the use of different materials in the products. We’re really trying to be simpler and more accessible, to take the ‘tech’ out of technology.”
Gay admits that major consumer electronics retailers have not historically been female-friendly, noting that women tend to appreciate an aesthetically pleasing, streamlined approach to shopping, which has been perfected at places such as gourmet grocer Whole Foods.
To support its 2008 line of products, including its picture-in-picture BD player, Philips is encouraging retail partners to follow an ‘adjacent marketing’ strategy when displaying products. In this way, shopping is simplified as customers can see related products all at once, with a full-fledged Philips home theater system in easy view.
Additionally, Philips is planning to devote more advertising resources to design-oriented publications like Architectural Digest. This marks a departure from manufacturers’ tendency to showcase electronics products within sports-based content.
Philips hopes that its drive for style will boost its business overall. The company fattened its share of overall product retail shelf space from 6% to 7% in 2006 to 12% to 13% in 2007. Through 2008, Philips wants to continue expanding its brand presence among rival consumer electronics manufacturers.