"Interview with Sony Ericsson marketing VP Alex Rodriques
Max Wang, Taipei; Chinmei Sung, DigiTimes.com [Monday 11 November 2002]
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, a joint venture between Sony of Japan and Ericsson of Sweden, currently stands as the world’s fifth-largest mobile phone vendor with a 5.4% market share. Alex Rodriques, the company’s vice president of marketing, chatted with DigiTimes on the company’s mobile phone development plans and market assessment for 2003.
Q: Could you please tell us about the marketing strategies of Sony Ericsson-branded handsets?
A: In addition to the T68i and recently launched T300, the company will also launch the T100, T300 and P800, attacking both the high-end and the middle-range to low-end markets. We believe handsets equipped with color displays and MMS (multimedia messaging service) are good ways to strengthen our brand awareness.
Q: The T86i is the world’s first mobile phone supporting MMS. Would you please share with us your opinions about the future of MMS-enabled handsets?
A: MMS has been a key attraction to boost the ARPU (average revenue per user), thanks to heavy promotions from mobile service providers. I believe next year we will continue seeing more phones sporting MMS-capability. However, for MMS to really take off and become a standard mobile phone application, it will depend largely on its compatibility with PCs and a less-expensive rate.
Separately, the input-method is another problem, especially for Chinese characters. Providing a simpler input system for Chinese characters will significantly accelerate wireless data-transmission application in the Chinese-language market.
Q: What are your thoughts on the global mobile phone market next year?
A: Images/pictures, entertainment and connectivity will be three forces driving the mobile phone market next year. In images/pictures, the market will see a rising demand for camera phones. In entertainment, handset makers may collaborate with game software companies (such as Nokia and Sega) to tap the niche market, which would further boost sales because consumers need to replace their old phones with new devices packed with the latest features. In connectivity, developing “hands-free” mobile phones is likely to be another push, which would also propel demand for Bluetooth chips.
Q: Could you please talk about Sony Ericsson’s goals and market share target?
A: Our goal is as the same as when we first founded – we are preparing ourselves as a leading brand in the next five years by leveraging Ericsson’s technology and Sony’s software and marketing expertise. For market share, I cannot tell you the regional breakdowns, but we aim at capturing a 7% global market share by the end of the year. "