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Case Analysis 1

The document discusses Sony's marketing of the PlayStation Portable (PSP) in 2006. It summarizes that Sony used a billboard advertisement in the Netherlands featuring a white woman grasping the chin of a black woman with the tagline "White is coming." This advertisement caused controversy as it was seen as racist. While Sony did not intend the ad to be racist, it demonstrated tone-deafness and insensitivity. The ad continues to be discussed over ten years later as an example of how long the impacts of racially biased advertising can persist. The document recommends that companies recognize and address unintended racial biases that can become embedded in their marketing and media representations.

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Angela Tolentino
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356 views4 pages

Case Analysis 1

The document discusses Sony's marketing of the PlayStation Portable (PSP) in 2006. It summarizes that Sony used a billboard advertisement in the Netherlands featuring a white woman grasping the chin of a black woman with the tagline "White is coming." This advertisement caused controversy as it was seen as racist. While Sony did not intend the ad to be racist, it demonstrated tone-deafness and insensitivity. The ad continues to be discussed over ten years later as an example of how long the impacts of racially biased advertising can persist. The document recommends that companies recognize and address unintended racial biases that can become embedded in their marketing and media representations.

Uploaded by

Angela Tolentino
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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  “INTEGRATEDMARKETING COMMUNICATION CASE


ANALYSIS: THE USE OF MARKETING TOOLS AND
PROMOTIONAL TACTICS OF
SONY PLAYSTATION PORTABLE.”
I. Product/Service Profile

Sony Corporation, or simply Sony, is a Japanese global conglomerate

corporation based in Kōnan Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the leading providers of

consumer and professional electronic equipment. Sony Corporation is the parent

company of the Sony Group and the electronics business unit. The Sony Group

operates through four operating segments: Electronics (including video games, network

services, and medical business), Motion Pictures, Music, and Financial Services. These

make Sony one of the world's most comprehensive businesses in the entertainment

industry. 

II. Issues/ Problems Identified

A. Marketing tools

One of Sony's marketing strategies is the premium pricing, which is done to

create a premium image. Which places the Sony Corporation in the upper right of

market positioning. This positioning holds for higher-end customers, small and big

businesses. In celebration to the launch of their latest white PlayStation Portable, a

billboard depicting a white woman dominating a black woman was the central topic of

the ads to show the latest domination over the older portable console. While holding a

diverse, spontaneous, and large market, Sony did not intend to but come off as racist in

that digital marketing campaign back in 2006. While the photos featured in the ad were

created simply to highlight the difference between the PSP's several color options.
B. Promotional tactics

The tag line "White is coming." of the Sony PlayStation Portable in the

Netherlands in 2006 drew controversy as the picture depicted racism, which is

considered a tone-deaf advertisement by many. A billboard depicting a stern white

woman grasping a black woman by the chin might not be the best way to persuade

consumers to buy an all-white PlayStation Portable instead of the original black one.

This advertisement has stirred outrage in some countries that are not directly affected

by it, considering that Sony holds a high standard in the electronics industry. 

III. Alternative Solutions


It is critical to recognize that media bias reflects the indelible scars left on

society by historical traumas. Internal action is the most powerful thing that game

companies can do. Racial bias is baked into games, usually unintentionally, by those who

create them. This creates a recurring pattern of Black characters being stereotyped or

completely absent in games, which is demeaning and invalidating. Sony’s racist ad is still

being followed more than ten years later, demonstrating how long the shadow of these

advertising practices lingers.


References:

Devex, (2021). "Sony Corporation". Retrieved from

https://www.devex.com/organizations/sony-corporation-48846

Mindstorm, (2019). "You won't believe these 5 Marketing Campaigns failed!" Retrieved

from https://mindstorm.in/blog/you-wont-believe-these-5-marketing-campaigns-

failed

Ben Kuchera, (2017). "Why is everyone talking about a racist Sony ad that’s 10 years

old?" Retrieved from https://www.polygon.com/2017/4/5/15190396/sony-psp-ad-

white-is-coming-pepsi-kendall-jenner

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