Mr. Lopez analyzed several studies to understand the laptop market in China and determine which consumer segments to target. A customer interview study identified three key identities of Chinese laptop consumers: seeing brands as self-expression, relying on others for purchase advice, and having different feature priorities. Two additional studies, CLUES and COMPASS, identified similar consumer segments. While CLUES and the interviews showed redundancy, COMPASS provided complementary information. By comparing the studies, Mr. Lopez learned family/unfussy users and fashion-oriented segments were most promising for Sony VAIO due to cultural values and high purchase intent.

1. Written Assignment 1
1. What is the global image of Sony VAIO? Do Chinese consumers have additional perceptions of
Sony and VAIO?
Globally the brand VAIO is known for being a “high-end niche product that attracted consumers
for whom style and design were a top priority” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 1). VAIO has maintained it
value because their consumers prefer to buy genuine brand products rather than buying copycat products
even though the pricing difference is higher for the branded products. The Brand Sony in China while
being a premium brand is seen as being young and trendy. The brand VAIO is greeted with indifference
in China and is often referred to as the Sony laptop in general. Because of this Sony has to work hard to
create brand awareness in the current trend of increasing their consumer segments. With the right
marketing plan and an increase in brand awareness Sony could enjoy better market penetration.
2. How should Lopez interpret and compare the different studies?
The report is the Shanghai report which was done “in early 2010, with the help of a marketing
research firm, Sony conducted research in Shanghai to gain a deeper understanding of the modern
Chinese consumer’s values, consumption behavior, and usage habits” in regards to laptop computers
(Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 3). This report identified the trends in the citizens of the “bullet train
economy” which included “education and income gaps among the segments of China’s population,” an
increase in knockoff products now being available, and “a growing segment of Chinese consumers
aspired to enjoy levels of status, money, technology, and knowledge similar to those of more developed
nations” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 3).
The customer interviews provided a deeper understanding of Chinese laptop users in relation to
their perceptions and preferences in a more detailed report. This interview was conducted with “forty
Chinese VAIO laptop owners and four people who owned non-Sony laptops. The interviewees were
between 21 and 35 years old (representing the average age of Chinese laptop owners) and included
students, parents, and professionals” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 4). The results of interviews showed
three key themes which were: brands are an extension of the individual person, asking for product advice
is how buyers connect with others and products, and “the Chinese market has made consumers more
receptive to new technologies and products” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 4).
a. Compare the consumer interview results with the CLUES report data. Why is there so much
redundancy between the two studies? How do the CLUES segments relate to the three identities
from the interviews? How are the four key consumer goals identified in the interviews related to the
CLUES segments? Do the combined results of these two studies help or hinder Lopez’s decision?
The customer interviews “asked about how they researched, shopped for, set up, and used their
laptops” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 4). The CULES report “conducted 760 surveys of Chinese
consumers between 18 and 55 years of age. CULES respondents were asked to rate laptops based on
specific characteristics” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 5). This report provided key differences and
similarities among Chinese consumers.
The six categories in the CULES reports are: entertainment lovers who use laptops for
entertainment purposes; business focused user who use their laptops for both work and connecting to
colleagues; family users who use their laptops in daily family related activity integration such as
managing schedules; tech enthusiasts who manage electronics with the most powerful technology and
processing powered laptops; fashion oriented users use their laptops for social media; and heavy users use
laptops for all life activities. The comparison between the reports creates redundancy in that the results
are very similar and the interview questions are almost identical.

2. The CLUE report category fashion oriented users fall into the identity of the brand being an
extension of who the consumer is as a person. For business focused and family users they fall into the
second identity of “the importance of their roles in society, especially in relation to their immediate and
extended family” along with a greater “emphasis on networks” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 4). The
heavy users and tech enthusiasts fall under the give me what I want identity under the customer
interviews.
The four key consumer goals that relate to CLUES segments include that “some consumers
depend on their laptops to connect with others via e-mail, social networking sites, blogging, VOIP, and so
on” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 4) such as family users and consumers that are fashion oriented.
“Others view their computers as being primarily a productivity tool” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 5) such
as the business oriented consumers. Other consumers are light users and rely “on their computers for
everyday tasks” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 5). And some consumers use their laptop computers are
central hubs for accessing and experiencing multimedia such as heavy user and tech enthusiasts.
The combined results these studies will help in Lopez’s decision.
b. Compare the consumer interview results with the Compass report data. Do these studies produce
complementary, redundant, or conflicting information? How do the Compass segments relate to the
identities mentioned in customer interviews? How do the Compass segments relate to the four key
consumer goals? Why is there less redundancy between the interviews and Compass versus the
interviews and CLUES? Do the combined results of these two studies help or hinder Lopez’s
decision?
The customer interviews show that purchases are a strong meaning of self-expression. The results
also showed that consumers tend to follow trends and are more receptive to new technological products.
“Project COMPASS was a massive worldwide segmentation study that included data from more than
30,000 respondents. It represented a move to better align cross-divisional and cross regional thinking
regarding consumer segments while still allowing local regions and different product groups to customize
marketing efforts” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 6). The COMPASS reports “yielded another six global
consumer segments: Technosocializers, Performance seekers, Status Focused, Unfussy Basics, Functional
Socializer, and Quality of Lifers” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 6). I believe that the COMPASS report
complemented the information gather from the consumer interviews.
The COMPASS segments that relate to the identities in the customer interviews include the
technosocializers and functional socializers who “depend on their laptops to connect with others”
(Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 4). The performance seekers use their laptop computers are central hubs for
accessing and experiencing multimedia. Status focused consumers have a greater “emphasis on networks”
(Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 4). Unfussy Basics are the consumers that rely “on their computers for
everyday tasks” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 5). And quality of lifers “view their computers as being
primarily a productivity tool” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 5).
In comparison of the CLUES and customer interviews we see redundancy in that the results are
very similar and the interview questions are almost identical. Whereas in the COMPASS reports
compared to the customer interviews we see complementing of information that was gather since the
identities found in the customer interviews can be applied to the groups found in the COMPASS reports.
The combination of the customer interviews and the COMPASS reports helps Mr. Lopez in being
able to better understand consumer behavior in China.
c. Compare the CLUES report data with the Compass report data. Are there relationships between
the segments defined in the two studies? How do you explain the difference in segmentation

3. between the two studies? Do the combined results of these two studies help or hinder Lopez’s
decision?
With the CLUES interviews the questions being asked were based on rating the laptops specific
characteristics and the consumers being interviewed were between 18 to 55 years of age. In Project
COMPASS the task was to provide a comprehensive view of consumers across a variety of markets and
product categories and these participants were between 16 to 65 years of age making it a broader project.
The COMPASS results also help in connecting to the consumer goals found in the customer interviews.
There are not a lot of differences in the segmentations between the studies. The CLUE study has
entertainment lovers who are consumers that “buy new computers in step with changes in entertainment
technology” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 11). Business focused consumers “use their laptops primarily
as productivity tools, both at work and at home” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 11). Family Users are
consumers who “use their laptops to manage family calendars and budgets” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p.
11). Tech Enthusiasts are consumers who “want the fastest and most powerful computer products”
(Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 11). Fashion Oriented consumers “frequently access social networking sites
to discuss trends and fashions” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 11). And Heavy User “use laptops almost
exclusively for all life activities, including social communication” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 11).
The COMPASS study has Technosocializers who are consumer that “keep up with new
technology and actively share new-technology information within peer groups” (Greyson & Waiker,
2012, p. 13). Performance Seekers are consumers who “like all their devices to connect wirelessly so they
can watch/access what they want whenever and wherever they want” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 13).
Status Focused consumers “like to be seen with new, highly visible, stylish technology that they can show
off and that brings more fun into their lives” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 13). Unfussy Basics “try to
keep their lives as simple as possible” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 13). Functional Socializers are
consumers who “place a high value on keeping and maintaining social networks for both personal and
professional reasons” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 13). And Quality of Lifers tend to be “self-reliant
individuals who like taking risks and live for getting the most of every moment” (Greyson & Waiker,
2012, p. 13).
Since the segments between the CLUES study and the COMPASS study were so similar “Lopez
asked his Chinese market research firm to re-contact the 760 consumers who originally responded to the
CLUES study and to ask them a series of questions that allowed them to be categorized according to the
Project Compass segments [that were found]. This additional data collection allowed Lopez and his team
to compare the two approaches to segmenting the Chinese market, seeking points of overlap and
distinction” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 7). By combining the information form the two studies it cuts
down on similar grouping off consumers while reading and interpreting the data.
3. Which segment(s) should Lopez target?
After analyzing the studies Mr. Lopez should target the family users group with unfussy basics
since laptops are a niche market for Sony Vaio in China. My marketing Vaio as a family laptop this will
play into the cultural values that are placed in family in the Chinese culture. This segment is also
comprises mostly of women who are seeking stylish and functional laptops that can be used for tracking
schedules and staying in touch with their family and friends. The downside of this segment is that only
38% of these people plan to purchase a laptop in the next twelve months.
The other market to target would be the fashion conscious consumers. My targeting consumers in
this segment who are looking for stylish products this would make Sony Vaio laptops an extension or
expression of an individual’s personality. With 92% of these consumers planning to buy a laptop in the
next twelve months this segment is a huge one to target.

4. a. Looking at Exhibit 8, how many Entertainment Lovers are likely to purchase a computer in the
next twelve months? How many of these will likely purchase a Sony?
Based on exhibit 8 the Entertainment Lovers segment is 88% likely to purchase a laptop within
the next twelve months. Out of the 88% only 7% of these consumers ranked Sony as their top brand and
36% of then believe that knockoff laptops are as good as the branded laptops.
b. If Lopez’s main goal is to steal share from other brands, which study will provide the most useful
foundation for his marketing strategy?
The customer interviews provide information on why consumers buy the products that they do in
relation to laptops and what things influence those decisions. This report is important since it brought out
the core values for Chinese consumers. This report also allows for Sony Vaio to better be able to market
to consumers by using these core values in their advertising.
c. If Lopez’s main goal is to capitalize on existing loyalty and interest in Sony, which study will
provide the most useful foundation for his marketing strategy?
The aim of this study that Sony did was for them to find out how people shopped for laptops, etc.
Though the customer interviews three key themes were revealed that consumers view brands as an
extension of their identity, consumers asked for product advice “from family, friends, and others before
making purchase decisions” and customers viewed different features as being important based on how
they planned to use their laptop” (Greyson & Waiker, 2012, p. 4). This study capitalizes on existing
loyalty to Sony since most of the people interviewed were already Sony user.
Reference
Greyson, K. & Waikar, S. (2012, April 5). Sony Targets Laptop Consumers in China: Segment Global or
Local?. Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. KEL614, 1-16.
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