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Last updated: Friday, August 7, 2009

Sony is turning to a combination of tried-and-true and innovative marketing strategies to boost the appeal of the company’s e-book offerings to price-conscious American consumers. Earlier this week, Sony knocked $2 off the prices at its online e-book store for new releases and New York Times best sellers and unveiled two new e-book Readers at reduced price points of $199 and $299. What’s more, the company has joined Amazon in offering a few newer titles free from popular authors such as Brenda Jackson, James Patterson, Joseph Finder, and Kim Stanley Robinson. All these marketing moves bode well for sales of Sony’s e-book devices and content, Forrester Research Analyst Sarah Rotman Epps said. “I think the trend toward lower-priced devices will help to encourage adoptions, and it also helps that Sony’s best sellers will now be priced at $9.99 — down from $11.99,” Rotman Epps said. “Even though there are many books priced lower than 9.99 in their online store, just being able to add this price point has psychological appeal.” Hands-On Experience Having Sony’s e-book Readers more widely available in retail stores also will enable consumers to discover the devices on their own, Rotman Epps noted. “Sony’s new e-book Readers will not just be sold through the company’s direct channels, but also through Target, Wal-Mart and Costco stores and other retail outlets,” Rotman Epps explained. “Enabling consumers to have real hands-on experience before they buy is a major plus and I imagine it won’t be long before the Kindle is in these stores as well.” Though Sony is making progress, the company needs to do more to make it easier for consumers to find relevant e-book content at its online store, she said. “A common criticism of Sony is that it makes great devices but doesn’t know how to sell books,” Rotman Epps said….

Original post:
Sony Fine Tunes Its E-Book Strategy

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