The problem with Philips is that the people they hired had to adhere to European marketing practises which evolved more around global brand manuals than innovative marketing. The death of Philips in the consumer electronics market has been coming for 12 months or more and was a bit like watching someone you know die of cancer because they could not give up smoking. In Philips case it was more that they could not break free of their European masters with the introduction of strong brand marketing.
And while the Philips' products were well engineered they lacked the brand image of a Sony or Samsung.
At a local level the Philips Lifestyle Products Division staggered from one problem to another with many retailers giving the Company the flick not because their products were bad but because they lacked any brand presence in the market.
Earlier this year I wrote in an editorial that Philips, which prides itself on being a leading technology company, seems to have got lost in the digital wilderness, if its latest press event for the new Aurea LCD TV is anything to go by.
Instead of a CD, DVD or even an electronic email with images and text attached Philips chose to hand out printed press releases and no images.
Even its mobile communications seem to be adrift as calls to the local communications manager went unanswered for several hours even though it was the day of a major Philips press briefing. This is not surprising with Philips, which has a global reputation for being able to deliver "great products" but is lousy at marketing activities.
