SONY VAIO ~ POSITIONING STRATEGY !!!!

We all know about the brand SONY and the popularity it enjoys amongst the customers. The Brand has evolved as a preferred choice for any notebook lover. However Sony Vaio is currently running a campaign featuring Kareena Kapoor as the brand ambassador for its Vaio range of ultra-portable laptops. This is a new product in the category and has roped in Kareena Kapoor as the brand ambassador. Kareena is no doubt a leading Bollywood actress and has a huge fan following but how well does these two ( the brand and the leading lady ) compliment each other. The advertisement can be seen below..

Upon watching the commercial i had two question :

1. Does Sony really need a brand ambassador for the Vaio brand.

2. Vaio had had some brilliant commercial and had built a premium image without the help of any stars.

So why this step ??

Sony is positioning Vaio not as a notebook but as the ultra-thin laptop and also as a lifestyle accessory. But a discerning consumer will think twice before splurging Rs 85000 for such a product. The brand is fighting for the market along side the competitor Mac Air. The competitor has positioned its product in the "Ultralight" category . Sleek and elegant and remarkably sturdy it is an users delight.

Now talking about the ad..it is not one of the most impressive ads i have come across because the focus is more on the brand ambassador than on the product. The brand is trying to cash in on the " Size Zero " rage popularized by Kareena. The brand is feeling that consumers will find a connection between the " thin " Kareena and the " thin " Sony Vaio. This to an extent makes sense but the brand fails to deliver on the product quality and features front. This somehow falls in the category of ads where the brand ambassador dominates the brand and the consumer is left in a dilemma.

Thus I think that for a brand like Sony, it could have depended more on the creativity of the ad guys to make the brand popular than piggybacking on some thin stars.

This was my take on the topic...if there is other way of looking at the topic under consideration then please do post your view.....

Thank You...!!