(30 May 2006 7:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Consumer electronics major Samsung India has launched its new, advanced Bordeaux series of LCD TV sets. To take advantage of the Fifa World Cup, which kicks off next week in Germany, the company has launched a Triple Zero Offer on the LCD panels. The product is available in 26 inch, 32 inch and 40 inch screen sizes.

Samsung India deputy MD Ravinder Zutshi says, "Product innovation, technology leadership and design represent the pillars of our brand strategy. The Bordeaux LCD range is a fitting example of this approach. We are giving customers a triple zero (zero processing fee, zero interest and zero dealer buy down) finance offer. This should incentivise customers to enjoy the thrill of soccer games. We expect the Fifa promotion to help us boost our television sales by 30 per cent during the May-June period.

"We are seeing an emergence of soccer fans. It is finding its roots in the country slowly. I am seeing so much media coverage on soccer these days on the World Cup and this coverage is driving viewer interest. ESPN Star Sports is looking at 135 million viewers during the event and the spot rates are close to cricket. This shows how much interest there is.
Having said that, soccer will never replace cricket as a marketing tool. Our aim is to capture a 50 per cent share in the LCD market in India this year.

Overall in the television category our share is 28 per cent. We are looking to grow that to 32 per cent. We are number one as far as supplying flat panel sets to the hospitality sector in the country."

Inspired by the grace of a wine glass, the Samsung Bordeaux LCD TV offers simplicity. Samsung says that the front surface of the LCD TV is clean and sophisticated since all control buttons have been moved to the sides. Hidden bar type speakers have been invisibly installed in the lower front area. The LCD Range offers a dynamic contrast ratio of 5000:1 and a colour palette featuring 12.8 billion colours. Samsung states that its proprietary DNIe technology offers digital perfection where even the smallest details are captured.

The Samsung LCD TV provides an undistorted image from virtually every viewing angle while having reduced thickness and reduced power consumption. The picture quality of the LCD TV can be optimised for gaming at the touch of a button. The LCD panel range cost between Rs. 34,990 and Rs. 300,000. The company plans to start manufacturing LCD sets at its Noida facility from the third quarter of this year. The facility has a manufacturing capacity of two million TV sets. The company has also launched its home theatre model in the country.

The company says that this represents an example of solution marketing. The home theatre's features include USB Plug and Play, HDMI. For the Fifa World Cup Samsung is offering a special combination price for its range together with the home theatre system.

The company is conducting dream home roadshows in 135 cities this year. Each roadshow lasts for three days and is at an appropriate location in each place. The aim is to create customer awareness about the product range. The company also has 80 brand stores across the country. This allows customers to experience the Samsung range in a better ambience. It will open eight brand stores in the western region this year.

Samsung has also conceptualised a TVC keeping the Fifa World Cup in mind. This shows a man who has given away his two tickets for the event. His friends think he is crazy until they see his new Samsung LCD TV set. 'It is not that hard to imagine' is the ads closing line.

Last the company had a Rs. 6200 crore turnover. This year it expects growth of 20 per cent. Five per cent of its turnover is spent on marketing activities.