Channing Welch

10/2/11

Macroenvironment Analysis

Prof. Patronik

COMM 4101

ECONOMY: The U.S. economy is estimated to be around 14.5 trillion dollars, the largest in the world.

LEGAL: Sony sues the individuals responsible for hacking the PS3 network.

GOVERNMENT: Sony has to abide by several governmental regulations in the different countries in which it operates, including regulations relating to various business/investment approvals, trade affairs including customs, import and export control, competition and antitrust, anti-bribery, advertising and promotion, intellectual property, broadcasting, consumer and business taxation, foreign exchange controls, personal information protection, product safety, labor, occupational health, and environmental and recycling requirements.

TECHNOLOGY: (Sony BrightEra Projectors) - Sony has a line of new more efficient, brighter picture projectors set to hit stores soon. Sony has also released the world’s first flexible OLED display, which was in 2008.

ECOLOGICAL: Sony Green is a division of Sony that specialize in making sure Sony does it part to take care of the environment. Sony Green strives to make recycling your electronics as easy as it is to purchase them. Sony has created a recycling program that makes it easy to dispose of electronics in an environmentally-safe

way. With the Sony Take Back Recycling Program, we offer locations nationwide where unwanted products can be dropped off and recycled for free. Please consider opportunities for reusing products, such as donating working products to a local charity, before recycling.

SOCIOCULTURAL: Sony has been hurt by the recent hacking of their PS3 network. Sony released a statement addressing the issue and the fact that many of their PS3’s were being returned and sales were starting to decline.

SUPPLY CHAIN: The Japanese earthquake required Sony to have to move production from two plants that were located near the epicenter to several of their other plants throughout Japan. The recent tsunami in Japan has also taken a toll on Sony’s supply chain. Sony stopped production in six of its northeastern factories, which produce Blu-ray discs, magnetic heads for hard drives, and batteries. That could affect games, movies, and computers.