Aiwa New Strategy Targeting Youth Market

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Aiwa Introduces New Strategy Targeting Youth Market

New Aiwa Logo and Brand Further Strengthens and Expands Sony�fs
Consumer Electronic Business in New Zealand

[Auckland, 1 July 2003] Sony New Zealand is renewing the Aiwa brand through a new logo and product roadmap to target the global youth market.

The new Aiwa logo will be deployed globally, starting with a new range of audio and video products that will be introduced into the New Zealand market from early June 2003. With its new logo, Aiwa will strive to create a cutting-edge product range that will appeal to the untapped youth market in Asia Pacific who desire simplicity and style. The launch of the new Aiwa brand further expands Sony�fs consumer electronics business and follows Sony�fs absorption of Aiwa in December 2002.

�gWe are very excited about the Aiwa brand as it presents a new opportunity for Sony,�h said Matthew Walton-Smith, Division Manager for Consumer Products, Sony (NZ) Ltd. �hThe Aiwa brand is strategically complementary to Sony�fs business and opens new business opportunities for us beyond our stronghold of valued customers. With Aiwa, we can now enter untapped consumer segments like the niche youth market with a brand developed just for them.

We want to focus on the increasing demand for innovative PC centric personal products that will find a good fit in the lifestyle of the target audience - core group of teenagers to young working adults.

Aiwa: the wave of the new generation
The new wavelike Aiwa logo was developed in Japan by Sony Corporation and represents the wave of the new generation. The logo symbolizes Aiwa�fs new brand image, and reflects the innovation and quality of the Aiwa brand. It will stand for everything that young electronics consumers are looking for.

Aiwa distribution will be similar to Sony�fs. It will be distributed wide throughout New Zealand by retailers who support the new Aiwa strategy and brand.

�gBy leveraging on Sony�fs rich heritage of technological excellence, innovation and product design, Aiwa will be able to create a new brand of consumer electronic products that can be digitally connected to PCs and are truly unique to the market. We believe there are many synergies moving forward as we continue to offer more choices for consumers to express their own individual lifestyles and personality,�h said Matthew Walton Smith.

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About Aiwa

Aiwa is a cutting-edge consumer electronics business targeted at the global youth market. �@Aiwa creates and markets a range of stylish, simple and innovative audio-video products for the new generation. Available globally and in Asia Pacific, the renewed Aiwa brand was developed to capture untapped consumer segments as demand for PC-centric personal products continue to grow.

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