Panasonic Case Study
Matsushita Electronics Uses Movable Type to Connect Customers Worldwide with Their Exhibition Presentations
Matsushita Electronics operates an exhibition blog that, according to its name and purpose, provides a glimpse of Matsushita's products, people, and presentation to " those who would like to attend, but can't" . The blog reports news from Matsushita's booths at various large exhibitions and gives non-attendees (including those reading the blog from overseas) a front row seat to Matsushita exhibitions...
Business Challenge: Create an "exhibition blog" to showcase and promote products to potential customers who cannot attend exhibitions.
With their exhibition blog powered by Movable Type, Matsushita Electronics:
- Increased number of visitors to Matsushita booths and displays
- Posted exhibition details not available on traditional sites
- Used animation and video to present product information and reviews in a more personal, engaging way to non-attendees
- Gain customer insight and learnings on product offerings
- Expand reach and attract more customers
For more information, visit: Matsushita Electronics (Panasonic Brand)
Matsushita Electronics operates an exhibition blog that, according its name and purpose, provides a glimpse of Matsushita's products, people, and presentation to " those who would like to attend, but can't" . The blog reports news from Matsushita's booths at various large exhibitions and gives non-attendees (including those reading the blog from overseas) a front row seat to Matsushita exhibitions...
Customer Profile
"People who cannot come to exhibitions are able to check out our booth via our blog and get product reviews from the customer's point of view. The number of visitors has clearly increased." - Mr. Nishii, Matsushita Electronics Corporate Communications
Under the Panasonic brand, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. provides a wide range of products, from audiovisual and information/communication equipment to home appliances and components. As one of the largest electronic companies in the world, Matsushita provides safety, security, comfort and convenience while coexisting with the global environment.
The Challenge
A global enterprise like Matsushita (and its subsidiaries) is constantly displaying its products and promotions in convention halls and professional gatherings worldwide. But an exhibition's limited "target area" presents a unique set of problems: not every sales manager, engineer or executive can attend every exhibition. Many are held an ocean - or a continent - away from various offices. The limits imposed by distance and time can have a negative impact on communication and contact. Areas such as sales, information delivery, and feedback could suffer.
As Mr. Nishii from Matsushita Electronics Corporate Communications Department explains, "We can only show our exhibit at specific locations and times. We wanted to show our exhibition to those who couldn't attend and to get company information into the blogging world."
The Solution
Matsushita implemented a Movable Type-powered blog to help spread the word and inform non-attendees of Matsushita's exhibitions, and to showcase their products in a different way compared to standard product web pages.
Mr. Nishii drew upon his own positive experiences with blogs to create the Matsushita blog. "I know that blogs can provide a lot of information. I read them to get real information from users and to read about their experiences of actually using the product,"
His idea was to present an exhibition blog that communicated what customers want to know from the perspective of a booth visitor. In his unique solution, an animated version of one of Matsushita's actual employees appears on the blog, posting reports about the exhibition and reviewing products. It's an engaging, personal - and effective - way to present Matsushita Electronics.
The Results
Since introducing the Movable Type exhibition blog in June of 2006, Matsushita Electronics has been able to participate in a number of conferences including -- Interop Tokyo 2006 and Createc Japan 2006.
Mr. Nishii says, "People who can't come to the exhibition are now able to check out our booth via the blog. We can now easily provide customer-relevant information and we've increased our visitor numbers and many are spending more time in our blog to learn about Matsushita and provide us with feedback. Plus, we are now getting additional readers and customers, via personal blogs and from non-Japanese blogs."
The Future
Going forward, Matsushita is looking into posting product details and requesting invitations before exhibitions open using Movable Type. This will help them gather reader opinions and gain insight into what customers want, ultimately helping Matsushita create a more targeted customer experience from the very start.
