Confirmation

Confirmation takes place when an individual seeks reinforcement of an innovation-decision already made.

Why Sony at the Confirmation Stage

Roger’s theory, Human behavior change is often motivated in part by a state of internal disequilibrium or dissonance Sony failed to engage the younger generation of listeners and did not become an industry standard.

Based on this research, at the confirmation stage Sony decided to discontinue the production of this product on July 7, 2011 due to Competitive Strategy and failures of the Minidisc. All shipments to retail stores in US, Europe, and Canada were canceled.

• Consumers when purchased the minidsic confirmed this product was not compatible with other music formats such as PCs and Mac’s
• The relative advantage of the mindisc could only hold up to 74 files. However MP3s and cd could hold up to libraries of music
• American consumers were not impressed of the trailability stage when the minidisc was introduced. The price of $750 re-directed consumers to try other products
• MD sales in the United States did not occur because of its ostensibly poor marketing strategies, but rather because of unreceptive American consumer market which vastly different from the receptive Japaneses consumer market
• Consumers in Europe look at audio quality and most Americans look carefully at the price tag, the minidisc did not meet the consumer needs in both markets
• The record Industry of American a consumer music (watchdog) did not support the minidisc
• Competition from other manufacturers such as Tandy and Radio Shack continued to enter the market and attract customers with new lower costs, smaller, portable walkmans.
• A marketing manager from Kenwood suggested that it was possible that consumers may have been scared off because it reminded them of other formats from Sony in the past that were created by this manufacturer and failed.
• Cost was a factor; the first Minidisc units carried retail prices around $750.00.
• Management was convinced that Minidisc would eventually replace the audiocassette as the recording meduim of choice.
• The Sony Corporation decided to discontinue the Minidisc on July 7, 2011.

Summary

Based on this research, the confirmation stage failed due to bad strategy. As a company, Sony created a number of mistakes from a management viewpoint namely not keeping with innovation and the competitiveness of the computer and music market.