The Iconic Walkman: A Thing of the Past?*

Abstract:

In 2010, Sony announced its decision to stop production of the Sony Walkman. The product, which revolutionized the lives of music lovers in the 1980s and ruled the music player market for nearly three decades, could not keep up with the digital age as consumer preferences shifted toward the more compact and technologically superior compact music players.

Issues: » Product life cycle » Brand » Innovation Introduction The introduction of the Walkman by Sony Corporation (Sony) in 1979 revolutionized the music industry. It changed the way people listened to music and was considered a boon for music lovers. Cherished by people of all ages, the Walkman became so popular across the world that the name became synonymous with any personal, compact cassette player. However, in 2010, with Sony announcing that it would discontinue its manufacture, the journey of the famous Walkman seemed to be drawing to a close...

Questions for Discussion:

1. Trace the history of the Walkman, critically analyzing the rise and fall of the iconic product.
2. With rapid changes in technology, discuss the importance of product innovations for a company.

Key words:
Kurkure, snack food/market, innovation, strategPortable music player, Sony Walkman, compact disc player, DVD player, MP3 player, brand, portability, innovation, technology

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