Sony Australia is also attempting to try and regain a leadership position in the flat-panel TV market after losing sales last year to Samsung, LG and Panasonic.

During the past 18 months consumers around the world have shunned Sony's struggling Bravia TV brand, with sales slumping in key markets around the world. Last night the company announced a further 10.7 per cent decline in the sale of Sony-branded consumer electronic products, including Bravia TVs and Sony PlayStations.

Globally Sony has yet to make a profit from selling Bravia TVs and, in coming months, the struggling Japanese company is set to tip hundreds of millions of dollars into sponsoring the 2010 Soccer World Cup in an effort to re-establish its brand.

A key part of this campaign will be the repositioning of Sony as a credible brand in the consumer electronics market. The company will also position itself as a leader in the 3D TV market in an attempt to hold onto market share, which is under attack from Samsung, LG and Panasonic.

3D is set to be niche in the early days, with early adopters set to be a key audience for vendors. This will work better for the likes of Panasonic, which not only has a strong plasma 3D offering and its own 3D single-lens camera, but 3D Blu-ray players and  a close relationship with the makers of the 3D blockbuster Avatar.  

For Sony, content and its relationship with Hollywood are set to be a critical element of its marketing. The company is also set to start rolling out a new content network that will deliver music, movies and games to Sony products such as Bravia TVs, Playstation consoles and portable devices. 

A decision is also expected soon on how much Sony will charge for access to this network.

Sony is also planning to take a risky plunge into 3D conversion technology by converting some of its movie and game library to 3D, then presenting the result in theatres and on Blu-ray discs. "We'll probably be able to start next fiscal year, if we can convert them into 3D with good effects," Joe Nakata, a deputy general manager for Sony's 3D strategy unit, said this week.

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