Samsung, LG cranking up marketing for Olympics

Global TV makers are expecting a boost in TV sales thanks to the Beijing summer Olympics next year and are increasing local production and marketing activities in China.
Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s No.1 maker of liquid crystal display, or LCD, TVs, plans to launch its 2007 Bordeaux LCD TV in China. The company also developed digital TVs that are compatible with Chinese terrestrial broadcasting frequencies, and is preparing for China to begin digital broadcasting in earnest.
As part of its marketing, Samsung provided guest rooms at Shangri-la Hotels in several locations in China with 2,300 LCD TVs in order to raise brand recognition.
LG Electronics will maintain its production capacity in China and increase its marketing force. The company expects digital TV sales to grow this year by 105 percent for plasma display panel TVs and by 25 percent for LCDs. LG will focus on the bigger TVs ― PDP TVs 50 inches or larger and LCD TVs 42 inches or larger.
Unlike Korean companies, however, Japanese firms plan to increase production capacity in China.
Toshiba, which operates a TV plant in Dalian, stopped production of cathode-ray tube TVs and converted facilities to LCD TV production lines. Matsushita and Hitachi, both major players in the PDP TV market, also announced plans to expand production.
Chinese firms are also preparing for higher TV demand.
TCL Corp., an LCD TV maker, doubled its output figures compared to last year, and Chi Mei Optoelectronics, an LCD panel maker, plans to focus mostly on just making LCD panels for TVs.

By Wohn Dong-hee Staff Writer [wohn@joongang.co.kr]