- Mitsubishi, Epson, and Optoma earned the first three spots as the top front projector brands in the 11th annual survey conducted by Pacific Media Associates, global market information experts on large-screen displays. Dealers ranked Mitsubishi first or second in marketing support, products, and after-sale support. Pacific Media's Annual Dealer Survey is, according to Pacific Media, "the authoritative source of independent, unbiased ratings of large-screen displays manufacturers by dealers throughout North America." Starting with 2007, Pacific Media will expand this survey to include the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) markets.
- "The market for front projectors is more competitive than ever. Most dealers carry multiple product lines, so manufacturers have to do more than just make good products. They must provide compelling sales, marketing, and technical support programs if they are to capture a dealer's mindshare and market share," said Michael Abramson, who directs Pacific Media's research on front projectors and was project manager for the Dealer Survey. "Many of the aspects dealers considered most important in the past continued to be significant in 2006, and will probably remain important going forward. The top three manufacturers had strong scores in many individual aspects, especially those considered most important by dealers. Mitsubishi has been the highest-rated brand, or one of them, for the past several years," adds Abramson.
- The survey ranks 25 aspects of marketing support, products, and after-sale support according to their importance to dealers. Dealers then rated their key suppliers on each of these aspects. Ratings were based on a scale of 1 (very poor) to 5 (very good). Manufacturers with high scores on the more important aspects posted higher overall composite scores than those who scored well on less-important aspects. The report includes numerical ratings for each manufacturer for each aspect. This data can help manufacturers learn whether efforts to improve certain aspects are yielding results, and to see where they lag behind their competitors.
- The two companies with the best ratings for the most important five aspects are:
- Capable Dealer Reps - Runco, NEC
- Good Price/Performance - Optoma, Mitsubishi
- On-Time Delivery - Sanyo, Hitachi
- Product Quality/Reliability - Mitsubishi, Eiki
- Responsive Support Persons - NEC, Toshiba
- The two companies with the highest composite scores in the areas of marketing support, products, and after-sale support are.
- Marketing Support - NEC, Mitsubishi
- Products - Optoma, Mitsubishi
- After Sale Support - Epson, Mitsubishi
- The 2006 survey is the eleventh that Pacific Media has conducted and covers a broad range of facts, figures, and opinions from 144 participating dealers, many of whom are among the largest dealers in North America.
- Pacific Media specializes in global display market information, covering all large-screen display categories: front projectors, plasma and LCD TVs, and rear-projection displays. For more information, Telephone +1 650-561-9020; or visit www.pacificmediaassociates.com
