By Matthew Henry
SYDNEY: Panasonic has defended its marketing campaign, which asserts that plasma is better than LCD for large screen home viewing, despite the threat of legal action by Samsung if the company does not amend information it says is misleading.
Samsung has joined Sony in formally challenging Panasonic’s advertising campaign in which the company’s new spokesperson, Olympic sprinter Matt Shirvington, claims independent research shows consumers prefer plasma to LCD in normal in-home viewing for screens 42 inches and larger.
“We have retained our lawyers to write to Panasonic. As yet, legal proceedings have not been commenced,” Samsung general manager – corporate marketing, Kurt Jovais, told Current.com.au.
“It is certainly our hope that our differences with Panasonic can be resolved by agreement and without the need for us to commence legal proceedings.”
Sony recently published an open letter to retailers with a detailed response to the campaign. However, Samsung has not publicly outlined which specific aspects of the campaign it finds misleading.
“The substance of our complaint with Panasonic is that aspects of their recent Matt Shirvington campaign are misleading, and in breach of section 52 of the Trade Practices Act. Should we choose to commence the formal legal proceedings, we will be seeking, amongst other things, an order that Panasonic publish corrective advertising so as to remedy the situation,” said Jovais.
Panasonic today said it will not alter the substance of its claims, which are based on research conducted by Synovate at its behest.
“Panasonic’s recent plasma TV marketing campaign sought and presented the honest opinions of ordinary Australians on the comparative performance between plasma and LCD technologies in big screen formats and in living room conditions. Panasonic stands by the independent research conducted by Synovate and its effectiveness in educating consumers,” said the company in a statement to Current.com.au this morning.
“Panasonic is a significant global manufacturer of both plasma and LCD TV technologies, and through its experience in developing both technologies asserts that the research provides fair and accurate information on which judgments can be made. Panasonic at all times takes its commitment to consumers under the Trade Practices Act very seriously.”