urwahufti: Middle East and Africa Market Contribute Significantly to ...

The developed Middle East market, and the hugely potential African markets are contributing significantly to Panasonic?s global sales, and the company is confident that its new range of eco-friendly products and solutions will help drive sales across the region.

At the company?s annual? media convention for Middle East & Africa (MEA), which was held in Dubai, , Panasonic outlined its long and mid-term strategies for the coming year.

Globally, Panasonic is undertaking a concerted drive to increase profitability, by consolidating its 88 divisions into 49 new corporate entities. These will be divided into four divisions; Appliance, Eco Solutions, AVC Networks, and Automotive and Industrial Solutions.

This strategic plan will see Panasonic focusing on four major business areas; home networking, eco and business solutions, mobility systems, and personal devices.

?At Panasonic we always put people before our products. We aim to engineer a new and better world for our consumers, with products and technologies that enrich lives and contribute to society. Panasonic is a customer focused company, and we will continue to bring innovative eco products designed to fit the lifestyle of our customers across Middle East & Africa,? commented Yorihisa Shiokawa, Managing Director, Panasonic Asia Pacific.

In order to further boost sales across Middle East and Africa, Panasonic plans to actively promote and create new business-to-business opportunities, which is an operational shift that enables the organisation to become more B2B oriented, while continuing to increase profitability in the company?s traditional B2C business sphere.

The new products unveiled at the convention included product categories from Audio Video to Home appliances to System and Network Solutions and Eco Solutions as well.

?Panasonic clearly understands the importance of the Middle East and Africa markets for its global success. Our business model will have hands-on approach which will directly engage the consumers. Panasonic is enhancing customer touch points, thereby strengthening our presence in the potential African market, and cementing our industry leading position in the Middle East. We are confident that the new products we have introduced into the market, will help drive sales,? commented Masao Motoki, Managing Director, Panasonic Marketing Middle East & Africa.

The concept of social contribution and commitment towards the betterment of the society also formed the core elements for the convention. Corporate Social Responsibility Activities (CSR) and eco activities currently dominate the company?s social calendar.

Coinciding with the global ?Earth Day?, as part of the celebrations during the convention, the company commemorated the global initiative by adorning a huge earth structure with environmentally conscious pledges by all its attendees.

Further, the regional winners were also felicitated during the convention where winning kids were given certificates and trophies as an appreciation towards their participation for the Panasonic ?Kids School? initiative that included the popular Eco-Picture Diary and Kids Witness News (KWN) video competition promoting eco-consciousness to young minds.

As a recent example of Panasonic CSR activities, the company donated 1,000 solar LED lanterns to the remote Mbola village in Tanzania. With proper lighting in homes and buildings, the residents of Mbola are now able to actively pursue evening activities, such as education, and provide more effective healthcare facilities.

The initiative forms a part of Panasonic?s global 100,000 Solar Lantern Project, and the organisation is donating a further 2,000 solar LED lanterns to refugee camps in Kenya, which will be delivered in May of this year.

Other regional initiatives include the Abu Dhabi University Scholarship Programme, the Kids Witness News Video Competition (KWN), and the UNESCO Eco Diary Learning Programme. Also, through the Lake Victoria Environment Education Program, Panasonic was able to aid in developing three schools, and in the process, assist over 15,000 community members in Kenya.

Panasonic is on track to become the leading green electronics manufacturer in the Middle East and Africa, through its ongoing creation of energy-saving and eco-friendly solutions.