Ten companies join forces for DVD launch

Ten leading consumer electronics companies and video distributors are considering pooling advertising resources to launch a consumer campaign for the successor to the video tape – the Digital Video Disk or DVD.

The disks are being hailed as the replacement for VHS, and offer digital quality sound and pictures, although they cannot yet be used to record TV programmes.

Sony, Philips, Panasonic, Toshiba, Warner Brothers, Warner Vision, Buena Vista, Columbia Tristar, MGM and Polygram all linked up last year to form the DVD committee.

So far, the committee has been focusing its efforts on suppliers and distributors for the disks and the DVD players.

However at a meeting this month, the committee will discuss joint advertising and promotions for the next phase of the launch, which companies hope will capture the mass-market.

Simon Heller, marketing consultant for the DVD committee says: “Our aim now is to carry out other marketing opportunities (for DVD) and advertising has to be on the list.”

The committee members are keen to cut the launch costs of the DVD which are expected to be huge, and which coincide with the launch of digital television set-top boxes and integrated TV sets.

Digital Versatile Disk, also called Digital Video Disk, is close to becoming a mass-market product in the US, with over a million DVD players sold and 2,000 titles available. The UK market is expected to follow suit.

BMP handles Sony consumer products in the UK, while Philips consumer products is handled by Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper. However, discussions regarding advertising are understood to be at the very early stages and no pitchlist has been drawn up yet.

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