Sony Ericsson appoints new marcoms chiefs

Sony Ericsson has appointed new marketing and communications chiefs as the brand looks to better its position in the Android smartphone market.

Steve Walker, currently acting head of marketing, will become the phone manufacturer’s global head of marketing, replacing Lennard Hoornik who left the company early this year to pursue “new career opportunities”.

Cathy Davies is to step into the global head of communications and PR role after Aldo Liguori announced he would resign from the position last week.

Sony Ericsson is hoping its new range of Xperia smartphones, including the world’s first PlayStation phone Xperia Play, will move the company into a leadership position among Android manufacturers.

Earlier this year Sony Ericsson’s UK and Ireland marketing director David Hilton admitted the company’s image as an innovator had “dissipated”.

Hilton said Sony Ericsson will look to turn around this perception in 2011 by marketing its Xperia range as the “most entertaining” smartphones in the sector.

Sony Ericsson has also upped its online presence and last year went from 300,000 Facebook fans to 3.9 million in 11 months to become the 40th-largest brand on the social networking site.

Android currently dominates the smartphone operating system (OS) market, with 37.4% of the UK market share, according to Kantar Worldpanel February 2011 figures.

The Android OS is stealing users from Apple’s iOS, which Kantar Worldpanel says lost 17.2% of its market share year on year in the 12 months to February 2011.

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