Taiwan's LCD TV makers ally with partners in other lines to boost sales

Taipei, Jan. 26, 2005 (CENS)--Major liquid crystal display (LCD) TV makers in Taiwan have been actively trying to ally with partners in different industries to boost their product sales.

Sampo Co., a leading home-appliance maker, recently announced that it has secured an order for 200 40-inch plasma display panel (PDP) TVs and 400 30-inch LCD TVs from a local security firm. Late last year, the firm won an order from a big hotel in central Taiwan for 300 27-inch LCD TVs.

China Motor Corp., local maker of Mitsubishi cars, recently tied up with Panasonic Taiwan to jointly carry out a sales promotion project, which provides a 20-inch free LCD TV for a new-car buyer. China Motor officials admitted that many new-car buyers preferred cash discount to LCD TVs as they have already bought such TVs. The automaker said, however, that a total of about 10,000 LCD TVs are expected to be given before the Chinese New Year promotion period.

Ford Lio Ho Motor Co., which locally makes Ford and Mazda cars, chose to cooperate with BenQ, a leading information technology (IT) and consumer electronic brand. The automaker offers a new-car buyer a 32-inch LCD TV priced at about NT$65,000 (US$2,031). A senior official of Ford Lio Ho estimated that his company would procure at least 1,000 LCD TVs from BenQ during the sales-promotion period.