For Third Year in a Row, Sony Named #1 in the Harris Poll's Best Brands Survey

PRNewswire
NEW YORK
07/17/2002

For the third year in a row, and the fifth time in the last eight years, Sony has been chosen as the number one brand, according to the annual Harris Interactive® survey of the best brands. Since The Harris Poll® began measuring "best brands" in 1995, Sony has been named number one five times (1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, and 2002). "No other brand comes close to matching this record," Harris Interactive stated in a press release issued July 17, 2002.

This year's poll reflects the results of an online survey of 2,050 adults in the United States conducted between June 20 and June 26, 2002. The survey asked respondents to name the three brands they considered the best. In the eight years since Harris Interactive began asking this question, Sony has never been lower than third. Sony led this year's list followed by Dell, Ford, Kraft, Coca-Cola, General Electric and Pepsi-Cola. The results of the survey were released today.

"We're proud to be honored once again as the leading brand, especially this year, when our motion picture group is number one in domestic market share and box office," said Howard Stringer, Chairman and CEO of Sony Corporation of America. "The quality and integrity of Sony-branded products and services that are created and marketed by our U.S. operating divisions -- Sony Electronics Inc., Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., Sony Music Entertainment Inc. and Sony Pictures Entertainment -- are our greatest assets and enduring strengths. Our U.S. operating divisions all share the same drive for excellence, elegance and innovation, and we're glad that The Harris Poll respondents continue each year to recognize this commitment."

Sony Corporation of America, based in New York City, is the U.S. subsidiary of Sony Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo. Sony is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, communications and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Its music, motion picture, television, computer entertainment, and online businesses make Sony one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world. Sony's principal U.S. businesses include Sony Electronics Inc., Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment Inc., and Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of over $56.9 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2002, and it employs 168,000 people worldwide. Sony Corporation of America recorded over $18.5 billion in sales in the U.S. for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2002. Sony Corporation of America's homepage is: http://www.sony.com/SCA/index.html.

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SOURCE: Sony Corporation of America

CONTACT: Howard Polskin of Sony Corporation of America, +1-212-833-6975,
or howard_polskin@sonyusa.com

Web site: http://www.sony.com/