Exclusive Interview
Exclusive Interview HAVIS KWON Havis Kwon is President and CEO of LG Electronics’ Home Entertainment Company. Joining LG in 1980 when the company was still known as Lucky Goldstar, Kwon began his career in the TV manufacturing department. He has since worked across the company’s core business sectors, including PCs, monitors and home entertainment. From 2004, he managed the TV and monitor division for LG’s Digital Display Company (renamed the Home Entertainment Company in 2009). In 2007, he became Vice-President of LCD TVs, before finally being appointed CEO of the Home Entertainment Company in October 2010. LG CINEMA 3D TV This year LG introduced the LG Cinema 3D TV range, which works on FPR (Film Patterned Retarder) technology. The main benefit of this, according to LG is that the TVs produce flickerfree images and allow the use of 3D glasses that are much more affordable, and lighter, than the conventional 3D glasses used with other manufacturers' sets. 3D And Beyond … Bringing an integrated "3D Total Solution" into the mainstream By Richard Barnes LG's campaign at IFA is all about delivering consumer benefits, including reducing costs across its range of 3D devices. Home E n t e r t a i n m e n t P r e s i d e n t & C E O Havis Kwon says that to create customer satisfaction, LG needs to provide more than just 3D … Simply put, at IFA, LG presents smart answers to the question: “How smart is your 3D?” With home entertainment changing so fast, we want to show customers that they can reap all the benefits of the latest LG Cinema 3D Smart TVs in a comfortable and simple way. LG Group experienced some major restructuring, in particular in the HE division over the past year. What have these changes meant for your business? We have looked to maintain the innovation and efficiency on which LG has built its success, and complement it with a renewed focus on speed and excellence in engineering. Despite extremely difficult market conditions, our most recent quarterly figures show a clear upturn in sales, proof that we’re on the right track. The TV market has experienced a tough time this year. How are you coping with this, and how do you see the market progressing? Thanks to a strong product line-up and heavy R&D investment in our premium ranges, we expect our profits and market share to continue growing in the latter half of the year. As overall demand picks up again in the next two or three years, the growing share for 3D TVs presents a real opportunity for us, because 3D is becoming such an important part of our home entertainment portfolio. What will be the driving factors in the home entertainment market in the coming year? We think that with the reduction in cost of 3D TVs and glasses, along with a general improvement in global economic conditions, the adoption of 3D TVs will increase significantly. Smart TV functions are also going to get much more entrenched this year. This will fulfil the needs of consumers for greater choice and convenience, while making the TV even better Havis Kwon President & CEO, LG Electronics Home Entertainment Compagny for providing entertainment for the whole family. How would you say LG is differentiating itself in the market today? Consumers are always looking for greater comfort, convenience and ease-ofuse at lower prices, and LG’s Cinema 3D Smart TVs answer all those needs. Our smart functions offer great choice and exceptional simplicity, while our Cinema 3D TV delivers high quality at competitive prices. W h at ’ s y o u r m a i n m o t i v a t i o n f o r participating in IFA? How we do in Europe and how our products are received here has an enormous bearing on our global success as well as our overall strategy. So IFA is our time to show Europe and the world how advanced and comprehensive LG’s range of 3D products really is. One of the main zones in our 3D World booth is called DO IT ALL IN 3D, where consumers can see how LG’s 3D Total Solution works on our TVs, home cinema systems, PC monitors, projectors, notebook PCs and smartphones. Hall 11.2 Stand 101 “The growing share for 3D TVs presents a real opportunity for us” www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Monday 5 th September 2011 7
