Chris Matto, Sharp’s Marketing Manager of Consumer Products, told HGO that the company was “surprised” by the low number, but “we’re still moving forward with our HDTV strategies for 2008.”

The Nanos Research poll of 1,000 consumers across Canada showed that nearly 48 per cent of respondents said they were not knowledgeable at all about HDTV features and/or buzz words like “1080p” and “pixel response time.” About 53 per cent said they understood the difference between LCD and plasma technology at a “basic” level.

On a gender basis, 60 per cent of women don’t feel knowledgeable about HDTV, while only about 40 per cent of male respondents are in the same boat.

“(Surveys) can be a bit of an arbitrary thing,” Matto said. “HDTVs are complex things, but we continue to do our homework in terms of marketing Sharp products, particularly the Sharp Aquos line.”

Matto said that, despite the low number of Canadian consumers in the “very knowledgeable” HDTV category, HD is expected to capture about 40 per cent of this country’s television sales market by year’s end. The company will do that, he said, by concentrating on educating consumers about the advantages of owning a high-definition television.

“We’ve reached the end of analog broadcasting in the U.S., and even though Canadians will not face that problem until August, 2011, Sharp is consistently reminding people about the need to make a move to HDTV,” he said. “Our dealers do that by educating shoppers about the importance of understanding the features and benefits of a great HDTV.”

Matto said Sharp’s marketing in Canada has always followed a “low to the ground, grassroots community” approach whereby the company familiarizes consumers with the Sharp brand through organizational sponsorship. A move towards “green” products is also something Sharp has supported for years.

“We are always looking for ways to develop products that are environmentally friendly, and we need to continue the thought process that green is good,” he said. “It’s something we’ve done for a long, long time at Sharp.”

Matto said Sharp has a Canadian field marketing team of “more than 1,000 storefronts” telling people “how strong our products are,” particularly the relatively new, higher-end Aquos line of TVs.

“Aquos has reinvigorated the market for Sharp in Canada,” he said.

Matto said Sharp Aquos’ position as the official TV of Major League Baseball, and its extremely popular Sharp Aquos HD Netcam, to be featured during the current National Hockey League playoffs, is giving the line “incredible exposure.”

What’s the next big TV product for Sharp Electronics Canada? Well, in a week or so the company will release its SE94 and D64 lines, televisions Mattos believes will sell “fast and furious” once released.

For more information, visit www.sharp.ca, or contact Joscelyn Smith,