The Sencor Story

Origin

The story behind the SENCOR brand began more than 20 years prior to its origin. Japan was dealing with the issue of how to jump-start their economy, devastated by the war, and one way to do so was through the government-supported purchase of know-how from the USA and Europe, for which the Japanese invested over a billion dollars. A bright new start rose over Japan – electronics. Pre-war companies (Panasonic, Hitachi, Sharp) were accompanied by new companies – Sony, Akai, Sanyo, Aiwa, and in 1969, SENCOR. And it was in the late 1960s, during a time of agitation and revolutionary change throughout the world, which represented a substantial turn of events for Japan and its electronics companies. Imported technologies could not cope with the demand, resulting in a slump, and the task at hand was the revolutionary launch of Japan's own research and development, discovering new technologies, new products. The Japanese technological miracle could begin.

The year that changed everything

Author Rob Kirkpatrick indicated 1969 as the "Year that changed everything." The Americans were walking on the Moon, the Russians conquered Venus. The Internet was born – the first computer was connected to the network. The first artificial heart was transplanted. The war in Vietnam was well underway and spontaneous anti-war demonstrations were getting ever so stronger, climaxing at the Woodstock festival.

Punk was born. ... And it was during these chain of events, amidst a restless and revolutionary time, when SENCOR was established in Japan. A brand of a thousand hearts (SEN is Japanese for 1,000, COR is Latin for heart). Everyone must put their entire heart into what they do, otherwise it is a period in which one cannot succeed. Courageous hearts, desire and clear imagination added to traditional Japanese discipline, work ethic and perfectionism. A small red sun (letter "O") appeared in the logo. It is one of the most meaningful symbols in Japan, the land of the rising sun. For SENCOR, however, this "red dot" was also a commitment: "The quality of our products will soon be comparable to the absolute majority of elite worldwide brands" (at the time represented by Blaupunkt with its legendary blue dot in the logo).

Expansion

The world was dealing with the oil crisis in the 1970s, but Japanese electronics organizations continued to rise. SENCOR was one of them. It was clear from the very beginning, the brand knew exactly where it was going. Quality in the electronics sector was an absolute necessity, SENCOR was goal-oriented and tacked on additional attributes – innovativeness and variety, different and original design, colors, unique properties and availability, because, from the very beginning, the focus of SENCOR was on the people, not the gadgeteer, collector or snob. The company began exporting throughout Asia and Europe and gradually expanded its markets to all five continents. SENCOR cassette players and car stereos became a hit in Great Britain, and quickly after that throughout Europe. The greatest evolutionary triumph of SENCOR was the first every, and in many ways a breakthrough, multitrack stereo, introduced already in 1972. SENCOR developers quickly bring other revolutionary technologies to the table, including the "reverse" function for cassette players, two-cassette player capable of recording, or Mobile Hi-Fi – one of the first portable Hi-Fi systems equipped with the Dolby NR® noise reduction system. SENCOR provides Europe new access to car stereos and primarily introduces a brand new product – the car stereo with cassette player.
 

Products with a soul, crafted by the heart

Technology was not the only driving force behind the start of SENCOR. It was also the aforementioned heart. SENCOR insisted people enjoy using its products. And so it was very important for the products to have an original and interesting design, be user-friendly and intuitive, and not settle for cool elegance, but on the contrary, for the products to offer color variations, giving consumers to right to individualization and creating a bond between a human and technology. SENCOR's motto at the time was – Why shouldn't a man enjoy his electronic devices? And that motto stands to this day.

Move to Europe

In the 1990s, SENCOR became a European company. It is managed from Europe, products are manufacturer in Asia and in European countries, however, its heart naturally stayed in place, in Japan. The SENCOR logo changes, but continues to acknowledge the best of traditions derived from the Japanese technological miracle and consistently follows the development plan set out by the original founders. The word changed, it became smaller, but the vision and desires stayed the same. The foundation for where the SENCOR brand is headed lies in the combination of Japanese traditions and quality with European business intelligence. The heart takes a front row seat again. And if someone says emotion has no place in business, they are truly wrong.

Variety and innovation

Today, SENCOR focuses on several trends, making it an exclusive brand on the worldwide market. First and foremost is its wide range of products. As was the case in Japan in the 1970s, and throughout the world at the start of the third millennium (SENCOR now supplies products to more than 55 countries worldwide, SENCOR reacts to all current topics and constantly expands its portfolio of products, which today contains more than a thousand items over six product categories (consumer electronics, tablets and phones, office, car electronics, kitchen household, health & beauty) and more products are added to line on a month-to-month basis.  And so while other brands constantly speak of innovations, SENCOR continuously brings them to its range of products.
 

Design and colors

The design is just as important. Products alone and their packaging. For certain product categories, SENCOR offers the widest range of colors bar none. Colors match perfectly, so anyone buying ten different consumers in the same color, for example, lila, can rest assured they will all have the same tint. SENCOR decided to get rid of melancholic and conservative pale kitchens and apartments, bringing color and individuality to the picture. Anyone can demonstrate his or her personality just by selecting a color. This is where the human to electronic device relationship is born and solidified by functionality, user-friendliness and excellent service. And, of course, availability, because when it comes to price policy, SENCOR sticks to the following rule: Quality at a fitting price – not a penny more! Product packages are also considered unconventional and individualized. The package shows exactly the product found inside, including an accurate color depiction.