LG Claims Top Ranking in Customer Satisfaction for TVs and Home Appliances
-
Similar Topics
-
By News Reporter
LG Aims to Expand Its B2B Offerings and
Build a Growth-Driven Portfolio in Emerging Sectors
SEOUL, Oct. 10, 2024 — LG Electronics (LG) held a press conference today at LG Digital Park in South Korea to share its future vision for the B2B sector with domestic journalists. The company outlined its goal for the LG Business Solutions (BS) Company to achieve KRW 10 trillion in annual revenue by 2030.
At its 2024 Investor Forum in August, LG highlighted the acceleration of its B2B operations as one of the central components of its business portfolio innovation strategy. By 2030, the company expects that its B2B concerns will account for 45 percent of total sales.
LG plans to strengthen its leading B2B businesses, such as hotel and hospital TVs, digital signage and premium laptops, while also focusing on medical monitors and electric vehicle (EV) chargers to build a sustainable, growth-focused portfolio.
Additionally, the company is rapidly strengthening its B2B capabilities across a wide range of areas, including vehicle components, HVAC systems, built-in appliances and smart factory solutions. The expansion into mobility and new business segments is part of the company’s strategy to accelerate its business transformation.
Leading LG’s flagship B2B businesses, the LG BS Company offers customized digital signage for various commercial spaces, including hotels, retail stores, offices, schools and hospitals, as well as IT products ranging from high-spec monitors to LG gram laptops, commercial robots and EV charging solutions.
The B2B sector is less affected by economic fluctuations than B2C, resulting in comparatively stable revenue and profits. Another advantage of B2B is the “lock-in” effect, which typically leads to close, long-term relationships with customers and a virtuous cycle of mutual growth.
“Over the past 66 years, LG has accumulated valuable insights into its customers and the diverse spaces they occupy through its consumer electronics business,” said Jang Ik-hwan, president of LG Business Solutions Company. “Going forward, we will leverage this expertise to offer tailored services and differentiated solutions to our business customers, further cementing our reputation as a trusted partner in the competitive B2B market. The BS Company is seeking to double its current revenue, reaching KRW 10 trillion by 2030.”
Driving the Commercial Display Market with Premium Signage and Hospitality TVs
LG has gained a leading position in the B2B display solution market thanks to its top-tier commercial display technology, premium digital signage and strong performance in the global hotel and hospital TV segments. LG’s information display business has experienced steady growth since 2019, recording an average annual growth rate of seven percent.
LG will continue to expand its display solutions business with products tailored for various spaces. The focus will be on premium fine-pitch LED signage (including All-in-One LED and Micro LED models), a product category that has seen a double-digit rise in revenue each year.
At the forefront of this expansion is the cutting-edge LG MAGNIT Micro LED display. LG MAGNIT is offered in various formats, including an all-in-one model for conference rooms, a model designed for virtual production studios, a premium home cinema edition and a model with a separate power supply unit (PSU). Since 2020, MAGNIT has recorded an impressive growth rate, with its annual revenue growth nearing a twofold increase on average over the past four years.
Additionally, LG is strengthening its portfolio of innovative digital signage solutions with products such as the next-generation LG Micro LED display, which is set to launch later this year. LG has employed the latest AI technology for its upcoming Micro LED, both during the production process and to create intelligent image-quality algorithms that help ensure superior visual performance. As part of the manufacturing process, AI is used to assess and select each of the product’s approximately 25 million LED chips (based on a 136-inch model). Meanwhile, the AI processor applied to the LG Micro LED display analyzes and optimizes color and brightness in real-time to deliver optimal picture quality.
To drive future growth, LG is actively working to identify potential demand and will keep on adding to its diverse lineup of tailored hardware and software solutions for commercial spaces.
Preferred by customers around the world, LG’s hospitality TVs boast many user-friendly features, including the ability to wirelessly mirror personal devices screens via Google Chromecast or Apple AirPlay. Hotel guests simply scan the QR code displayed on the TV to watch content from their device on the TV’s larger screen. To protect users’ privacy, viewing history and connection data are automatically deleted upon check out.
LG continues to maintain its strong leadership in the global hospitality TV market, and is collaborating with renowned international hotel chains including IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Hyatt.
In addition to its hardware offerings, LG provides a variety of cloud solutions through its online B2B platform, LG Business Cloud. These include the LG DOOH Ads digital signage advertising solution, LG SuperSign Cloud and Pro:Centric digital signage and hospitality TV content management solutions, and LG ConnectedCare remote monitoring and management solution.
To accelerate its expansion into new business areas and enhance overall competitiveness, LG is fostering strategic partnerships with global B2B companies. It recently signed a memorandum of understanding with office solutions provider Ricoh to explore the development of comprehensive enterprise services.
Strengthening LG’s Position as a Leading EV Charging Solutions Provider
LG is set to expedite its growth in promising new business areas, with the company’s EV charger business standing out as an emerging “unicorn.” Through strategic partnerships and investment, LG is poised to increase its presence in the global EV charger market.
LG opened its EV charger production factory in the U.S. (Texas) in January of this year and in June reached an agreement with ChargePoint, a leading provider of networked charging solutions for EVs in North America. The two companies are collaborating to expand their businesses by boosting product sales through distribution channels, reinforcing their product portfolios and jointly developing next-generation solutions. Additionally, LG is leveraging its extensive B2B sales network in the U.S., established through its nationwide success in hospitality TVs and digital signage, to actively target the country’s increased demand for EV charging infrastructure. This includes the necessary charging framework for hotels, shopping malls and retail stores, as well as highway charging stations and depots.
LG aims to secure around eight percent of the U.S. fast charger market by 2030 and position itself as a global top-tier provider of EV charging solutions.
At present, LG offers six types of EV chargers, including 7kW and 11kW slow chargers, and 100kW, 175kW, and 200kW fast-charging models.1 In addition, the company is producing a 350kW ultra-fast charger for the North American market and plans to release two slow-charging models – 30kW and 7kW – targeting the European market, all scheduled to launch by the end of this year.
Furthermore, LG is proactively addressing concerns over EV charger safety by implementing various fire-prevention solutions.
The charging control system applied to LG’s EV chargers prevents overcharging, which is one of the leading causes of EV charging safety incidents. The control system automatically stops charging when the vehicle battery reaches 80 percent during fast charging and 100 percent during slow charging. Additionally, LG chargers are equipped with a load management system that allocates electricity based on the installation site’s power capacity, ensuring stable charging even with limited power availability.2
The installation environment and consumer safety are key considerations in the design of every EV charger that LG makes. The company’s 175kW fast-charging model operates reliably in extreme temperatures ranging from -35 to 55 degrees Celsius and boasts an IP55 rating for water and dust resistance, along with an IK10 rating for impact resistance. Additionally, LG EV chargers comply with Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulations for the use of ten harmful chemicals such as lead, cadmium and mercury during the manufacturing process.
Prioritizing Medical Monitors as a Key Growth Engine
LG is focusing on the medical monitor sector as a new growth driver for its IT business, with plans to become a global top-three medical monitor provider within the next five years.
Medical monitors are required to meet the medical device regulations of each country, as well as medical imaging display standards, such as DICOM Part 14. Delivering excellent image accuracy and reliability, these monitors are considered premium products with high entry barriers, and are recognized as high-value-added products. According to market research firm Omdia, the global medical monitor market is expected to reach approximately USD 2.5 billion in value by 2030. In markets such as North America and Europe, hospitals are required to use medical-grade monitors for the reviewing of medical images obtained from X-rays, endoscopies and other procedures. With these strict regulations in place, the market for medical-grade monitors is expected to grow significantly in the future.
Launched in 2016, LG’s medical monitor business has steadily expanded in size, achieving close to double-digit annual growth in North America and Europe. Its product lineup, which is now available in more than 50 countries worldwide, currently comprises 14 types of medical monitors – including clinical, diagnostic and surgical models – and six types of digital X-ray detectors (DXDs).
LG offers healthcare institutions a diverse range of medical monitors, including surgical monitors with Mini-LED technology, specialized diagnostic monitors for mammography and high-resolution displays with screen-split features. By adopting a turnkey solution approach, LG has enhanced its competitiveness in the global medical display market and set a solid foundation for future growth.
In 2023, the company made significant strides in the medical display segment by securing a four-year, EUR 10 million contract with Centrale d’Achat de l’Informatique Hospitalière (CAIH), France’s public hospital IT purchasing center, for the supply of medical monitors. Looking ahead, LG plans to integrate AI technology into the data analysis and solutions derived from its medical monitors and digital X-ray detectors, and is also considering an entry into the medical imaging equipment sector.
LG’s success in the B2B sector owes much to the company’s technology and knowhow accumulated over many years in the B2C market. Recently, LG is in discussions regarding a contract to supply a U.S. financial services company with custom-built, high-resolution monitors for a period of five years. LG has supplied dual monitors to a U.S. financial media company and provided in-flight entertainment (IFE) displays to international airlines.
# # #
1 LG’s 7kW and 11kW slow chargers and 100kW fast charger are available in South Korea, while the 175kW and 200kW fast-charging models are available in North America.
2 LG’s load management solution, which has already been applied to the company’s fast- and slow-charging EV charging solutions in North America, will be introduced in South Korea beginning next month.
link hidden, please login to view -
By News Reporter
Portable projectors are quickly becoming essential home entertainment devices, offering a compelling blend of performance and practicality to content lovers who want to take their screen on the go. While great projectors are compact and portable, the best ones also feature iconic designs that enrich the viewing experience without sacrificing immersion or image quality.
Amidst this growing trend, one product stands out by combining form and function. LG CineBeam Q projector (HU710PB) recently received a Red Dot Design Award and Silver Award from the International Design Excellence Award (IDEA) for its outstanding design. Two of the three most prestigious global accolades, these victories prove the projector’s exceptional design and practical functionality, especially its standout aesthetic appeal in the modern living environment as noted by the Red Dot Design Award jury.
The unique, extremely portable LG CineBeam Q projector’s design is both compact and refined. The CineBeam Q features a sophisticated and sleek metallic look that seamlessly blends into any space as a chic interior design accessory. This advanced projector has a 360-degree rotatable handle that lets users carry it indoors or outdoors, like on a camping trip or in the backyard, with ease, allowing them to enjoy high-resolution 4K content everywhere they go.* This handle also functions as a stand, making it easy to place in various settings.
No stranger to global design awards, LG’s projectors have won various international accolades over the years, many for its flagship LG CineBeam and LG ProBeam models. The LG CineBeam HU80K received the Best of the Best accolade at the Red Dot Design Awards in 2018, the same year it won an iF Design Award and ranked on Good Design Awards’ Best 100, a reputable list that honors artistic brilliance alongside exceptional usability. In the following year, the LG CineBeam HU85L was nominated for a Red Dot Design Award and iF Design Award for its minimalist form factor which harmonizes with all kinds of stylish interiors. Additionally, HF80J and HF85J received the Red Dot Design Award and the iF Design Award in 2017.
This design history extends far beyond the CineBeam models. For example, the LG ProBeam BU50NST business projector claimed a Red Dot Design Award and Good Design Award in 2020 for its practical design that blends naturally into office spaces. The LG ProBeam shows that business projectors used in meeting rooms and commercial venues can be aesthetically pleasing too.
While stylish, compact projectors are gaining popularity, some users are concerned that these designs may compromise functionality. Fortunately for them, LG’s latest projectors offer the best of both worlds, with advanced functions that elevate the user experience complemented by the most sleek and stylish designs. That’s why LG CineBeam Q was named the “Top Choice 2024” by
link hidden, please login to view, a world-renowned tech review and discussion community specializing in home theater and AV devices. Their review highlights its crisp images, vibrant color reproduction, high-quality design and robust functionality. LG CineBeam and ProBeam projector models continue to challenge conventional design through a strategy that champions innovation above all else. Stay tuned to for the latest updates on the company’s most advanced projectors to date.
# # #
* The projector requires an external power source through a power cord or external battery, as it does not feature a built-in battery.
-
By News Reporter
Good product design is all about understanding and meeting customers’ needs. As a leader in the home appliance industry, LG integrates ‘customer-centricity’ into every stage of the design process to ensure its products deliver a more convenient and emotionally satisfying user experience. The company continues to show the way forward, making innovative appliances and smart home solutions for a better life based on its ‘3F’ design philosophy.
The Essence of 3F: Fit, Feel, Finish
“LG uses the term ‘3F’ to refer to the appearance, performance and other tangible and intangible qualities of its products experienced by the customer,” said Chung Wook-jun, vice president and head of H&A Design Lab at LG Electronics’ Life Innovation Design Center. “In essence, 3F is a set of principles that guides the company as it weaves the core values of completeness, ease of use and emotional satisfaction into each product it makes.”
3F stands for Fit, Feel and Finish. ‘Fit’ refers to seamless (zero gap) product design and overall design uniformity, while ‘Feel’ encompasses the smooth and resilient operation of moving parts as well as the satisfying feedback that interfaces, doors and other components provide when handled by users. ‘Finish’ focuses on matching the right colors with the right materials and achieving a clean, consistent aesthetic across product lines. The definition of 3F has gradually expanded over time and now extends to elements such as ergonomics, user experience (UX) optimization and user interface (UI) usability.
Officially introduced in 2001, 3F is now deeply ingrained in the way LG works. The company even formed a specialized organization to focus on 3F, which collaborates closely with several departments – including product planning, design, development, quality control and sales – to maintain a cohesive approach to customer-centric design.
Customer-Centric Design Research
The core aspect of 3F work is to guarantee the completeness of every product LG develops. Through securing a high level of completeness in the development phase, the company helps to prevent potential quality issues from arising during production.
At the concept planning stage, LG identifies and addresses any deficiencies or inconveniences associated with previously released models to prevent their recurrence in new products. Using its own internally developed ergonomic standards, the company thoroughly evaluates products for ease-of-use and to determine if further improvements are needed. Prior to finalization and mass-production, LG re-evaluates its products using up to 160 different criteria to assess whether completeness has been achieved.
When a prototype is produced at the design verification stage, it is tested under actual usage conditions. Data-driven feedback derived from these tests – such as the precise measurement of the force needed to open an appliance’s door – enables the relevant departments to make necessary adjustments.
Quality testing at LG involves extensive processes to ensure products meet usage and reliability standards. Should a product fail any test, LG carefully identifies and addresses the root cause of the issue. Subsequently, the product undergoes hundreds of additional tests until it meets the company’s exacting internal standards. Multiple methods are employed to confirm that each unit produced matches the usability and reliability standards set during the development phase. The data gathered throughout these various processes is meticulously analyzed to refine future designs.
Subtle Details that Reflect LG’s 3F Design Principles
The recently launched LG SIGNATURE washer/dryer exemplifies the company’s commitment to its 3F design principles. Manufactured using the same methods employed to produce luxury goods, the washer/dryer successfully delivers the ‘high-end’ aesthetic and feel of LG’s original design concept. The attention to subtle details that is so much a part of 3F design can be seen in the dryer’s filter grip, which has been designed in accordance with knuckle-width studies and numerous customer acceptance surveys to provide optimal usability.
To enhance the sophistication and operability of the control knobs applied to its washing machines, LG conducted a comprehensive range of 3F research initiatives and even developed its own custom measuring equipment. The company’s efforts led to the creation of a control knob reminiscent of the center-console control dials found in luxury automobiles, providing a pleasingly premium look and feel while also contributing to a better user experience in both a practical and emotional sense.
Introduced last year on select LG refrigerator models, the Auto Soft Closing System is another example of LG’s customer-centric 3F design. The system uses dampers to ensure that the refrigerator door closes softly and quietly, enhancing usability, convenience and customer satisfaction.
The 3F design principle, which reveals LG’s strong commitment to the pursuit of perfection, is intertwined with another uniquely LG concept: ‘Affection-ism.’ Affection-ism could be described as a ‘design mindset,’ centering on caring for customers via the delivery of ‘Uncompromising Customer Experiences,’ ‘Human-centered Innovation’ and the ‘Warmth to Power a Smile.’ By staying true to its core values and customer-first philosophies, LG will continue to provide products that exceed expectations and make everyday life that much better.
# # #
link hidden, please login to view -
By News Reporter
Steadfastly embracing its mantra of ‘Life’s Good,’ LG believes that its products are more than the sum of their parts. That’s why the company is constantly innovating cutting-edge products which can help it shape a world where exceptional value is the norm and a smarter, more convenient life is accessible to everyone. These efforts bring LG one step closer to realizing a Better Life for All.
Since 2020, LG has been exploring new business opportunities to innovate the customer experience, leveraging the ideas, experiences and skills of its members through its in-house venture and company-in-company system.
In line with this commitment, LG has fostered a work environment that encourages employees to embrace new challenges, exemplified by last year’s launch of ‘STUDIO341.’ This initiative’s primary mission is to identify and foster internal ventures that encapsulate the spirit of challenge and innovation, the very spirit that has driven LG’s transformation from its humble beginnings as Goldstar in 1958 to a global powerhouse.
Designed with the Brave Optimist mindset, this initiative is tailored for company executives and employees based in Korea. The sole criterion? A creative idea that can solve a problem worth solving and provide a new experience to customers.
The five most outstanding ideas were selected for spin-off. Let’s delve into them.
MASKIT Founder Bae Ho-yeon
MASKIT: Secure & Queue-Free Concert Ticketing Solution
In response to the constraints of traditional concert hall ticketing systems, MASKIT collaborated with customer experience specialists at LG to create a system that allows customers to verify their identity at home and gain entry to a venue without enduring long queues. MASKIT also encrypts all the personal data it collects, ensuring consistent user protection.
This solution provides concert-goers an unprecedented level of convenience, while enabling concert organizers to achieve significant cost efficiencies. MASKIT’s ambition is to roll out this ticketing solution to large concert halls and entertainment companies nationwide, while evolving into a comprehensive culture and arts solution that utilizes personal data in the most secure manner possible.
X UP Founder Lee Yong-soo
X UP: Smart Sensor-based Golf Course Green Management Solution
X UP offers a robotic turf maintenance solution that manages golf courses by analyzing turf data via heat maps. The unpredictability and unknown causes of turf damage make it difficult to prevent, often necessitating repairs after the damage has occurred. However, X UP allows golf courses to shift from physical repairs to a data-driven preventative management strategy.
Looking ahead, X UP aspires to become the go-to robotic solution company offering a more efficient alternative to manual golf course maintenance.
FRESH GO Founder Lee Sung-hoon
Fresh GO: Modular Individual Refrigerator for Cold Chain Transportation
Fresh GO has pioneered an individual cooling cold chain solution that facilitates the transportation of fresh food in conventional trucks, meeting the growing demand for food deliveries. This innovative cooling method uses Physics-Informed Neural Networks and Ref Cycle technology, matching the performance of competitors at half the cost.
The temperature can be individually adjusted for each item, and the design, which eliminates the need to open the entire door, aids in maintaining internal temperatures. It can even be adapted for air deliveries. Fresh GO’s CEO, Lee Seong-hoon, has leveraged his experience at LG to bring this concept to life, addressing customer needs.
Cucumbers Founder Lee Jae-hyuk
Cucumbers: Cost-Effective Pickup Service and Marketing Tool for Restaurants
Cucumbers provides an intelligent solution that lessens the commission burden on restaurants while also acting as a marketing tool to draw in regular customers. By offering a pickup service with in-store prices and group pickup discounts, it allows users to reduce their cost burden, encouraging a symbiotic relationship.
Found Objet Founder Kim Ju-hee
Found Objet: Recycled Materials Trading Platform for a Sustainable Future
Found Objet, a platform that streamlines transactions between recycling companies and buyers, is the brainchild of CEO Kim Ju-hee, formerly of LG Vehicle component Solutions Company. She observed that many recycled materials businesses were run by the older generation, who often didn’t fully grasp market prices and needed to acquire new customers as the market expanded. Concurrently, purchasing managers at chemical companies were looking to gather information from various businesses to secure a consistent supply of raw materials. Found Objet bridges this information gap, contributing to a more sustainable future.
STUDIO341’s final five were selected based on their potential for growth and their capacity to continually innovate the customer experience moving forward. LG and Bluepoint intend to collaboratively invest up to KRW 400 million in each of these start-ups.
Stay tuned to
link hidden, please login to view to see how its solutions based on innovative technologies are innovating new value for customers across various future industries. # # #
-
By News Reporter
In the third episode of the ‘Customers at Heart’ series, we take a look at how LG India created a customized care solution to innovate the customer experience.
LG India, a subsidiary of LG, is unique among its global counterparts as it independently manages sales, installation, repair and maintenance. Leveraging this autonomy, LG India has enhanced customer satisfaction and boosted sales through LG BEST Care, a service extending the warranty period of home appliances, including regular maintenance and cleaning.
Prior to LG BEST Care, LG India offered product care services under LG CareShip, which included routine visits and complimentary filter changes. However, a challenge was that 99% of customers only signed up for the service when they needed it, rather than at the point of purchase. This realization prompted efforts to improve customer engagement and revenue generation.
LG India aspires to conduct regular product inspections by experts to ensure that purchased products are in optimal condition, especially for customers who want to ensure peak product performance throughout the entire period of use. In order to do this, LG India came up with three key customer experience innovations.
The first looked to expand the range of customer choices, broadening the range of CareShip sales channels and products. The second aimed to improve customer impression services, where detailed plans were developed to differentiate the installation and repair experience. The last considered how to create an easy and convenient CareShip management system with customer convenience in mind.
To implement these new services, LG India analyzed data from its 50 million customers based on product type and usage period. This data-driven approach led to the expansion of sales channels and the creation of new care packages tailored to customer demand.
The company has also enriched the customer experience with discount promotions, a wider selection of choices and the introduction of LG SUPER Service – a unique local package offering superior service quality.
LG BEST Care further reflects customer needs by bringing ease and convenience to CareShip’s management system. Services are now automated with a systemized schedule for regular visits. In addition, LG India has increased the number of dedicated care professionals and uses Net Promoter Score to identify and address negative feedback on CareShip products.
These enhancements have yielded impressive results. The number of care products increased from three to ten types, offering a more diverse range of services. The rate of same-day installations and repairs has improved from 66.5 percent to 70.4 percent with SUPER Service. Consequently, LG BEST Care has experienced rapid growth in both customer base and revenue. LG India aims to continue this momentum into 2024 by setting regional monthly goals.
Stay tuned for the next episode of ‘Customers at Heart,’ where we’ll visit another global LG office to discover more innovative customer experience strategies.
# # #
link hidden, please login to view
-
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.