Panasonic (Japanese パナソニック ''Panasonikku'') is the principal

brand name A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

of the

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

ese electronics manufacturer

Panasonic Corporation formerly between 1935 and 2008 and the first incarnation of between 2008 and 2022, is a major Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka. It was founded by Kōnosuke Matsushita in 1918 as a lightbulb ...

. The company sells a wide range of products under the brand worldwide, including plasma and LCD televisions, DVD and

Blu-ray Disc The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...

recorders and players,

camcorder A camcorder is a self-contained portable electronic device with video and recording as its primary function. It is typically equipped with an articulating screen mounted on the left side, a belt to facilitate holding on the right side, hot-sw ...

telephone A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...

vacuum cleaner A vacuum cleaner, also known simply as a vacuum or a hoover, is a device that causes suction in order to remove dirt from floors, upholstery, draperies, and other surfaces. It is generally electrically driven. The dirt is collected by either a ...

microwave oven A microwave oven (commonly referred to as a microwave) is an electric oven that heats and cooks food by exposing it to electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range. This induces polar molecules in the food to rotate and produce ...

s, shavers, projectors,

digital camera A digital camera is a camera that captures photographs in digital memory. Most cameras produced today are digital, largely replacing those that capture images on photographic film. Digital cameras are now widely incorporated into mobile devices ...

s, batteries, laptop computers (under the sub-brand

Toughbook Toughbook is a line of rugged computers produced and marketed by Panasonic Corporation. The Toughbook, introduced in 1996 with the CF-25, is designed to withstand outside forces which would damage or destroy normal laptops. Toughbook mobile com ...

), CD players and home stereo equipment, fax machines, scanners, printers, electronic white-boards, electronic components and

semiconductor A semiconductor is a material which has an electrical conductivity value falling between that of a conductor, such as copper, and an insulator, such as glass. Its resistivity falls as its temperature rises; metals behave in the opposite way ...

s. The brand uses the marketing slogan "A Better Life, A Better World".

History

The Panasonic brand was created by Matsushita in 1955 for the Americas region because the National brand, which was its principal brand in its home market of Japan, was already registered by others. The Panasonic brand was created from the elements "pan" - meaning "all" - and "sonic" - meaning "sound" - because it was first used for audio equipment. Panasonic also sold the first

bread machine A bread making machine or breadmaker is a home appliance for baking bread. It consists of a bread pan (or "tin"), at the bottom of which are one or more built-in paddles, mounted in the center of a small special-purpose oven. This small oven is ...

. On January 10, 2008, Matsushita announced that it intended to change the company name to Panasonic Corporation. The proposal to change the company's name was approved at the firm's annual shareholder's meeting on June 26 and the name took effect from October 1, 2008. In parallel the " National" brand, which had been used by the company in Japan for non-audio/visual products (mostly

home appliance A home appliance, also referred to as a domestic appliance, an electric appliance or a household appliance, is a machine which assists in household functions such as cooking, cleaning and food preservation. Appliances are divided into three ...

s), was phased out and replaced with the Panasonic brand by March 2010.

References

External links

Panasonic website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Panasonic (Brand) Consumer electronics brands Male grooming brands Personal care brands Panasonic Corporation brands Products introduced in 1955 Japanese brands