Panasonic in the 90s was making everything from TVs and laptops and mobiles (Panasonic) to kitchen appliances (National) to advanced sound systems (Technics). They had a unique culture that actually made it fun to work there and made people extremely loyal. Fast forward to a few decades and it has practically turned to shit in all departments, even though their products are actually good.
Source:- Dad was a Pana-manager
Without making a conscious brand based decision, i found myself owning lots of Panasonic electronics in the the 90s. Walkmans, CD Walkmans, headphones, TVs, Car Stereos.
They all seemed to me to beat the Sony equivalents, in execution if not in innovation.