Re: Kodachrome - Not Dead Yet

[P3D Eric Goldstein <egoldste@xxxxxx>]

Bill Davis wrote:

> Generally, perhaps.  If this were *strictly* true, we could surmise that
> Kodak is in deep trouble.
(snip)
> "The "Find The Lost Roll" promotion is the largest U.S. national
> multi-brand promotion in Kodak history. Never before have so many popular
> Kodak products participated in one big promotion.  An entire line of
> top-selling Kodak products is participating in the
> "Find The Lost Roll" game including: Kodak Gold, Royal Gold, and Gold Max
> Films, Kodak Advantix Films, Kodak Fun Saver Cameras, Kodak Advantix 2000
> and 3200AF Cameras, Kodak Image Magic Products, Kodak 110 Film, Kodak
> Ektrachrome Elite II and Kodachrome Films, Kodak KB10 35 mm Cameras."
(snip)
> Also, if anyone is interested in reading about the one-hour "K-Labs" (snip)

and John B adds:

> Or the promo could be timed to co-incide with the 
> announcement of Kodak's new K-line mini-lab Kodachrome 
> processor which will free us from being tied to the 12 
> existing Kodachrome labs.

Photo 3D is not the place for the fundamentals of product marketing and
I do not want to be the bearer of bad news, but briefly...

1) Kodak *is* in considerable trouble in the consumer imaging category,
as was reported on this list a couple of weeks ago via a Reuters report.
In fact, the Eastman Kodak Company is still regarded to be a big
question mark in the financial community, in the midst of an ongoing
multiyear multitier reorganization with no obvious positive outcome in
sharp focus (sorry) when all is said and done...

2) All or virtually all of Kodak's consumer products to my knowledge
fall into the category of new product intro, established product with
disappointing market share or loss leader. As do all companies, Kodak is
couponing/promoting to either drive sampling of the new products or to
make the mature ones more competitive in the market than they typically
are. Long term benefits from such "hypoing" are ellusive, as the fast
food, automotive, athletic shoe and other categories have learned and
are currently trying to wean their customers off the dole (with little
success)

3) Kodachrome is a product in notable decline I would speculate for a
number of reasons: E-6 product has been *vastly* improved and is now
considered comparable or superior in image quality by virtually every
pro I know and from the sales figures it seems by the vast majority I
don't, and of course a local lab will process E-6 reliably in one hour
which in this "I need it now" world is a huge advantage; K labs are an
attempt to neutralise this turnaround advantage and try to fix the
Kodachrome processing quality issues which have been noted many times on
this list.

4) I do think Sam Smith and others are correct that Kodachrome has
changed over the years and generally has lost its "signature" qualities
of seriously romanced grain free images, especially in the context of
other visually competitive E-6 product out there. Paul Simon ain't
composing songs about Kodachrome no more <g>

We may lament it and I know that Kodachrome has many devoted followers
(I used to be one of them, especially the now discontinued 120) but I
think it is clear that there are problems...


Eric G.


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