The Demise of Kodak Five ReasonsWord格式.docx

The Demise of Kodak Five ReasonsWord格式.docx

《The Demise of Kodak Five ReasonsWord格式.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《The Demise of Kodak Five ReasonsWord格式.docx（4页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

Kodak’sdeclarationofbankruptcyearlierthismonthclosedagloriouschapterinthehistoryofphotography.

Withtheintroductionofthefirstautomaticsnapshotcameramorethan110yearsago,Kodaktransformedphotographyfromanalchemy-likeactivitydominatedbyprofessionalsintoahugelypopular—evenobligatory—onethatbecameanintegralpartofpeople’slives.

TogetanideaofhowinstrumentalKodakwasinshapingphotography,justthinkaboutlifebeforeKodak.

Therewasno“Kodakmoment”.

Photographywasmostlyconfinedtoprofessionalswhotookformalportraitsinstudios.Kodakgotphotographyoutofstudiosandintofamilylife.Understandinghowitdidthisisvitaltograspingthereasonsforitsfailure.

REUTERS/StefanWermuth

AKodakfilmdispenserinaphotostoreinLondon.

Theavailabilityofthetechnologywasnotenoughtoestablishthepractiseofpopularphotography.Ideasaboutwhatshouldbephotographed,whenandbywhomalsohadtobeconstructed.

Kodakplayedanimportantroleinthis,withhigh-profileadvertisingcampaignsaimedatestablishingtheneedtopreservesignificantoccasionssuchasfamilyeventsandvacations.ThesewerelabeledKodakmoments,aconceptthatbecameentrenchedineverydaylife.

ThefamilymemberwhocapturedtheseKodakmomentswas,usually,thewife.This,onceagain,wasKodak’sdoing.

Forthefirsthalfofthe20thcentury,Kodakbroughtoutadsfeaturingthe“Kodakgirl”,whosymbolizedthemodern,adventurousfemale.However,inkeepingwithnormativeexpectationsofthetime,shewasnotonlymodernandfashionable,butalsoaresponsiblewifeandmother.

Kodak’sadcampaignsemphasizedhow—ifwomenweretoappearasresponsibleandcaringwivesandmothers—theyweremorallyobligedtokeepameticulousrecordoftheirfamily’shistory.TheycoulddothisbypreservingthoseKodakmoments.

AsaresultofKodak’sefforts,womenwentontobecomethemostlucrativemarketsegmentforphotography.Itwasthatloyalcontingentof“soccermoms”thatfundedKodak’sinexorablerise:

theytookmorepicturesthaneveryoneelse,printedthem,sharedthematcoffeemornings,savedtheminalbumsanddisplayedtheminthelivingroom.

Thus,whendigitaltechnologyarrivedinthephotographicindustry,Kodakinhabitedaworldthatwaslargelyitsowncreation.

TherewasnoonemoresteepedinitthanKodak.ThisbecameobvioustomewhenIspentadaywithKodak’stopmanagementintheirRochesterheadquartersintheU.S.about11yearsago.Bytheendoftheday,Iwasconvincedthatthiscompanywasnotgoingtobearoundmuchlonger.Afewyearslater,IwrotethatKodakwaspursuingafundamentallyflawedstrategy,andhencewerethrowinggoodmoneyafterbad.Sixyearslater,Iwassadtoseemypredictioncometrue.

HerearethetopfivereasonsforKodak’sdemise:

1.CaughtinTime

Kodak’stopmanagementneverfullygraspedhowtheworldaroundthemwaschanging.Theyhungontonowobsoleteassumptionsaboutwhotookpictures,whyandwhen.

Kodakalwaysthoughtthatpeoplewouldneverpartwithhardprintsandthatpeoplevaluedfilm-basedphotosfortheirhighquality.Inotherwords,theysawdigitalasadirectsubstituteforfilmbasedphotography.Itwasinterestingtoseehowlittlethismindsethadshiftedeven20yearslater.Intheend,digitalcamerascametodominatenotbecausetheyofferedhigherqualityorbecauseeveryonewasabletoorinclinedtogetasetofhardprintseasily,butbecausetheydidnotfeeltheneedto.

2.EveryPictureTellsaStory

Withdigital,asignificantshiftinmind-setoccurredinthemeaningsassociatedwithcameras.Ratherthanbeingidentifiedasapieceofpurelyphotographicequipment,digitalcamerascametobeseenaselectronicgadgets.

Theimplicationsofthisshiftwereenormous.

Withdigitaldevices,newcomerssuchasSonywereabletobypassoneofKodak’smassivestrengths:

itsdistributionnetwork.Instead,digitalcamerasbecameavailableinelectronicretailoutletsnexttoothergadgets.KodakwasnowplayingonSony’sandotherentrants’turfratherthanitsown.Similarly,Kodak’sbrandcametobeassociatedwithtraditionalphotographyratherthandigital.

3.BacktotheFuture

“Digital”disruptedKodak’sneatequilibriuminyetanotherimportantway;

womenwerenolongerthemaincustomers,menwere.

Withwomengivingwaytomenasprimaryusersofcameras,Kodak—whichexcelledatmarketingtowomen—lostitsfooting.Withdigitalcameras,imagescouldbeviewedonthecamera,phoneoraPCwithoutanyneedforhardprints.

ForKodak,theseveringofthelinkbetweentakingphotographsandhardcopyprintswasaseriousconcern.Whilementooklotsofpictures,theirrolehadneverbeenthatoffamilyarchivists（arolereservedforwomen）.Hencetheytendedtotakepicturesthatindust