It’s tempting to look at the death of Kodak’s Kodachrome as a failure of a corporate marketing department. Perhaps someone forgot to conduct a full marketing audit? Or never wrote a marketing strategy? Or never considered the competitive threats?
In actual fact I think the product was a huge success.
Kodachrome, the first commercially successful color film, was created in 1935 so it had a rather astonishing 75 years in business. Whether Kodak forecast the new age of digital media and whether it took appropriate action many years ago is the subject of another blog. But, to own and market a product with global brand awareness, over a 75-year life span puts it in the very top tier of consumer products. Most technology products are transitory and quickly get overtaken by a faster competitor that has leapfrogged them on the technology curve.
According to an article in Mashable, last Thursday was the final day that Dwayne’s Photo Lab in Parsons, Kansas would develop any Kodachrome film. So, if you are sitting in Ottawa and you have a roll sitting in the back of your camera waiting for one last sunset shot, you’re too late, sadly!
RIP a great product.
Just a thought
Tim
Earlier post on strategic marketing.
Post on brand performance at Yellow Pages.
Image taken and licensed by Edgar Rubio.
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