MUMBAI: Kodak India is leaving no stones unturned in an attempt to change the perception of the Indian consumer towards photography.
The aim: To have people click more and more snaps without there being "any special occasion" per se. With an eye on this, the company has launched two products. The first being, the Kodak EC 300 camera at a price of Rs 995, which comes with three Max films and the second being, the Kodak Celebration pack of two Max rolls, priced at Rs 205.
Kodak's focus is mainly on price points so as to make photography an affordable passion for Indians. The company has dedicated 2005 to the theme of 'Celebration of Life' and is going the whole hog in reaching out to the people with its promotions.
New television commercials (TVCs), print ads, outdoor, road shows, strategic tie-ups are all part of the marketing plan to promote the concept of taking photographs without an occasion. Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Kodak India Ltd general manager marketing Sudeep Kolte says, "We will be spreading the theme of celebration across major cities in India in the next couple of months starting March. We have also developed contests on the packages of our cameras and are providing various incentives for people to try the joy of photography."
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, Kodak has tied up with Rediff.com and coffee major Mocha to promote their initiative. Rediff.com will have a microsite dedicated to Kodak for the month of February, wherein different contests will be hosted. Also, similar contests revolving around the theme of love will be held across all Mocha outlets in Mumbai. Couples coming in to Mocha will be asked to get two photographs clicked - one posed and the other unposed. The best photographed couple will win prizes from Kodak. Road shows, Kolte informs, will happen in conjunction with the other marketing activities lined up. A marketing blitz can be expected from Kodak on various occasions like Holi, Raksha Bandhan, Diwali etc.
Two new commercials have been churned out by Ogilvy & Mather to promote the new initiatives, which will be on air sometime next week. The TVC for Kodak EC 300 camera is created around the idea of owning a camera to capture and relive moments forever. On the other hand, the Kodak Celebration pack TVC encourages consumers to capture the joy of spontaneous moments.
Talking on the same Kodak India LTD vice president marketing operations digital and film imaging systems Ravi Karamcheti says, "Extensive consumer research indicates that most non camera owning households feel the loss of precious moments not captured and among the camera owning households, many consumers have been in a situation, wherein they think that a memorable spontaneous picture should have been recorded. Our Kodak EC 300 automatic camera is designed as the perfect answer for Indians to discover the joys of taking photographs on varied occasions, big and small. The Kodak Celebration Film motivates the consumer to capture all the spontaneous and fun moments, along with the perfectly posed pictures to celebrate special occasions. We want our consumers to celebrate life - The Kodak Way.
Stressing on the fact that the all India penetration of cameras is only 13 per cent and hence there is a huge potential waiting to be tapped, Karamcheti says that Kodak will do all it can to tap the market and change the way Indians look at photography.
