Kodak and “it’s time to smile” with “Little Moments”
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http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/creative/new-campaigns/e3ifc258f6318477ab031e7a2e66ac2774a
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2606029/
I saw this new Kodak campaign “It’s time to smile” which is Kodak’s first brand campaign since 2005 along with a couple of interesting articles above talking about it. ”The campaign aims to focus on the moments and relationships that define folks’ lives. The effort is a direct result of the “Future of Reconnectivity” report commissioned by the Eastman Kodak Co.” (Ad Week 2009).
I like this campaign and the whole Kodak initiative very much, because the company is trying to go back to the basic human values of connectivity and togetherness in a highly materialistic society. This campaign reminds me of the Mastercard campaign “Priceless” which was also hugely successful due to the basic values in it. I think that society needs to see ads like that along with the millions of luxury ads we see every day to remind us that there is something else besides products and money – there is family, friends and these magnificent moments we are lucky to spend with them. Thus, I believe that Kodak’s ad definitely breaks through the clutter and consumer notice it due to its emotional connection with the consumers.
Furthermore, I think that Kodak is making a very strategic decision in terms of capitalizing on the trend in society of going back to the family values in the times of economic downturn, which can actually be a critic against the company. And critics will elaborate to say that after all Kodak is also trying to sell products and make money. Although that is a valid argument, Kodak is still doing good to society by reminding all of us of the human values of sharing moments with the loved ones through pictures. And who doesn’t like looking through photo albums with friends and family? Those are the cultural values Kodak is promoting which definitely places Kodak on the list of socially responsible and ethical companies.
What do you think?
4 Comments
November 20th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Although I agree strongly with each point that you make, I think that Kodak is doing this as a way to survive. Yes, they are reminding mankind what is important in life by showing them what will last throughout decades– memories, not styles, but we have to remember that Apple and iPhoto already offer these services along with numerous other websites. Kodak first saw a tremendous loss in market share when digital cameras were introduced due to consumers not buying film anymore but they stayed alive by offering a very basic digital model for those who couldn’t afford the expensive, fancy cameras. Now, in order to say up with the changing times, they are targeting the right crowd at the right time of year, and that is why I agree with what you said– this is smart of them to do. With this economy and other stress in life, people need to be reminded of what is truly important–family and memories– and these products can serve as a very special “small thing” that really is special (it’s always the small things that really count!).
November 20th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
I definitely agree with Rennie. With companies like shutterfly and flickr there is little need for prints of phohots – I mean shutterfly send out promotions for 50 free prints all the time; I just ordered some last week! Kodak really is trying to connect to the value that photos offer and hope that when customers think of purchasing photos that they would think of Kodak as the company that really connects to the memories. I think this commercial does a great job at really showcasing the photobook, but they need to take it another step forward. Really draw the consumer in – don’t just showcase the book, show people reading it. They also need to allow some form of customization – which they may already do but wasn’t featured here. They really need to draw in the consumer – just showing me the pictures in a plain book isn’t enough for me as a consumer.
November 22nd, 2009 at 1:51 pm
I totally agree with you all. Actually I enjoy almost all Kodak’s ads in the pass. They do get lots of compliments from public even in China fot it has always been about human connections and capturing and sharing important momentsand and remind public enjoy those precious moments in daily life. So, I think Kodak is the great example of reinforcing its iconic brand attributes while helping consumers improve their relationships. Also, Kodak show the public that that “adverting is good for you”. Step aside from this Kodak latest ads,I found under the bad economic backgroud happiness is a common theme these days and human connections is what pretty much every digital camera promotes out there. But really, it is such a generic and safe area that I am sure it will deliver for Kodak. But will this work help the brand make a unique statement that differentiates it from the competition? I don’t know…
December 4th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
I agree that Kodak has been struggling financially due to industry changes, digital film etc… But I still admire Kodak for the way they do advertising and how they promote their company – it is all about relationships, memories, love, and shared moments together. Yes, I have thousands pictures on my computer, but it is a totally different experience if at Christmas my whole family sits around the table looking at an album full of memories. I don’t know – there is just something special about the old way of pictures in albums to me! I guess it also depends on the consumer and therefore Kodak needs to be very careful to make the advertising personally relevant so consumers can associate with it. I love the emotional appeal and I think the company has taken the right steps to survive in the fierce competitive digital market. I think that we need to see more often advertising like this that promotes the simple family values we identify with Kodak.