Dear Miha,
Its not an issue but just on a few points : KENTMERE Photographic did not go 'belly up' KENTMERE Photographic was a profitable company when HARMAN technology Limited bought it and it remains so to this day although now absorbed into HARMAN, KENTMERE Photographic also had a wide range of wide format inkjet products as well that HARMAN technology continue to coat.
The KENTMERE range of products including mono RC paper, inkjet and film form an important part of our portfolio now and going forward.
Finally, HARMAN technology Limited is based in Mobberley, CHESHIRE ( not Macclesfield although it is quite near ) this was the former ILFORD Imaging factory built in 1984 on the site of the RAJAR photo works that have been at Mobberley since 1903.
The 6 Original Board Directors of HARMAN technology were all Senior Managers at ILFORD Imaging Limited and had ( and have ) in excess of 140 years service to ILFORD / HARMAN.
Simon ILFORD Photo / HARMAN technology Limited
Heck, I gave him one of my printing easels...
If the normal person does not know about film, who is still ordering those hundreds of millions of prints originating from C-41 films in Europe??
These are common people. But meanwhile invisible with their film loaded cameras. But invisible does not mean inexistant.
So then, assuming for just a moment that such an international anti-film grand conspiracy is true, it's comforting to know that Alaris is already on it. They are on it, aren't they? By quickly rolling out highly visible new advertising and awareness campaigns to counter and blunt this digital conspiracy against film? And to begin shifting the marketplace back into their favor?
Ken
Whhaaaaaat?
I think the conspiracy era has passed but there is that negative momentum in that people think film is dead. I guess that it was the Overwhelming tsunami of digital that just filled in all the information channels everywhere and film (as interest for the public) vanished in an information point of view.There is a somewhat sinister momentum that has been taking place in regards to the public's awareness on film ever since all the news about the demise of Kodachrome that Stone is talking about.
[...]
This is NO JOKE dammit, so THINK about this next time you ask for Pan-F in 4x5 or the return of Kodak E6. The best thing you can do as a film user to help market digital is keep asking for films that have been discontinued. Because you are making a potential film user feel like they are late to the party and all the good stuff is gone, so why bother.
It's completely baffling to me how some can not see this...
Great Kodak film shooters like John Sexton and ULF film vendors like KB Canham Cameras all link and like each other on Facebook to great effect, that is proper marketing
Is it? A few industry insiders "liking" each other on Facebook? This is the kind of proper marketing the man in the street who thinks Kodak closed down when they stopped making Kodachrome is never going to see.
Lots of our 'sweat' marketing ( meaning time / effort / not always money ) comes from work we do with our distributor partners around the world to promote analog ( monochrome mostly) photography and especially relating to photo education and things like Defend the Darkroom..
Thanks for taking the time to reply Simon, great insight and very down to earth in prose. The quoted statement above really embodies what we all need to be doing I think, including Kodak alaris. I knew it was somewhat edgy to ask you to reply on this thread but in some ways, it shows exactly what a company who makes film and wants to sell it needs to be doing.
I defend Kodak a lot, because I know that the people who really want to do more of the above have had their hands tied by the previous regime. But Colleen....and I know that you are reading this, it's time. It's time to really start making a presence in communities like this one and for very little capitol investment engage with past, present and future film customers in refreshing new ways. You have a captive audience right now, some naysayers, some hopefuls and some dreamers, engage with all of them in the manner in which Simon has above and you will have fully seized your new day.
With all due respect to Colleen, Audrey and the rest of Kodak-alaris, I hope to see you present your selves to us within 6 months in a manner that tells us that you are being smart in how you market your product line and inspire people to put their faith back into the yellow boxes.
Aside from continuing to make fine images with your products, I have done all I can, so come on now, join the party.
There must be some really bad things going on with the Kodak (U.S.) distribution system right now. Twice in the past couple weeks, photo store assistant managers have told me that Kodak film was hard to get. And these were major stores. I hope it's because of the uncertainty surrounding the sale and not an indicator of the future.
There must be some really bad things going on with the Kodak (U.S.) distribution system right now.
But Colleen....and I know that you are reading this, it's time. It's time to really start making a presence in communities like this one and for very little capitol investment engage with past, present and future film customers in refreshing new ways. You have a captive audience right now...
I agree 100%. I think it almost borders on negligence for an analog photo company not having a presence here. A simple "hello", and a promise to try to keep us up to date on Alaris' progress (and plans) would go a long way towards instilling confidence in the company.It's time to really start making a presence in communities like this one and for very little capitol investment engage with past, present and future film customers in refreshing new ways.
It seems to me that the limited size Alaris staff has lots more important things to do ...
It seems to me that the limited size Alaris staff has lots of more important things to do than listen to a bunch of grumpy old folks complain about them. They need to look to the future and not the past.
As of this posting, a grand total of 40 forum participants have contributed to this thread - from around the world. What kind of attention do you think 40 people deserve...
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