KA is very disappointing

RattyMouse · May 4, 2014

So here we are in May of 2014 and I'm wondering, has ANYONE seen any signs at all from Kodak Alaris that shows that KA even knows they own a film product line? Maybe I've missed it all during this year but I haven't seen or heard even a peep out of them. I started following Kodak Alaris on Linkedin some time ago and they are rather active there posting many times about products and services that they have as well as some awards that they've won. The problem is. it is ALL 100% digital related crap. Nothing about their Kodak film. Not. One. Single. Word.

Would it really kill KA to put $5 worth of marketing material out there about film? Really?

BobCrowley · May 4, 2014

I'm astonished they haven't made more of it. KA is the retirement plan for the Kodak workers in the UK, and they will run it to make a profit, continuing the lines that sell. As I understand it, KA OEMs all of the film products from Kodak.

gone · May 4, 2014

"How much longer will you sell film?
'As we've said for many years, the life cycle of film will depend on profitable demand by consumers and professionals for the products".

The above is from their own website, and it's not exactly what I would call a strong commitment to film. I read the whole page of product info (see link below) and it sure sounds like the bean counters have gotten control over there. If I were a recipient of Kodak's retirement benefits I would be concerned.

It might be smart to stock up on that Tri-X now. People have cried wolf over this subject for a long time, and I even made up a phony Kodak press release on another forum for April Fools Day, wherein I stated that production of Tri-X would cease in 2015. Now I wonder if something like that might actually happen in the future. And this time I ain't foolin.

http://www.kodak.com/ek/US/en/NewCo_Home_Top/About_Us/Frequently_Asked_Questions.htm

AgX · May 4, 2014

BobCrowley said:
As I understand it, KA OEMs all of the film products from Kodak.

They do not. They only market from the Kodak manufactured film products their still films

benjiboy · May 4, 2014

Companies don't exist for the convenience of their customers, they exist to make a profit for their directors and shareholders, once manufacturing film becomes unprofitable it will cease.

wildbill · May 4, 2014

What's Kodak? Some kind of app?

NB23 · May 4, 2014

benjiboy said:
Companies don't exist for the convenience of their customers, they exist to make a profit for their directors and shareholders, once manufacturing film becomes unprofitable it will cease.

Yes but that's not a very smart business move, either.

For them to be succesful they have to be proactive. Protecting, promoting and enlarging the market should be a priority if they want film and profits to thrive. If they just watch the market while masturbating on other things, then yes, it will die.

They're not very smart about it, that's for sure.

benjiboy · May 4, 2014

NB23 said:
Yes but that's not a very smart business move, either.

For them to be succesful they have to be proactive. Protecting, promoting and enlarging the market should be a priority if they want film and profits to thrive. If they just watch the market while masturbating on other things, then yes, it will die.

They're not very smart about it, that's for sure.

"Promoting and enlarging the market" is hugely expensive and not the road to financial success to do this for products that are in inevitable near terminal decline from a purely monetary viewpoint especially for a company in such deep financial trouble they need to concentrate on producing whatever makes the biggest profit.

snapguy · May 4, 2014

gone by

Like the fellow said to a guy who complained that Silent Films were disappearing "hey, pal, the parade's gone by."
Just because you and I happen to like film does not mean "make and sell film" has been written on stone tablets and given to Moses.

Thomas Bertilsson · May 4, 2014

So what did you expect from them? They are delivering the films to the market that they were before taking over, JUST AS THEY PROMISED.
E6 chemicals obsolescence was to be expected after they stopped making E6 films.

NB23 · May 4, 2014

snapguy said:
Like the fellow said to a guy who complained that Silent Films were disappearing "hey, pal, the parade's gone by."
Just because you and I happen to like film does not mean "make and sell film" has been written on stone tablets and given to Moses.

There is a market. No need for Moses to prove it to us, thank you.

RattyMouse · May 4, 2014

benjiboy said:
"Promoting and enlarging the market" is hugely expensive and not the road to financial success to do this for products that are in inevitable near terminal decline from a purely monetary viewpoint especially for a company in such deep financial trouble they need to concentrate on producing whatever makes the biggest profit.

I am sure Ilford is laughing their ass off at the "terminal decline" comment.

Kodak Alaris is not in any financial trouble at all. They are a new company with no legacy costs of any kind. They did not emerge from bankruptcy.

RattyMouse · May 4, 2014

Thomas Bertilsson said:
So what did you expect from them? They are delivering the films to the market that they were before taking over, JUST AS THEY PROMISED.
E6 chemicals obsolescence was to be expected after they stopped making E6 films.

A pulse. Too much to ask?

RattyMouse · May 4, 2014

benjiboy said:
Companies don't exist for the convenience of their customers, they exist to make a profit for their directors and shareholders, once manufacturing film becomes unprofitable it will cease.

I'll give you 3 guesses where their profits come from.

Thomas Bertilsson · May 4, 2014

RattyMouse said:
A pulse. Too much to ask?

And please tell what you mean by that.

MDR · May 4, 2014

It's been one year and I haven't seen any new films from Fuji or Ilford either both have discontinued some products though the later wants to at least reintroduce the product they had to discontinue nevertheless they haven't brought any new filmproducts to the market either.

This site really has become a let's bash Kodak forum even though Kodak still makes more films than any other film mfg. they are the bad guys.

adelorenzo · May 4, 2014

I think you might just be looking in the wrong places, ie. Linkedin. Kodak Alaris has been engaging with the film community on Twitter and they also run a blog that features quite a bit of film stuff. Try checking out their twitter account or their Dead Link Removed.

xtolsniffer · May 4, 2014

Nice blog that, thanks for pointing it out.

AgX · May 4, 2014

That blog has been taken over from Kodak. So it is no new initiative.

Truzi · May 4, 2014

adelorenzo said:
I think you might just be looking in the wrong places, ie. Linkedin. Kodak Alaris has been engaging with the film community on Twitter and they also run a blog that features quite a bit of film stuff. Try checking out their twitter account or their Dead Link Removed.

It is nice to see they are engaging with the photographic community. However, when trying to sell and promote a product, we should not have to find the advertising, it should find us.

MattKing · May 4, 2014

Truzi said:
It is nice to see they are engaging with the photographic community. However, when trying to sell and promote a product, we should not have to find the advertising, it should find us.

Maybe we aren't the part of the photographic community that they are most concerned with.

If you exclude the advertising and other contributions you see here on APUG, have you seen any promotion anywhere else from Ilford/Harman?

I think that Kodak Alaris would benefit from having a clear presence here, on Photo.net and on other internet resources that I am familiar with, but I rarely follow blogs and never go to twitter if I can help it. Are Kodak Alaris making a mistake by concentrating more on advertising where I am not?

Prof_Pixel · May 4, 2014

Truzi said:
However, when trying to sell and promote a product, we should not have to find the advertising, it should find us.

Some how I doubt that more advertising will sell more Tri-X film.

pentaxuser · May 4, 2014

It seems we, or some of us at least, may be expecting Alaris to engage a la the Ilford model with someone like Simon Galley as the face of Alaris on APUG. This might be nice but this may not be Alaris' priority. If I were the Alaris CEO and had taken a quick look at APUG I'd be inclined to conclude that it might take more effort and time to win the hearts and minds battle at APUG that faced me than was worth the commitment.

I'll settle for the continued production of the current range of films and chemicals for the immediate future at least

pentaxuser

removed account4 · May 4, 2014

if i were EK or KA, i wouldn't have a presence here either ...
unfortunately people here are extremely cranky and aren't thankful for what they have.

AgX · May 4, 2014

And to be fair, who of the other manufacturers is here anyway, aside Harman?

KA is very disappointing

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