Sooo...Kodak launches new film (P3200 and E100) and we're complaining that it's the wrong time of year or it has sold too well and some orders are backlogged.
Only on Photrio.....
Not a complaint on the timing but more a remark on the awkwardness of it from a marketing perspective. Like a LOT of film photographers who shoot landscapes, I shoot about 80 percent color in the leafier seasons. My total film shot on the winter months drops markedly and about 80 percent of what I shoot is black and white as the natural landscape reverts to drab tones of straw. I’m certain I’m not the only one who has these sorts of trends. To compare An eatery employing good marketing practices doesn’t promote a “new” menu introducing Soups and Pot Pies beginning in April and another new menu introducing Salads to the menu in November if they are following dining trends.
What I am irked about personally is Kodak promoting this release, saying that it’s shipping to sellers, and then going to one of the FIRST vendors to offer the product the DAY it is first offered and placing an order for presale and then NOT getting anything from this first batch. Part of that may be due to the seller I chose (maybe they gave preference to larger orders, preferred clients) but I recall NOTHING in any of Kodak’s marketing stating anything about quantities being limited to where few would actually get their orders fulfilled, and having vendor orders split to where the second follow up fulfillment is weeks and months later. Some vendors are now showing availability only after 12/31! Even Lomography will tend to clue you in if quantities of something are limited but Kodak seemed to indicate that once the shipments were made, that outlets would be readily stocked.
So while yes it is nice to see the demand emerge for the new film, I do feel that posts stating this is nothing but positive or that Kodak has done the best marketing are missing the mark.
There is a downside, if people bought into the hype and want to give this a try only to have to shelve it for months when it finally arrives to them thus dampening their enthusiasm for it.
And not anticipating your market, and not having adequate supply of your new hyped product in enough quantity to meet demand and then suddenly having to push back stocking dates of your first orders by months does not constitiute good marketing. It may “work” for cutting edge electronics to some degree, but this is a film niche that certainly needs to turn people on rather than off.
I will stay the course but will others?