Kodak changes logo, looses brand identity

[Patman]

Kodak's line of P & S cameras is the best selling in the world. Their chips are excellent and if you hadn't noticed are probably one of the few that hasn't been recalled for failure. I own a Kodak DCS Pro 14ns, and at 14mp will compare it's images with any other 35 dslr. I use their 8500 digital photo printer and it too is fantastic. If your going to knock a company you must try their products on your own not read the BS. I have been using TriX and PlusX for over 40 years and i still consider it the standard for B/W.

Logos come and go, modern times bring modern designs. With the advent of digital photography logos are now being used in different places, especially on cameras, Kodaks old logo was a bit obtrusive. I am a graphic designer and i'm not saying i like the new logo but if it works who cares!!

 

[Double Vision]

Imagine if Coca-Cola tried to change that script they use for their logo to some modern day font. They tried to change the taste of the cola a few years back and the public uproar was ubelievable. However, some think that debacle was a public realations ploy instigated by Coca-Cola.

It's funny you mention it because Diet Rite completely changed the look of their cans and packaging. In fact it's called Diet Rite Pure Zero now. While at the store the checkout lady wouldn't accept my coupon because it said Diet Rite and the new packaging said Diet Rite Pure Zero.

 

[chesapeake1787]

On logos and digital film

On logos and digital film

I spent some time trying to develop a logo for my own company and worked with a top rate brand, marketing and graphics design and logo firm, gratis. It is a really interesting process.

Most people can not recall the logo.

Without looking at them -- What is Fidelity’s Investments logo? What does you local supermarket logo? Fact is most people only remember a name or an abbreviation of three letters. What does the IBM logo look like, the Apple logo? What are the colors of ebay?

That said how many here can recall exactly what the Kodak logo looks like above – without looking at it?

One last, how about Kodak inventing digital film? A flexible high resolution ccd electrical magnetic matrix on a strip of acetate? That would be cool.

Best,

Daniel

 

[Socke]

Andy, please don't beat me so hard ;-)

We've just got two of those:

The printer of cause, not the girl.

The results are very good as long as you stick to clolour, B/W has the greenish cast I know from C-41 B/W prints 🙁

May be I need a Kodak CF card like this one:

 

[vsolanoy]

I have a couple old pieces of Kodak photo equipment and came across something interesting. I don't know the history of the logo, but I have a Kodak Brownie camera with Kodak in metallic tan, over a red dot with an outside stroke of the same metallic tan. The current Kodak logo may not be too old, the new icon seems to be more inline with Kodak logos of the past... just updated.

I'm a bit skeptical about the logo change, but in reversing an original opinion I had on this, the change is probably more for corporate motivation, as much as it is a way to explain changes at Kodak that words alone couldn't convey.

Personally, I think they're going in a good direction -- I just hope they don't abandon film and don't pull any funny things ala Polaroid (probably why they don't exist anymore). I think their consumer strategy is really well identified in their PR piece currently on their site called "A Place Called Kodak..." They're embracing the legacy that they've created, while moving in a forward direction that embraces technology for both consumers and professionals. Something Leica hasn't, but mega companies like Fuji, Canon, Nikon, etc have. It's almost like they're saying that anyone that has a camera has captured a decisive moment that is cherished... and Kodak will still be there to capture them, but they will also be there to protect them (big statement). Just look at the integration of EasyShare and EasyShare Gallery (I subscribe to this personally and really like it).

For Professionals, they've got a pretty strong piece of software called ProShots that I've played around with. Similar to EasyShare, but geared towards pros with an emphasis of providing functionality to easily assemble layouts, as well as the ability to forward print request to specific labs around the world.

The key to their new strategy seems to be digital photography with software taking advantage of output devices (printers, and print services via the internet), as well as supporting technology to make the process both faster and easier.

Ironically, I was looking for a point-and-shoot to carry around, and one of the top contender on my list is actually a Kodak digital (V530, Z7590 or P880). I had an early generation Kodak digital and never had problems with it... as a matter of fact, the sucker still works! Kodak consumer digitals aren't all too bad...

Personally, I'm rooting for Kodak. Hopefully they can pull the equivalent of IBM and Apple. Re-invent themselves in different ways to be leaders in some shape or form.

 

[Little Prince]

Daniel, that's an interesting point about the logo. I say there's a different angle you're probably not considering. If you ask me to reproduce the Kodak or grocery logo, I mightn't be able to do it. But when I see it I know it instantly beyond the shadow of a doubt. So there is a difference and it still counts.

Anyway I dislike symbolisms and think all this logo changing stuff is crap. I wouldn't care what the logo was, so (to me) it is a waste of time, effort and money to bother with the whole thing. As far as I'm concerned, changing the logo is neither necessary nor sufficient to prove anything about your company's philosophy.

 

[ErnestoJL]

IMO if the change is limited to the logo alone, it doesn´t change anything.
The only thing a logo change can do is to atract more people, specially for those who do
not go deeply into a serious analysis of product performance.

The examples I´ve seen in this part of the world, of a change affecting the logo and some other areas of several companies resulted in perhaps a higher instant profit for their shareholders, but from the customer point of view, changes were for worse.
I think it´s absolutely useless.

Did Volkswagen, Rolls Royce, Pratt & Whitney, GE, Jaguar, Rolex, Zeiss Ikon, Hitachi, Sony, Lufthansa, KLM, Toshiba, Mont Blanc, Rotring, Ford, among others change their logos?
No, they didn´t need it. Why?

 

[Trius]

Ford could use some change. Actually the current logo was a change quite some time ago from a previous logo, a crown and shield motif.

 

[Bryan Lee]

I cant realy say much about Kodak in the U.S. or Europe because I havent been to either place in years but what I see around Asia should be of major concern. First the pictures I posted were from the Thailand Photo Fair and they show a very boring and confused layout dependent on a couple models to show a little skin just to get someone to take a look. The entire booth was dependent on little digital niknaks and for the most part didnt get a second look from the mass of people passing by. Yellow on white with a wall full of little pictures is just tired. If I didnt already know Kodak had black and white products there was nothing to show me they even made them muchless wanted me to buy them. How much would it of cost to make some little black and white film developement kits to give away or sale at cost. There is more interest in black and white lately than I can remember since the 70s but Kodak is just unavailable in marketing it to me. None of the Kodak shops around here even stock Kodak b&w films muchless chemistry.
Recently Ive noticed a few new Kodak Film shops open up in what I already consider a saturated market. Almost always they have new signs but old machines which may or may not come from the United States second hand. The people who are operating the machines tend to have little if any training and recently every roll of film I turned in came back with drag marks across the negatives which I atribute to a unclean processing machine. Ive also had multiple issues with fingerprints and also nagatives not cleaned with a film over them. You would think a company would be most concerned with keeping customers it already had and marketing products its well known for. Kodak to me always ment high standards and qaulity but now they are just average and below at times. What do you think is going to happen when these small photolabs start dropping like flys which is already begining? Whats that old saying about changing horses mid stream?

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I spent some time trying to develop a logo for my own company and worked with a top rate brand, marketing and graphics design and logo firm, gratis. It is a really interesting process.

Most people can not recall the logo.

Without looking at them -- What is Fidelity’s Investments logo? What does you local supermarket logo? Fact is most people only remember a name or an abbreviation of three letters. What does the IBM logo look like, the Apple logo? What are the colors of ebay?

That said how many here can recall exactly what the Kodak logo looks like above – without looking at it?

One last, how about Kodak inventing digital film? A flexible high resolution ccd electrical magnetic matrix on a strip of acetate? That would be cool.

I won't answer the first few because that would be as valid as bringing a calculator to a 2nd-grade math test, but let me tell you that I can answer all of your questions.

As a matter of fact, there is a high percentage of people in a certain country that cannot locate Canada on a map (not kidding) -- that doesn't mean that either maps are useless or that you can erase a country off a map because people can't recall it.

The whole point of this is that Kodak is showing more evidence of throwing punches in the air. Whether this is correct or not, is not relevant anymore; the problem is the perception on the consumer (knowledgeable or not, opinionated or not) and its effect.

Successful brands don't try to reinvent themselves in the middle of their success. Case-study: "New" Coke and "Classic" Coke back in the mid-80s right in the middle of Pepsi's aggressive marketting campaign.

If they were such excellent players in the digital world, they would not be perceived of as being so third-rate. It's all great that their "professional" digital backs are very good; but their software is so-so (a sin of Canon's, btw) and their consumer products, the ones that are actually sold en masse, give results so horrid or mediocre at best, that that market, the one that is really spearheading the "digital revolution", is obviously preferring, word-of-mouth recommendations for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus and Pentax point-and-shoots. Heck, even the prosumer cameras from Canon and Nikon, dollar-for-dollar, leave Kodak in the dust. Under about 6 feet of it.

So it's not nitpicking about the logo itself: it's the company's "strategy"/reason to do this. It's a symptom of something that, quite frankly, not many of us are too comfortable about.

 

[Patman]

Did a little research, Kodak has approximately 21 different logos all associated with different aspects of their business. Their basic logo has never changed and that is "Kodak" in red. Still in use as it was many years ago. They use different symbols, elements and verbiage but the word Kodak is always constant. You mean to tell me no one has noticed the 21 diffent logos until now! Someone's not checking their stats!

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Thanks, Patman. I guess it's a matter of waiting to see if any "new" film packages are missing the "old" logo.

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

Did a little research, Kodak has approximately 21 different logos all associated with different aspects of their business. Their basic logo has never changed and that is "Kodak" in red. Still in use as it was many years ago. They use different symbols, elements and verbiage but the word Kodak is always constant. You mean to tell me no one has noticed the 21 diffent logos until now! Someone's not checking their stats!

Much like General Motors or Ford. Each of these two corporations has a number of "Sub Brands." Each with it's own logo.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I looked at some of my old 1950's Kodachrome boxes. It does look like Kodak has returned to that logo, updated the font for the 21st century. I also looked at a new Mustang, the recreation of the 1968 Mustang. My '68 Stang had more leg room for the rear seat. I think everyone is going "What is Old is New Again".

Again, the old Logo appeared with Super-8. The new logo: rotate the "d" 90 degrees CCW and the "o d" will look like a double-8 movie reel.

 

[Andy K]

The new logo looks like it should be on a styrene box containing fast food. Maybe they should totally rebrand to 'McPhoto'.

 

[RJBender]

Thanks, Patman. I guess it's a matter of waiting to see if any "new" film packages are missing the "old" logo.

Look for the words Made in China on the new boxes. Some of the old logo film was made in China.

R.J.

 

[RJBender]

The new logo looks like it should be on a styrene box containing fast food. Maybe they should totally rebrand to 'McPhoto'.

Good idea! Buy a grease burger, fries and a drink and get a free disposable camera. 😛

R.J.

 

[RJBender]

At some point the marketing team will be taken out and publicly lynched in the streets of Rochester for doing something this pointless. As it stands Kodak is as outlined by other posters going from film manufacturer of note to third tier digital camera manufacturer or marketer. I shake my head when people are out to muck around with a brand,
If I was in control of this whole enterpise. I would have not even bothered with digital cameras as it is a suckers game. I would have focused the film business to hold onto what is left of my loyal film consumer base, and concentrat on making a line of consumer and pro quality printers for re-producing digitally generated images and focus on the consumable part. Cartridges, that is where the money is being made in all this. Not the camera, HP is probably losing money on every digital camera but making it back and then some with the print cartridges.

Bill

Wow, that's a drastic measure. It's only film and it's only money, right? 😱
Earl (Trius), when was the last time someone was lynched in Rochester? 😕

R.J.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Wow, people are really upset about Kodak dumping the Super-8 Logo. Looks like KMA-464 is no longer available.

http://ecoustics.pricegrabber.com/rating_getprodrev.php/id_type=M/product_id=597886

 

[Andy K]

This was just posted over on APUG. Kodak's Strategy. It seems that if you want to invest in a company that cares about film you best find someone other than kodak.