Kodak : The Rebirth of

an Iconic Brand
Group No. 15 :
Aravind S - MBA20010
Ashok B - MBA20014
Jayant M - MBA20249
Mayuri Bhambire - MBA20250
Akshay vishnu Kishore - MBA20384
 Executive Summary

● Kodak, founded on September 4, 1888, is a pioneer in

photography and is a world-renown brand.
● Having enjoyed a strong growth, a peak monopoly in the
film industry, it gradually fizzled out due to some of its
inabilities.
● Revitalizing and repositioning were a major aim during the
2000s and 2010s, including logo changes and leveraging
“cool”.
● A mix of relaunches and return of retro products played
into the strategy of evoking heritage and the emotions
associated with the brand. Kodak also tried roping in
influential filmmakers to swear by analogue.
● The case talks about the dilemma that Mr. Overman and
Ms. Atkins, the marketing and branding heads at Kodak
face in deciding the direction of the future of the brand, in
line with its legacy.
Kodak Historical Timeline

A 16-story office
George Eastman building, the “Kodachrome”
company’s film was
registers Kodak
present introduced and
company. Birth
worldwide was the first
of snapshot
headquarters successful color
photography
completed in film
Rochester, NY.

1888 1900 1914 1929 1935 1975

“Brownie” camera
Introduced
introduced and sells Kodak
first motion
for $1, film for 15 invented
picture film
cents.. First time that the world’s
designed for
photography was first digital
making
within financial reach camera.
movies.
of everyone.
Kodak Historical Timeline

Company
delisted from Emerges as a
Ranked #1 in US S&P 500. Digital technology
digital camera camera market company focused
sales. At the end share fell to 7%. on imaging for
Company files business. Relisted
of 2007 sees
for Chapter 11 on NYSE
last annual
bankruptcy
profit
protection

2005-07 2009 2012 2013 2014 2014-18

Kodak posts
Sells its
fourth-quarter Jeffrey J.
digital-imaging
US$137 million Clarke
patents for
loss, sheds 4,500 appointed
US$525
jobs, and as CEO.
million
announces end of Launch of
emerges from
Kodachrome technology
bankruptcy
production. products.
Brand Strengths

Trusted brand with huge brand The brand is associated with

strength, and sense of heritage having a huge contribution to
and legacy. Made photography pop-culture, encapsulates the
available to everyone in the world. American film industry.

Innovation and technological Socially responsible and

advancement are a strong trait of environmentally friendly is a
the brand, with breakthrough notion associated with Kodak, with
technologies like vinyl film, digital their endeavours to be ecologically
camera, all coming through it. conscious company.
 Unique Selling Point:
Core ● “The Kodak Moment” -
Association & Photography synonymous with
Kodak.
USP ● Brand of choice for creative
influencers – E.g. Steven
Spielberg, Tarantino

Core Associations:

● Brand association – Huge brand

recall, instantly recognizable logo
● Heritage -Kodak’s contribution to
the legacy of photography instils a
feeling of nostalgia associated with
it.
Weaknesses

Bankruptcy in 2012 lead to Less digital presence and seen

reputational loss for the brand more as a traditional retailer.
image.

Lack of future oversight, No focus in target customer

despite being the market leader. and process of rebranding and
Failed to adapt to changes. diversifying.
 Market Opportunities for
Kodak
Printing: Initially they had ventured into printers, but
they did not have enough cash reserves at the time
and had to file for bankruptcy. Now they are in a
better position to invest more into printers as they
had a good presence in the high speed inkjet
technology. Moreover this makes their product
portfolio more diverse. In addition to this they also
started a new magazine called Kodachrome. The
major advantage of this was that it was cheap to
produce and it had a good welcome from the people.
By issue 3 it started to become a profit center.
Fashion: Collaborations with high profile Fashion
brands was also in focus. These were very impactful
as it was wide reaching as well as cheap. It also
helped Kodak target the younger audience who were
interested in fashion. They were also in collaboration
with movie stars and lifestyle magazines. Finally they
had a successful collaboration with Girl Skateboard
Co, as the company’s Super 8 camera was being used
by the skateboard community to take photos of the
skating experience. The target audience here would
be the adventurous skateboarding youth.
 Market Opportunities for
Kodak
Digital Imaging Technology: In 2012, the year Kodak
declared bankruptcy, it was the third largest seller of
digital cameras. The Digital Imaging technology from
Kodak was also used as late as 2018, where people
took pictures on their mobiles and shared it on social
media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. Their
latest line of digital camera the Super 8 was
introduced in the 2016 Consumer Electronics show
and got a good reception following which it was
marketed at a much higher price range targeting the
aspiring filmmakers instead of the mass market. The
critics were happy with the looks and feel of the
camera design and of the quality of the images.
Film: The sales generated from movie films
was much more compared to consumer films.
This was a niche market. Movie directors like
Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and
Christopher Nolan all shoot using film. Kodak
could target the creative community by
positioning Kodak associated with such
creative people. In the case of consumer films
Kodak was also bringing back some iconic
product lines like Kodachrome and
Ektachrome. Kodak also wants to push Film as
more reliable backup
 ● Kodak officials admitted that recently the idea of
Use of cultural
‘Kodak Moment’ was forgotten because the
branding
digital disruption took hold.
approach to
● But the young people are developing real
tap into
renewed passion for modern nostalgia which helped to fuel

interest in demand for instant print which is Kodak’s one of

analog biggest categories.

technology ● People are discovering film and analog again and

and market with product portfolio, brand name and graphic

zeitgeist designs they can be brought back to life in new
ways
● The vogue for analogue paved way for Kodak into
fashion industry
Kodak Smile Classic Instant Print Digital
Camera:
It has the retro look
● Technologically advanced
● Image prints and develops instantly and no
shaking require
● AR effects
Kodak’s Camera Phone:
● Vintage design with leather lining
● Modern photo technology
● Gives nostalgia of original Ektra camera of 1940s
Kodak Reel Film App and Website:
● Nearby theatre showing classic movies shot on
film
How the cool ● Connecting the brand to creativity -
linking the past to present and investing in
cache the future filmmakers
brand has ● Brand equity - taking advantage of strong
developed brand equity to collaborate with movie
be icons and fashion sector
● Social engagement- building alliances
translated
with current trends and younger generation
into ● Alignment of company culture and
sustainable brand - to create competitive advantage
brand value? and company growth
 Kodak should go into digital presence through
Digital the following ways:
Presence
1) Develop its own mobile application to take
photos
2) Create software to make & edit videos, edit
photos
3) Promotion of movies taken using its films
4) Conduct photography contests
5) Promotion of important events like oscars,
olympics, world cups etc.
 1.Expanding the business into new industries
Where can such as healthcare, medical research, retail,
the Kodak education & space technology
i) Creating educational tools for the
brand go? classroom
ii) Using 3D printing in other area
2.It can start its own television channel
3.Get into production of mobile phones,
tablets, laptops and monitors
4.Opportunity to develop product within entry
level price points
5.Use AI and ML in photography
THANK YOU