Las Vegas, NV, March 3 --
Since members of the photography community last gathered for the Photo
Marketing Association International Trade Show, Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE:EK)
has introduced a number of innovative products and services to support the
professional photographer and professional lab businesses. These initiatives
highlight the value of professional photographers and professional labs, and
support them as they provide customers with exceptional quality in lasting
photographs and a wide assortment of innovative photographic products.
Kodak Times Square Gallery
Kodak is featuring professional photographers on the Kodak Times Square
Gallery, Kodak’s large-screen outdoor display located in the heart of New York
City. Throughout 2009, visitors to Times Square can experience the work of some
of the world’s top photographers and learn more about their work. In addition
to featuring commercial, editorial, fine art and nature photographers, Kodak
will identify photographers to highlight on the Times Square Gallery through
Kodak Professional Lab nominations. The initiative serves to highlight the
value of professional photography and professional labs, as
well as drive awareness and engagement with consumers and the professional
market.
KODAK Network of Professional Photographers
Kodak recently revised its KODAK Network of Professional Photographers, its
professional photographer locator. It continues to be the trusted source for
consumers to find high-quality photographers to capture print and preserve
important life events. The newly improved site, findapro.Kodak.com, provides a
quicker, easier- to- access and more useful catalog of services by professional
photographers. Users can view sample images from professional photographers
from across the country and link directly to photographers’ Web sites. Whether
in need of a professional photographer for a wedding, portrait, special event,
commercial assignment or more, the improved site allows consumers to sort by
photographic specialties and geography while also showing examples of
photographers’ image types to help consumers in their searches.
Professional Lab Highlights
Under the banner of continued investment and ongoing support, the
Professional Lab (Pro Lab) Team highlights the following activities in 2008 and
2009 in support of the Pro Lab segment:
DP2 V 11: At PMA 2009, Kodak will preview key features coming in DP2
v11 to be released in June of this year.DP2 V 11 will provide integrated
support for Chroma Key (aka Green Screen) applications. These new features are
of great interest for school portrait and sports photography workflows, event
shooters, and studio's seeking a wider range of background selections. Kodak
technology will be used within the algorithms and DP2 power will bring the
automation, flexibility, and interactive tools needed for an effective
workflow. “Green Screen” has been requested by many professional labs and we
are pleased to be able to implement this step change in capability in 2009.
Pro Lab Resource Center (PLRC): Kodak is
extremely pleased with the web activity generated from the 2008 web portal
improvements for Standard and Premium PLRC members. Enhancements include
a cleaner user interface and a better organized toolbox for pro labs to access
business, marketing, and technical content from Kodak. Kodak also
improved the Pro Lab Locator, so that it is easier for photographers to find
Pro Labs via a PLRC database searchable by geography, or specific service.
In late 2008, Kodak further supported Professional labs by providing
additional marketing content. New content included: “Tapping Into New Markets”,
"Online Social Networks", “Tapping into the Local Community", and
“Reaching Young Photographers and Educational Institutions". Articles
include instructions, key insights, and downloadable assets for use by Pro
Labs. Topics for 2009 include: "Building a Reputation", "Promoting
the Portfolio", and "Increasing Sales Volume".
In a single month, Kodak had more than 700 hits to PLRC member toolboxes,
demonstrating how well received this type of content is by Pro Labs. Over 35%
of Kodak’s Pro Labs accessed their content during the month, and these members
on average visited the site over 5 times per month. “We are encouraged by our
members’ usage of these materials. This level of activity will be rewarded with
additional original content coming in 2009 for Premium members,” said
Christopher S. Van Zandt, Vice President & General Manager Paper &
Output Systems, Americas Region.
2009 Pro Lab Workshop: The 14th annual event is being
planned to include a comprehensive and integrated series of workshops for
Technical Staff and Pro Lab Owners and General Managers. Kodak content experts
present updates of our latest DP2 software enhancements and the full range of
products and services we have. The "Owners" Program features market
trends and analysis, marketing programs and other business related topics.
DP2 provides Kodak with a unique value driver within Pro Labs by enabling
customers to dramatically reduce labor costs, shorten cycle times, and improve
yields and productivity. By incorporating key customer requested features and
functionality in each successive release, we further enhance the value of Kodak
and DP2 to these important customers,” Van Zandt added.
Last year, 220 customers representing 78 US Labs, 8 Canadian Labs and one
from the UK attended the event. These attendees represent the leading Pro Labs
in their respective markets in terms of production volume and innovation,
contributing well over 50% of all Pro CNP category volume in North America.
About Kodak
As the world's foremost imaging innovator, Kodak helps consumers,
businesses, and creative professionals unleash the power of pictures and
printing to enrich their lives.
To learn more, visit the newly redesigned www.kodak.com and follow our blogs and more
at www.kodak.com/go/followus.
More than 70 million people worldwide manage, share and create photo gifts
online at KODAK Gallery --join for free today at www.kodakgallery.com
Kodak is a trademark. © 2009, Kodak.
