...Kodak and Fujifilm Erin Melvin Business Management, Bus 302 Professor Fail February 1, 2014 Kodak was founded by George Eastman, a young man with a vision that wanted to make photographing and photographing printing less complicated. At age 24 he planned a trip to Santo Domingo and a co- worker suggested he record the trip, and just that he planned to do. He packed everything he would need the complete ensemble consisted of chemicals, heavy plate holder, glass tanks, and a jug of water, carrying all of this around was referred to as a pack-horse load. He never made that trip, but the process of photo emulsion struck an inventive bone in Eastman and he was determined to make the process less complicated. He devoted a lot of his spare time when he wasn’t working at the bank to photographic emulsion. He ran across an article in the British magazine that read that photographers were making their own gelatin emulsions and he embraced the process immediately. Three years later Eastman developed a process that worked. In 1880 he invented a dry plate formula and patented a machine that would produce large numbers of the plates. He then recognized the opportunity to make dry plates to sale to other photographers. By April 1880 Eastman was able to rent the third floor of a building to manufacture dry plates for sale. As time progressed so did photography and it became an everyday affair, some say that the camera was as big as the microwave. Fujifilm on the other hand...
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...KODAK VS. FUJI: THE BATTLE FOR GLOBAL MARKET SHARE by Thomas C. Finnerty Thomas C. Finnerty is a doctoral candidate in the Doctoral of Professional Studies Program, Lubin School of Business, Pace University, New York. This case was written under the supervision of Warren J. Keegan, Professor of International Business and Marketing and Director of the Institute for Global Business Strategy, Lubin School of Business, Pace University, New York, as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a business situation. ©2000 Dr. Warren J. Keegan. *The following case solely represents the opinion of the author and does not express the opinions of the Eastman Kodak Company of Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This case study reexamines the competitive relationship of the two giants of the photographic and imaging industry: Eastman Kodak Company and the Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. It uses the 1990 case study of Dr. H. Donald Hopkins of Temple University, “Kodak vs. Fuji: A Case of Japanese-American Strategic Intervention” as a reference point and attempts to update and clarify this relationship at the beginning of the 21st century. In the nine years since the Hopkins’ case study was published, Kodak has seen some troubled times, yet recently seems to have stabilized. Simultaneously, Fuji continues to slowly gain more of Kodak’s still-dominant market share. The evolution of the industry has been exciting and dynamic...
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...Kodak and Fujifilm Sue Hagler Professor Michael Curran Management Concepts November 6, 2012 Kodak and Fujifilm are well known companies in the households in the United States and across the world. Few people know the actual history of both companies and the competition they have been in over the years. It’s an interesting history on how both companies started and how they have developed and challenged each other over the years. George Eastman, who was the founder of Kodak, started his business career as a 14-year old boy when he had to quit school and work to support his mother and two sisters. Mr. Eastman had a gift for organization and management while his lively and inventive mind made him a successful entrepreneur by his mid-twenties. What sparked the idea of a simple camera was that his coworker suggested he make a record of his vacation to Santo Domingo. As a result, he became absorbed with photography and wanting to simplify the photography process. Eastman started Kodak in 1880 and built it on four basic principles: mass production at low cost, international distribution, extensive advertising, and a focus on the customer. Later on he added the following policies: foster growth and development through continuing research, treat employees in a fair, self-respecting way, and reinvest profits to build and extend the business. Mr. Eastman started the company by manufacturing dry plates for sale to photographers. One mishap almost shut down the company when...
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...Kodak and Fujifilm: Leaders in Film Anita Annunziata Professor Fardanesh Business 302 May 1, 2013 Kodak and Fujifilm are both well-known companies in the households of the United States and across the world. These two companies are each other’s main competition in the film market. They have been competing with each other for years. George Eastman, who was the founder of Kodak, was a lover of the photo taking procedure and wanted to simplify the photography process. Eastman established the Kodak Company in 1880. The Kodak Company was built on four basic principles: mass production at low cost, international distribution, widespread advertising, and customer focus. Years later, he was able to add the following policies: growth and development through continuing research, human resources, and a profit reinvestment program. Mr. Eastman knew that he had to make the photo process easy for amateur photographers. The Kodak camera debuted in 1888. The slogan “you press the button, we do the rest” was born. Kodak made the process of taking and developing pictures easy and accessible to nearly everyone. Kodak has led the way with a abundance of new products and processes that makes photography simpler, more useful and enjoyable. Kodak is not just known to be the film for amateurs, many professionals use Kodak film for commercial, leisure, and entertainment purposes. The Kodak Company is continually researching the needs of the consumer to...
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...History of Kodak In 1880 George Eastman began inventing a single shot piece of paper that was covered in a photographic emulsion which was the beginning of Kodak. Three years later in 1883 he was joined by William Walker, working together they created a holder for photo plates two years later. In 1887 Hannibal Goodwin created a transparent nitrocellulose film base. In 1888 Emile Reynaud put perforations into nitrocellulose film. That same year Eastman trademarked the name Kodak and released the Kodak camera which came pre-loaded with a roll of paper film that could take up to 100 pictures and when finished the camera had to be sent back to Eastman to be developed and re-loaded with more film. In 1889, Eastman combined all of those inventions and created the first mass-produced rolls of transparent photographic film. T.he Kodak camera by folding collapsible Kodak cameras with nitrocellulose film, and by 1897 the invention of a folding, pocketable camera came. In 1892 Eastman began working with Thomas Edison to trim the 40mm film stock down to 35mm. Edison then perforated the film with four sprockets holes per frame which was a patented invention but was invalidated later on by the court. It also created the Kinetoscope which was a single person motion picture device which helped create the movie industry and give way to advances to create movies as we see them today. Eastman released a cardboard box camera called the Brownie and was very affordable at one dollar to operate...
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...A Management Comparison of Kodak and Fujifilm Name: Aileen Pena-Valentin BUS302 Date: 07/21/2014 A Management Comparison of Kodak and Fujifilm The purpose of this paper is to examine compare and contrast the history, management and leadership skills of both companies, Kodak & Fujifilm. Description of the History and Core Businesses Both Kodak and Fujifilm will be examined to identify the similarities and differences in their business successes and failures. Each business will be analyzed to develop a more complete understanding of how the businesses were formed and the paths each as followed to arrive at their current market positions. Kodak Kodak began as Eastman Kodak in 1880 founded by George Eastman. He was known for his pioneering technology and innovative marketing. When George was 24 years of age he wanted to take a vacation and one of his coworkers asked him to record his trip. He bought a photographic outfit with all its paraphernalia and wet plates. The outfit was so big and cumbersome that he thought he could simplify the process. He read British magazines that explained how they were making their own gelatin emulsions to coat the plates so that they would not be wet plates. He perfected the process and began making his own gelatin emulsions and coated plates. By 1880 he invented a dry plate formula and patented a machine for preparing a large number of plates and that is how Eastman Kodak began. His company began to grow but faced collapse...
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... Kodak and Fujifilm According to the Fujifilm Global, “Fujifilm was established in 1934 with the aim of producing photographic films.” Over decades they have diversified into new markets and built a very strong presence around the globe. Many people may ask who uses Fujifilm in there career or life, according to business products professionals from medicine to printing uses Fujifilm products to win satisfied customers and strengthen competiveness. Fujifilm originated as a cinematic film producer and has grown into a multidimensional manufacturer and marketer of imagining and informational products. According to Fuji photo films, Fujifilm is the second largest photographic film in the world. Fuji also makes motion pictures film, video tapes, audio tape, and floppy discs. Fuji first task was to build a reputation in the domestic market. Brand reliability proved critical in the photosensitive materials industry, since buyers were not willing to risk losing a desired imaged to inadequate materials, regardless of cost. According to the early history, Fuji continued to lose sales, increased debts, and struggled to meet research expense for the first three years. Another well-known photo company is the Kodak. According to ezine articles Kodak was started in the 1870’s, and also was born as a trademark. The first portable camera was introduced and signaled as the birth snapshot photography. The company name was changed to Eastman Kodak Company in the year of...
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...Harvard Business School 9-594-111 Rev. May 8, 1995 Eastman Kodak Company: Funtime Film On January 25, 1994, George Fisher, Kodak’s recently appointed chief executive officer, met with analysts and investors to set out Kodak’s new strategy for film products. During the past week (between January 17 and January 24), Kodak stock had lost 8% in value on rumors of a price cut on film. While Kodak continued its overwhelming domination of the photo film market, its market share in the United States had eased from about 76% to 70% over the past five years “as competitors like Fuji Photo Film Co. and Konica Corp. wooed consumers with lower-priced versions.”1 Previously, Kodak had attempted to blunt share-gaining attempts by such rivals and private label products by introducing a superpremium brand, Ektar. Now Kodak proposed to introduce a brand at Fuji and Konica’s price level, 20% below the price of Kodak’s flagship Gold Plus brand. The new brand, Funtime, was to be available only in limited quantities during two off-peak selling seasons. While some viewed the move favorably, others were more skeptical. One analyst termed the strategy “seemingly a long step down the slippery slope that ends in private label trial.” The U.S. Photo Film Market In 1993, approximately 16 billion color exposures were made—the equivalent of 670 million 24-exposure rolls. Typically, a consumer paid between $2.50 and $3.50 for a 24 exposure roll. Over the past five years, the market’s...
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...Kodak and Fujifilm By BUS 200 – Principles of Management October 29, 2013 Describe the History and core history of each company. Eastman Kodak Company was established by George Eastman in Rochester NY in 1882. In 1883, Eastman announced the invention of photographic film in rolls. The name Kodak was patent in 1888. He picked the unique name because he wanted a name that started and ended with the letter K. He also knew the name was different than any other names he has heard and would be unforgettable. Eastman as an inventor who introduced armature photopraphy placed its first camera on the market in 1888. The camera was pre-filled with 100 exposures, after taking pictures customers would return the whole camera back to the manufactures to get the film developed and the camera reloaded with more film. The company’s slogan was “You press the button, we do the rest.” George Eastman literally invented popular photography with the silver-halide film process. Eastman had a specific set of core values and mission statement for his company. The values he set forth are, respect for the dignity of the individual, integrity, trust, credibility, continuous improvement and personal renewal, recognition and celebration. The mission of Kodak is to “grow more rapidly than our competitors by providing customers with solutions they need to capture, store, process, output and communicate images anywhere, anytime.” The company prided itself on making sure...
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...George Eastman, the founder of Kodak wanted to make taking pictures easier and make it available to everyone. In 1883, Eastman revealed in grandeur, the invention of photographic film in roll. Five years later in 1888, with the slogan “you press the button, we do the rest”, George Eastman introduced the first Kodak camera to the consumer market. The cameras came preloaded with sufficient film for 100 exposures. He made a cumbersome and complicated process easy to use and accessible to nearly everyone and thus gave birth to snapshot photography. Eastman established his business on the principles of mass production at low cost, international distribution, extensive advertising and a focus on the customer. In 1889 Eastman and his research chemist perfected and introduced the first commercial transparent roll film, as a result, Thomas Edison developed the motion camera in 1891. A few years later Kodak marketed the Folding Pocket KODAK Camera, currently considered as the ancestor of all modern roll film cameras. By the time the 20th century rolled around, Kodak accounted for 90% of film and 85% of camera sales in America. Then, the evolution began and digital photography replaced photographic film and smartphones replaced cameras. As a result of the evolution, Kodak consequently experienced a decline in sale of photographic film, because of its slowness in transitioning and adapting to the change; in spite of the fact that they invented the core technology used in current digital...
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...Management Comparison of Kodak and Fujifilm BUS302 A Management Comparison of Kodak and Fujifilm Description of the History and Core Businesses Both Kodak and Fujifilm will be examined to identify the similarities and differences in their business successes and failures. Each business will be analyzed to develop a more complete understanding of how the businesses were formed and the paths each has followed to arrive at their current market positions. Kodak Eastman Kodak was started in 1888 when the first Kodak camera introduced and was available for sale to the public. The company was started by George Eastman in Rochester, NY, when Eastman was in his mid-twenties. George Eastman grew up poor and was a high school dropout, but that did not stop him from making money and supporting his widowed mother and two sisters by the time he was 14 years old (History of, 2013). When Eastman was 24 years old, he had planned a trip to Santo Domingo, and had an idea to record the trip. Eastman purchased a large, heavy camera that was as big as a microwave (History of, 2013). Eastman never made the trip to Santo Domingo, but he did become obsessed with photography, and how he could make it simpler to understand. Before Eastman Kodak was formed, George Eastman had started a company, making dry photographic plates, which later lead to the idea of a convenient, simple to use camera that would become known as the Kodak. After the Kodak camera was introduced...
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...Eastman Kodak, Fujifilm Innovation vs. Tried and True Introduction Eastman Kodak and Fujifilm have numerous accomplishments to brag; they have both amassed large success in the photographic commerce. While Eastman Kodak had the upper hand in the industry for nearly 100 years, Fujifilm has managed to flourish while Kodak filed bankruptcy in 2012. Fujifilm appears to have strategically implemented an equation that will thrive as long as they continue to invest in innovation, and navigate market changes. History Eastman Kodak and Fujifilm have been competitors since Fujifilm’s inception in 1934. Eastman Kodak had more than half a century worth of discovery and expertise over the incoming Fujifilm. However, when Fujifilm opened operations January 1934 within a month’s time they were producing all the same products as Eastman Kodak: roll film, photographic print paper, dry plates, and x-ray movie. It took George Eastman, inventor and proprietor of Eastman Kodak 25 years to invent color film (Eastman Kodak, unknown); in detail, George Eastman was renowned for very cautious designing temped with endurance, he did not hurry discovery and breakthroughs he was able to take his time because the industry was somewhat new and there was no real competition. As Kodak was ascending the ladder of success, George Eastman and his group of inventors had conceived many first. Including, the first dry plate formula along with the first patented appliance for organizing large amount of...
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...scenario Kodak appealed to cease enforcement of the judgment ruling in 1921 and 1954 about the policy of price limitation. George Eastman leads Eastman Kodak Co. since its inception in 1888 to become a leading business in the field of unprofessional photography. The Government has concluded that Eastman Kodak monopoly in amateur photography market violates Article 2 of the Sherman Act, by acquiring competitors and using types of exclusive sales contract with the retailer, the judgment was judged the first time in 1921 … This ruling forbade Kodak, ”prevent retailers … freely selling the product of manufacturing competitors,” prevent retailers selling the product of Kodak without permission, and sell “the trademark dispute” or some no-name products of Kodak on it. In late 1930, Kodak began selling color film called Kodachrome smooth out market, and color print film, Kodacolor in 1954. At this time, the company has accounted for over 90% of the color film market. Kodak sold its color film in the package which included the image laundering, and account for over90% of photo laundering market. This close agreement led to the trial of the monopoly market by the Government and a verdict ruling in 1954. The major of judgment in 1954 is to ban Kodak in “bound or otherwise associated in the sale of color photographic film to photo finishing company. Consequently, color film laundering must be made in places that sell those movies.” There are five enterprises producing color film which is...
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...GallowayStrayer University08/05/2014 | | Eastman Kodak Company and Fujifilm are competing corporations in the photography industry. When the industry changed both companies were affected, but due to very different management styles and ability to adapt to change Fujifilm took a lead while Kodak fell behind. George Eastman founded Kodak, in 1888. The company’s early success was based on the new technology for cameras. The camera simplified the photo taking process (Williams, C. 2013) Kodak’s main focus was photography and imaging. They had an array of products that ranged from photography equipment, film, paper and color chemicals. In the1980’s, Kodak’s market share reached 90%. This was a very special moment in the company’s history. Kodak developed the first concept of the digital camera in 1975. Their executives could not imagine the world without traditional film; unfortunately, the idea was dropped because they feared it would threaten the company’s film business. Digital cameras would become common; the technology started to spread and film sales dropped considerably at the late 1990’s. Kodak made a slow transition to digital technology. Unfortunately, their competitors adapted to change. This lead to Kodak’s loss of market shares both in the United States and worldwide. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. After one year of continuous battle to keep the company prosperous, the court approved financing for them. Kodak sold many of its patents to groups of companies...
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...Eastman Kodak Company: Funtime Film Brief Case Report Diagnosis and analysis There were several issues that Kodak had to face in 1990s and I will emphasize a few of them. First, Kodak’s market share fell from 76% to 70% over a period of 5 years. That happened primarily due to film’s consumers being price-sensitive and preferring lower-priced films of Kodak’s competitors. Fuji and Polaroid, for example, enjoyed 15% growth in one year, while Kodak’s growth rate was only 3% during that same year. It is easy to see that consumers were provided with more options when it came to choosing film and since quality differences amount films were unclear, buyers based their preferences on price alone. Also, as soon as speculation arose about lowering a price on film, Kodak’s stock fell by 8% in value. Kodak was used to high gross margins; therefore, market’s expectation of leader’s lower prices and decreasing profits had a negative effect on its stock price and possibly even brand image. Second, Kodak faced stiff competition and the fact that Fuji was going after the US market. Fuji seriously differentiated itself from Kodak and grabbed consumers’ attention when it became the official film of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Kodak’s response to Fuji’s move towards market domination has not been very timely or effective. It took Kodak 10 years to react and attempt to reposition itself in 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Norway. In my opinion, it was too little too late. Fuji’s campaign...
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