RIP Kodak kiosks. Or maybe not?

GaryPageau
Before there was digital, there was Kodak. This Kodak Create-A-Print Enlargement Center made prints from 35mm prints in retail stores. In 1988, this was a ground-breaking service.

With the announcement bankrupt Eastman Kodak Co. would look for a buyer for its Personalized Imaging Group, which includes film, paper and more than 100,000 kiosks worldwide. This is a stunning development in the long slow decline of the Rochester, N.Y., pioneer. Kodak without a consumer imaging component is hard to imagine.  Kodak wasn’t just another photo kiosk vendor. In many ways, they were the pioneer, dating back to the late 1980s and the Create-A-Print Enlargement Station. This kiosk allowed consumers to make 8-by-10 enlargements from negatives, and set the stage for the digital implementation later on.

Much thanks to our friends at KioskMarketplace.com for publishing our latest blog entry, ”RIP Kodak kiosks. Or maybe not.” Here’s an excerpt:

“One of the questions for the buyers of the kiosk business is whether they will be able to use the potent Kodak brand name. Sure, Kodak has lost some of its luster, but don’t underestimate its influence with the core market—young moms. Depending on the buyer, the Kodak name could continue for some time as a retail fixture. Kodak has licensed its name in the past, to everything from crayons to holiday lights.”

Read the entire item, which speculates on potential suitors, here.

Written by 

Gary Pageau is principal of InfoCircle LLC, continuing his marketing communications career. InfoCircle LLC is a marketing and communications consulting firm, specializing in business-to-business markets. For nearly 25 years, he was with PMA International, serving most recently as Publisher, Content Development and Strategic Initiatives. His primary responsibilities included overseeing the Association’s editorial department, marketing research unit, education and corporate relations department.