How to reinvent business when your entire industry changes

How to reinvent your business when your entire industry changes

FUJIFILM NZ reacts to vanishing film category by diversifying and capturing New Zealand’s lucrative print market

Traditional camera film, like the vinyl record, is now mostly a fond memory. The era when we’d sparingly take a dozen carefully considered photos, then wait days for them to be processed, is emphatically over.

So what’s a company that specialises in film and print to do? When Sales and Marketing Manager Peter Bonisch joined FUJIFILM NZ nine years ago, they were facing enormous challenges.

“The shift from analogue to digital was rapid and all-encompassing,” says Bonisch. “Kodak was once the biggest player in the New Zealand market, but didn’t change quickly enough. With only one possible option – adapt or die – FUJIFILM had to completely reshape and reinvent itself.”

Less than a decade later, FUJIFILM is the leading imaging company both in New Zealand and globally.

“FUJIFILM is dramatically different today. Consumers have all the power – we’re focusing on what people want and making sure we provide it for them. Our customer base is now incredibly broad, from teenagers to grandparents. We’re far more nimble and proactive, and have widened and strengthened our retail sales channels.”

He says that, contrary, to some perceptions, the consumer photographic printing market is an area of growth – one that’s being helped, rather than hindered, by the rise of smartphones. “In New Zealand it’s worth an estimated $50-$60 million annually, and FUJIFILM now has 75-80% market share.”

People are printing more because, quite simply, they’re taking more photos. In 2012, New Zealanders snapped an estimated 600 million photos on their cameras, and another billion on their smartphones, iPads and other tablets. “Around a quarter of photos taken on cameras are printed, but we believe that only 1% of all smartphone images are currently being printed,” says Bonisch. “Which represents a huge opportunity.”

FUJIFILM’s share of camera sales in New Zealand remains steady at around 22%, with award-winning technology contributing to their consistent performance. They’ve also created an entirely new category with their Instax cameras. These tap into an increasing nostalgia for old-fashioned instant photos and are gradually replacing entry-level cameras. Thirty thousand were sold in New Zealand in the last 18 months, while Instax film sales have doubled in the last year.

Beyond the consumer market, FUJIFILM operates in a number of specialist areas, such as medical, graphics, professional video broadcast (Kiwi favourite Go Girls is shot on FUJIFILM), data storage and more. Eighty-five percent of New Zealand newspapers are printed using FUJIFILM plates. Many TV manufacturers use a special FUJIFILM component that aids viewing from all angles, and satellites around the globe utilise FUJINON lenses.

“The arrival of digital has meant a new era of freedom and creative expression,” Bonisch believes. “This is true for the progressive companies who adapt and innovate, as well as for consumers.”

ENDS

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