Kodak why it failed
Although the company essentially invented the digital camera, it suppressed the technology out of fears it would threaten the profits it made from traditional film. Rather than look forward and adapt to new trends and technology, Kodak resisted change and struggled to keep up.
The company announced in that it had emerged from bankruptcy, but it continues to struggle to regain the popularity it once enjoyed. Kodak continues to be a harsh example of the damage that companies can experience from a lack of innovation, strict adherence to an original vision and reluctance to seek outward expertise.
A stark contrast to the failure of Kodak is the success of Netflix. Netflix started out in as a mail-order DVD rental service and has flourished into an entertainment leader that creates original TV series and greatly influences how people watch movies and TV. Some company decisions have been risky and even failures, but it has used both its failures and successes to its advantage and revolutionized the entertainment industry.
A small company became an industry leader by remaining flexible and creative in response to consumer demand and advancing technology. An industrial giant crumbled when it grew too dependent on its own legacy and fought against changes in demand and technology. Whatever their industry, business leaders can learn a great deal from these examples of success and failure.
Whether you have a simple question or need advice to determine if this program is right for you, our knowledgeable advisors are here to help. They can chat with you on your schedule and guide you through the entire admissions process, so you can feel confident moving forward with your online St. Out of the whole tragedy of the century-old name Kodak, the budding entrepreneurs and businessmen can learn some valuable lessons.
This decade has seen several changes in the market conditions and rise and downfall of many business ventures. The rise of the gig economy and soloprenuers is going on in full swing, and this competitive and crowded market can be a challenge for your growing business.
You want to avoid such mistakes, but who can guide you? Google will give you hundreds of websites, but an expert will guide you thoroughly in your journey. Do you want to talk to experts in detail? Talk to our niche skilled experts now to know the diverse competitive market in greater detail!
We at Vedak have an exclusive pool of experienced industry professionals and veterans who have in-depth knowledge about the business nitty-gritty. Contact us to know more. Your email address will not be published. Skip to content. Leave a Comment Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published. Did you know Steve Sasson, who invented the digital camera, was an electrical engineer at Kodak when he built the technology?
Yes, they did say that! However, Japanese company Fuji Films executed the new invention, followed by many others, leaving Kodak far behind in the race. Once digital cameras became popular, Kodak spent around ten years arguing with Fuji and believed that the Americans would choose Kodak over Fuji, a foreign company.
But Fuji and other companies concentrated on holding a stand in the photography and videography industry rather than involving themselves in a clash with Kodak. Yet again, Kodak wasted resources on supporting the use of film cameras instead of adapting. Coupled with this, they completely disregarded the feedback from the market and the media.
They lost ten valuable years promoting film cameras. Also, Kodak lost the external funding it had at the time. People realized that digital was far ahead of traditional photography, and it was cheaper than film photography. Kodak had a king of a strategy at the time. But, rapidly changing technology and the refusal to adapt to it nullified that strategy. One of the key features of the Advantix system was that it allowed users to preview their shots and indicate how many prints they wanted.
The Advantix Preview could do that because it was a digital camera. Yet it still used film and emphasized print because Kodak was in the photo film, chemical and paper business. Advantix flopped. Why buy a digital camera and still pay for film and prints? Kodak wrote off almost the entire cost of development.
In , the Kodak board of directors had a chance to take make a course change when Colby Chandler, the CEO, retired. The choices came down to Phil Samper and Kay R. Whitmore represented the traditional film business, where he had moved up the rank for three decades. Samper had a deep appreciation for digital technology. The board chose Whitmore. As the New York Times reported at the time,. Whitmore said he would make sure Kodak stayed closer to its core businesses in film and photographic chemicals.
Samper resigned and would demonstrate his grasp of the digital world in later roles as president of Sun Microsystems and then CEO of Cray Research.