Seriously, Polaroid has lost their minds!
When a single 10-pack of Polaroid film that expired in November of 2002 is selling for more than $40 (US) on eBay, why am I supposed to believe the market for Polaroid Instant Film has dried up to the point that they need to stop production and shut down all their factories? That's more than $4 a picture for film that may or may not even still work! And there's not market? I find that hard to believe.
The fact is, there is a market for Polaroid Instant Film products. The market isn't the same it was seventeen years ago when the company reached its peak in that sector. The market isn't in every CVS Pharmacy across the country. It costs a lot of money to keep track of all those grocers and pharmacies and office supply stores. It also costs a lot in distribution to put film on shelves in all those places where a buyer may or may not ever be. Where are the buyers of Polaroid film (besides eBay)? Some of them are art students. Some of them are artists. Some of them are photographers who use instant film with medium format cameras before wasting a roll of 120 film (and yes, there are still some things digital just can't do). Some are people who just like things that are old-fashioned. Some are young people who like "retro" stuff. Some are just weirdos who found their niche.
They're people who are willing to wait for special order film to come in. They're people willing to chance spending $40+ on a pack that might not even work. They're people who are willing to save their money and drive to the next down to art stores or camera stores to buy film. They're people with passion.
Passion is a great thing to have in a customer. Passion drives customers back over and over. Passion drives customers to go out of their way for you. Passion is immeasurably expensive and impossible to create through scientific or calculated methods.
Passion is also not transferable. You can't convince an oil painter to switch to markers just because you don't like the mess. You can't convince a pianist to switch to guitar because it's more profitable. You can't expect the legions of loyal instant film buyers to suddenly want digital gadgets they didn't want when the gadgets said Sony or Canon or Fuji.
Polaroid, you had an imaging company. You split into an imaging company and an art company. You forgot you were an art company and decided you wanted to be a technology company. Now, you are broken and confused because you were disloyal to yourself. (Well, not to mention that technology has such a slim profit margin that it's an insane market to try to jump into unless you already have a name in that sector or you have tons of money to invest in brand-building - neither of which you really had, Polaroid.)
Know thyself. It's not just a bumper sticker.
The fact is, there is a market for Polaroid Instant Film products. The market isn't the same it was seventeen years ago when the company reached its peak in that sector. The market isn't in every CVS Pharmacy across the country. It costs a lot of money to keep track of all those grocers and pharmacies and office supply stores. It also costs a lot in distribution to put film on shelves in all those places where a buyer may or may not ever be. Where are the buyers of Polaroid film (besides eBay)? Some of them are art students. Some of them are artists. Some of them are photographers who use instant film with medium format cameras before wasting a roll of 120 film (and yes, there are still some things digital just can't do). Some are people who just like things that are old-fashioned. Some are young people who like "retro" stuff. Some are just weirdos who found their niche.
They're people who are willing to wait for special order film to come in. They're people willing to chance spending $40+ on a pack that might not even work. They're people who are willing to save their money and drive to the next down to art stores or camera stores to buy film. They're people with passion.
Passion is a great thing to have in a customer. Passion drives customers back over and over. Passion drives customers to go out of their way for you. Passion is immeasurably expensive and impossible to create through scientific or calculated methods.
Passion is also not transferable. You can't convince an oil painter to switch to markers just because you don't like the mess. You can't convince a pianist to switch to guitar because it's more profitable. You can't expect the legions of loyal instant film buyers to suddenly want digital gadgets they didn't want when the gadgets said Sony or Canon or Fuji.
Polaroid, you had an imaging company. You split into an imaging company and an art company. You forgot you were an art company and decided you wanted to be a technology company. Now, you are broken and confused because you were disloyal to yourself. (Well, not to mention that technology has such a slim profit margin that it's an insane market to try to jump into unless you already have a name in that sector or you have tons of money to invest in brand-building - neither of which you really had, Polaroid.)
Know thyself. It's not just a bumper sticker.