Investement
SCR
BUSINESS CASE JOURNAL
21
SCR
THESOdETY FOR CASE RESEARŒI_
KODAK'S CHALLENGE: SURVIVING THE DISRUPTIVE "WINDS OF CHANGE"
This case was prepared by Boris Morozov and Rebecca J. Morris both from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The views presented here are those ofthe case authors and do not necessarily reflect the views ofthe Society for Case Research. The authors' views are based on their own professional judgments. Copyright © 2009 by the Society for Case Research and the authors. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission ofthe Society for Case Research
On June 1, 2006, the house lights dimmed at the Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital conference. On the large screens fianking the stage, a film called the "Winds of Change" started. In the film, a dignified white-haired spokesman standing in front of sentimental images of puppies, babies, balloons and birthday parties began talking about the "golden days" at Kodak— the days of the "Kodak moment" in photography. Signaling a shift in the tone of the film, the spokesman looked straight into the camera and said, "Get's ya misty, doesn't it? Yep, they shoveled on the schmaltz pretty thick—but that kinda crap doesn't work anymore." Now people wanted everything to be digital, the speaker stressed, becoming more frenzied as he spoke about digital photography and Kodak's role in it. The viewing audience chortled when the speaker intoned. You thought they (Kodak) were just hiding out waiting for this 'digital thing' to blow over didn't you? Oh, sure. For a while they were like, 'Ohhh, there's no way digital's going to catch on'.. .But now Kodak's back! With swelling enthusiasm, the spokesman extolled Kodak's research and development in digital photography, ending by pulling at his hair and exclaiming, "You were a Kodak moment once and by God, you'll be one again...only this time its digital. Whooo-yeah!"^ The spokesman appeared
BUSINESS CASE JOURNAL
21
SCR
THESOdETY FOR CASE RESEARŒI_
KODAK'S CHALLENGE: SURVIVING THE DISRUPTIVE "WINDS OF CHANGE"
This case was prepared by Boris Morozov and Rebecca J. Morris both from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The views presented here are those ofthe case authors and do not necessarily reflect the views ofthe Society for Case Research. The authors' views are based on their own professional judgments. Copyright © 2009 by the Society for Case Research and the authors. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission ofthe Society for Case Research
On June 1, 2006, the house lights dimmed at the Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital conference. On the large screens fianking the stage, a film called the "Winds of Change" started. In the film, a dignified white-haired spokesman standing in front of sentimental images of puppies, babies, balloons and birthday parties began talking about the "golden days" at Kodak— the days of the "Kodak moment" in photography. Signaling a shift in the tone of the film, the spokesman looked straight into the camera and said, "Get's ya misty, doesn't it? Yep, they shoveled on the schmaltz pretty thick—but that kinda crap doesn't work anymore." Now people wanted everything to be digital, the speaker stressed, becoming more frenzied as he spoke about digital photography and Kodak's role in it. The viewing audience chortled when the speaker intoned. You thought they (Kodak) were just hiding out waiting for this 'digital thing' to blow over didn't you? Oh, sure. For a while they were like, 'Ohhh, there's no way digital's going to catch on'.. .But now Kodak's back! With swelling enthusiasm, the spokesman extolled Kodak's research and development in digital photography, ending by pulling at his hair and exclaiming, "You were a Kodak moment once and by God, you'll be one again...only this time its digital. Whooo-yeah!"^ The spokesman appeared