Kodak & Fujifilm Essay Example
Eastman Kodak and Fujifilm
Sandra Greene
BUS 302
Professor Cheryl J. Johnson
2 Feb, 2013
Eastman Kodak and Fujifilm
1. Describe the history and core business of each company.
Kodak was considered the Google of its day. It was founded in 1880 and known for its pioneering technology and innovative marketing. “You press the button, we do the rest,” was its slogan in 1888. By 1976 Kodak accounted for 90% of film and 85% of camera sales in America. Until the 1990s it was regularly rated one of the world's five most valuable brands (The Last Kodak Moment, 2012). The business was built based on four principles; mass production at low cost, international distribution, extensive advertising, and a focus on the customer. Kodak is no longer in the camera business. They have reorganized into three segments: Digital Printing and Enterprise, Graphics, Entertainment, and Commercial Films, and Personalized Imaging and Document Imaging. This move follows a decision to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early 2012 (The Last Kodak Moment?, 2012).
Fujifilm, established in 1934, was a Japanese multinational photography and imaging company with headquarters in Japan. They dominated the Japanese market. They became established in the U.S. in 1965. Sponsoring the Olympics in 1984 gave them the publicity needed for their cheaper camera and lead to them gaining a considerable market share in the United States. Over the decades Fuji diversified into new markets and has built a strong presence around the globe. They have expanded their production and other bases overseas, increasing the pace of its globalization (Fujifilm).
2. Compare and contrast the approach to management that each company has pursued in order to embrace innovation.
It is difficult to assign a management style to Kodak Eastman. Based on research, it would seem that they favoured a bureaucratic style of management in the literal sense. Its literal
Sandra Greene
BUS 302
Professor Cheryl J. Johnson
2 Feb, 2013
Eastman Kodak and Fujifilm
1. Describe the history and core business of each company.
Kodak was considered the Google of its day. It was founded in 1880 and known for its pioneering technology and innovative marketing. “You press the button, we do the rest,” was its slogan in 1888. By 1976 Kodak accounted for 90% of film and 85% of camera sales in America. Until the 1990s it was regularly rated one of the world's five most valuable brands (The Last Kodak Moment, 2012). The business was built based on four principles; mass production at low cost, international distribution, extensive advertising, and a focus on the customer. Kodak is no longer in the camera business. They have reorganized into three segments: Digital Printing and Enterprise, Graphics, Entertainment, and Commercial Films, and Personalized Imaging and Document Imaging. This move follows a decision to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early 2012 (The Last Kodak Moment?, 2012).
Fujifilm, established in 1934, was a Japanese multinational photography and imaging company with headquarters in Japan. They dominated the Japanese market. They became established in the U.S. in 1965. Sponsoring the Olympics in 1984 gave them the publicity needed for their cheaper camera and lead to them gaining a considerable market share in the United States. Over the decades Fuji diversified into new markets and has built a strong presence around the globe. They have expanded their production and other bases overseas, increasing the pace of its globalization (Fujifilm).
2. Compare and contrast the approach to management that each company has pursued in order to embrace innovation.
It is difficult to assign a management style to Kodak Eastman. Based on research, it would seem that they favoured a bureaucratic style of management in the literal sense. Its literal