Kodak's Long Past Won't Help it's Grim Future

The name is synonymous with photography and embedded in history. Though even with its long and affluent past, today’s world is synchronized with the technology of today, in which the popular understanding of an “Instamatic camera” is the smartphone application.

The nostalgic aspect of the brand and its products is how the company, founded by George Eastman at the end of the 19th century, is still able to attract customers – most of them longtime users who remain loyal to the brand or else those seeking vintage products and their corresponding photographic effects. And though the vintage marker is something that you’d think is embedded in Kodak’s DNA, it too is something they are struggling to keep!

‘In fashion’ is the term that can be used to describe the Instagram application, based off of Kodak’s Instamatic. And just as things come into fashion, things go out of fashion. The latter is what can be said of Kodak.

If Kodak was and still is a good thing, for the niche who still views Kodak products (digital cameras included) as their ‘go to’ when in need of photographic equipment, and the proverb “all good things must come to an end” has proven true time and time again, then in the natural course of things the company will eventually arrive at the ultimate end of their long era.

What’s now being contested is just when that final blow will be. But with their shares, currently closing at a measly 1 USD on the stock market, and their mounting, often prolonged, battles with companies over copyright infringement (such as with the Instagram), it’s sad to say the end might be in sight.

The L.A. Times recently wrote an article, illuminating the speculation behind Kodak going bankrupt, which was the inspiration for our article.

written by soundfoodaround on 2011-12-07 #lifestyle #kodak #eastman #instamatic-camera #end-of-an-era #instagram #smart-phone #digital-age