Kodak May Sell Licensing to Another Company
By: Deanna King
Updated: February 10, 2012
Kodak may be getting out of the camera business, but you may still see Kodak cameras and digital frames on store shelves. Kodak is trying to license its name, for certain products, to another company. However, if that happens it won't have any ties to Rochester.
We discovered a video that was produced in 2006 by Partners + Napier for Kodak. The video was played at a conference in California before CEO Antonio Perez spoke about the company's digital transformation. It was an edgy marketing tool shared with employees and shareholders. This week Kodak announced it was getting out of the camera business that it invented.
"They never really put their heart and soul into developing this segment," said Mark Zupan, Dean and Professor at The University of Rochester's Simon School of Business. "So, other companies over took them." Zupan says Kodak spent over $4 billion to develop this market, but made little profit in the past few years. The decision will save the company $100 million. As many as 400 people could lose their jobs including 120 here in Rochester. Zupan thinks the company, that once employed over 60-thousand people in Rochester, will continue to shrink. "It's always easy to second guess in hindsight, but it's still a lost opportunity," said Zupan.
Watch Kodak marketing video here: Partners + Napier
We discovered a video that was produced in 2006 by Partners + Napier for Kodak. The video was played at a conference in California before CEO Antonio Perez spoke about the company's digital transformation. It was an edgy marketing tool shared with employees and shareholders. This week Kodak announced it was getting out of the camera business that it invented.
"They never really put their heart and soul into developing this segment," said Mark Zupan, Dean and Professor at The University of Rochester's Simon School of Business. "So, other companies over took them." Zupan says Kodak spent over $4 billion to develop this market, but made little profit in the past few years. The decision will save the company $100 million. As many as 400 people could lose their jobs including 120 here in Rochester. Zupan thinks the company, that once employed over 60-thousand people in Rochester, will continue to shrink. "It's always easy to second guess in hindsight, but it's still a lost opportunity," said Zupan.
Watch Kodak marketing video here: Partners + Napier
