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The Kodak brand became ubiquitous with photos creating the tagline a “Kodak moment” and becoming a part of the vernacular. Then came technological and market shifts, bringing them to bankruptcy. However, they are now profitable and innovative again, with what appears to be a future of growth.
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About David Zwang
David Zwang travels around the globe helping companies increase their productivity, margins and market reach. He specializes in production optimization, strategic business planning, market analysis, and related services to companies in the vertical media communications market. Clients have included printers, manufacturers, retailers, publishers, premedia and US Government agencies. He can be reached at [email protected].
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Discussion
By John Zarwan on Nov 05, 2024
nice summary David. I haven't met the current management team or really followed Kodak much in the last five or six years, so these comments are all pre-pandemic. Kodak really did foresee the end of conventional film as early as the 1970s and 1980s. Kodak management not only presided over the creation technological breakthroughs but was also presented with an accurate market assessment about the risks and opportunities of such capabilities. Yet Kodak failed in making the right strategic choices..Their management (as you point out--I clearly remember the drupa 04 press conference when your head was bitten off by a trio of some of the least impressive executives I've ever encountered) was incredibly incompetent both in execution and capital allocation. Their acquisitions and much of their internal R&D basically destroyed shareholder value, even with the continued apparent profitability and revenue growth through the 1990s. Here's hoping the new team continues to right the ship.