[Leica] A Leica School on the Left Coast.....and More.

[Bill Erfurth <m6rf@yahoo.com>]

Hello Ted and others,

It seems to me, that it would be in the best interest of Leica Camera
AG if the new CEO Hans-Peter Cohn had a long talk with the people in
his marketing department.

It doesn't take a "Rocket Scientists" to figure out that if North
America is far and away Leica's largest market, maybe they should do
1) more schools and promotional events in North America (there is a
large population base in the Western part of North America which is
being ignored), and 2) since the vast majority of people in North
America speak English, and since many of the Leica customers time and
means to travel to Europe, maybe they should do more Leica schools
events and trips in English.  The other thing is that the folks in the
marketing department of Leica tend to keep the school and travel
schedule a secret.  It took me two requests last year to get a copy of
the schedule.

And while I am on the subject of Leica's marketing department.  These
guys have a news letter that goes to leica owners and this Leica
group.  Here they have a base of people that are by far the most
likely to buy Leica products.  My question is why the hell don't they
use it as a tool to get information out to Leica users. Yes, talk is
cheap...so what would I do to change it?  Here are some simple examples:

1)  Get rid of the PDF format which many people have trouble reading. 
Then A) send the news letter in standard text or HTML format, or B)
send it as a standard attachment.

2) Publish the Leica letter as least once a month if not twice a month.

3) Include information on products other than the R8 and the M6.  Most
people do not live near a store that stocks most or all of the leica
products.  Bring these people information on the P&S cameras, the
small consumer digital camera, Binoculars, etc.  How about Leica
stock...where can I buy it?  How about pictures of the factory?  How
about a travel deal to Germany and a tour of the factory?  How about
buying a Leica camera from my LOCAL DEALER and picking it up at the
factory...BMW and Mercedes do it...why not Leica?

4) Stories about Leica the company, cameras, and their history, lens
development and history, how to tell a counterfeit Leica.  They don't
have to create anything just reproduce what is in the Leica sales
leterature.

5) The schedule of Leica cleaning clinics in various cities.

Those five suggestions can fill a twice a month Leica News Letter for
the next year if somebody at Solms sincerely cares about 1) increasing
sales, and 2) increasing customer loyalty.

Leica is going to face and increasing grey market problems in the
coming years.  So I feel that it would be in their very best interest
to start promoting customer loyalty now...rather then waiting until
more of their LOCAL DEALER customer base erodes.  As most of you know,
there are already two large mail order camera stores in Germany online
now and I think you will see one in Denmark and one in Switzerland
online later this year.

Even with the problems that they have had, Leica has so much up-side
potential.  But they are going to have to develope it...they can't
just sit around and wait for it to happen.

OK you guys in the marketing department...let's get with the program!

I wonder if Herr Cohn ever reads this list??

Kind regards,

Bill Erfurth
m6rf@yahoo.com




"""Ted Grant wrote:

>Since last year, the Leica Akademie is again organising courses in
>English and French in Solms. I know that there also courses being
>organised in Thailand, presumably by the local agency but in
cooperation
>with the Leica Akademie.
>I took part in the English course last year (altogether about 12
people)
>and a bit more than half of them were Americans.>>>>>>>>

Hi Pascal,

If they had one on the west coast of US or Canada, they'd be Americans
or a
mix of US and Canadian, with a waiting list even if it were held twice a
year.

The Leica workshop I present on the east coast in the fall each year
always
has a waiting list due to never enough room for the numbers wishing to
attend. There are usually well over 100 people trying to register. If
there
was a Leica school on the west coast, established under similar
conditions
as Maine, I have no doubt we'd have a waiting list also.

It's too bad the Leica Akademie doesn't see the value of a class held
here.
Maybe now with a Leica workshop held in Thailand they'll be open to one
here.
ted

Ted Grant
This is Our Work. The Legacy of Sir William Osler.
http://www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant"""




  
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