Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/06/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I was looking up things Leica on the Web recently and noticed the number of hits that turn up for Leica on "lifestyle" pages. It didn't seem to work after their flutter with Hermes, but now they seem to have got their products prominently "placed", or even "positioned" (in the words of the world of marketing) No more mention of precision optics and superb engineering - it's all turned into up-market hype about the special finish, how they look and if they have a perfectly matching bag... everything in black, white, olive green, titanium and silver seems to be the name of the game. The opening of the new Leica Shop in Moscow's uppest-market residential and shopping quarter at the end of May seems to be following the same trend. I wouldn't be surprised to find cameras in gold and royal blue with a double eagle or in Faberge enamel soon, packed in a matching Faberge easter egg. Then Ferrari red, Bugatti blue, Mercedes silver and, and, and......... The higher prices are obviously already a unique and exclusive selling point for people who want to be seen with a Leica as a lifestyle accessory. The M8 Safari is almost sold out, the White Edition has gone completely, a D-Lux 4 Titan and a D-Lux 4 Safari are selling well. This is all very good for Leica, but I think it bodes ill for the former target group to which we all most probably belong. Cheers Douglas