Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/05/06
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]As Bill Rosauer explained in his post, the new CEO is from outside the photo industry. Which in my opinion is a good thing. As much as we love Leica's "old ways", the fact is that any company that is not profitable in the long run will go out of business. This is true whether you are talking cameras or furniture or toilet paper. The business principles applicable are exactly the same: good marketing, customer focus, accountability, cost control etc. Those are the things that Mr. Cohn needs to introduce at Leica. It is precisely the fact that the company has apparently been run by engineering types that is the cause of its financial problems. Engineers look down on marketing (note: by marketing I mean the full discipline of product, price, place, promotion, not merely advertising). They make the best lenses in the world and think that we consumers should gratefully buy them no matter what the cost and no matter what level of post-sale support is provided. I believe that Mr. Cohn understands that in the modern capitalist economy there is no such thing as cost-based pricing; rather, price-based costing is the name of the game. He also understands that customers ultimately pay his salary (and everyone else's). If not--then there will no Leica for our children to buy. Nathan DonjR43198@aol.com wrote: > What is Herr Cohn's background? > > What is Herr Cohn supposed to accomplish? > > Is Herr Cohn another "bean counter" who does not know precision manufacture > from tin cans and will further degrade the Leica cameras and lens mounts or > does he plan to put engineering types in charge and return the former quality > to the Leica system? > > Has Leica issued a press release outlining the new direction of the company? > > Has any of the LUG actually purchased and have on hand a 90 mm APO-ASPH M > series lens? If so, please advise where such a lens may be purchased. - -- Nathan Wajsman Overijse, Belgium General photo page: http://members.tripod.com/belgiangator/index.html Belgium photo page: http://member.xoom.com/wajsman/index.htm Motorcycle page: http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/downs/1704/index.html