Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/05/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]It was no coincidence: they saw a trend, analysed the target group(s), understood the opportunity, bought the rights, PR-d the hype, marketed the site. Have a look yourself. You will fid some of the classics you talk about, too. http://www.lomography.com/ > From: Mark Rabiner <mark@rabinergroup.com> > Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org> > Date: Fri, 27 May 2005 20:10:29 -0700 > To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org> > Subject: Re: [Leica] Re:Another camera classic bites the dust > > On 5/27/05 6:46 PM, "D L" <mr.blather@gmail.com> typed: > >> Believe it or not, I think Leica could learn a lot from LOMO: Here was >> a toy that was incredibly well marketed. >> >> The LOMO Club was, if I remember correctly, actually run by the >> company that had exclusively rights to distribute the LOMO world wide >> and it did a masterful job of selling LOMO as a lifestyle. >> >> According to the hype, the LOMO wasn't just a camera, it was a tool >> that went beyond photography (Lomography) and brought art to the >> masses. You didn't need to spend a fortune on M4's and M lenses, >> how-to books, or lessons. All you had to do was point and shoot and >> you were an artist. >> >> Even here in Japan people would gush when you mentioned LOMO (even >> though most hadn't actually used one.) All of the marketing made LOMO >> users feel part of a larger community. It made people who didn't have >> a LOMO want to join the community. It made all of the above forget the >> LOMO was basically a plastic toy you might get for subscribing to a >> magazine. >> >> You figure a company with Leica's history and name should be able to >> find marketers at least half that good. >> > I find it difficult that Lomo promoted itself as a cult thing and > succeeded. > Such a thing is extremely hard to do and I cant think of an example where > it > was pulled off. I don't underestimate the pubic "mind" you cant fool them > they smell a rat every time on such stuff and don't fall into it. .... Not > gullible. > Cults which exist to this extent have to come about naturally it seems to > me. > I'm sure the Lomo marketing people were not stupid enough to not take > advantage of a burgeoning cult status their little cheap item quickly > attained but I'd like to see where they created that from the beginning.. > And so would a lot of other marketing people like to see that. > My hit on it is it was just made by a company who wanted to make the > cheapest camera possible that would still usually produce an image and not > really be considered a "toy". > That serious artists would embrace using the term "toy" it I'm sure they > were delighted if not surprised to find out. Perhaps despite the term. > > They could of course known about the Holga. > But it is just as possible they didn't. > I think it was a cheap company of little sophistication. Maybe I'm wrong! > Glad it happened despite its taking away from the wealth for the unwealthy > of Box cameras and other simple inexpensive and even classic cameras made > for the masses for over a century. > I just don't believe it was planned. > But would love to see evidence of such and be proved wrong. > > > Mark Rabiner > Photography > Portland Oregon > http://rabinergroup.com/ > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >