Sales & Marketing Management - November/December 2008 - (Page 19) Spreading the word “We’re taking it back to the original premise of what company founder George Eastman said when he brought out the first massmarket camera: ‘You press the button, we do the rest.’” to be out in the medium that we thought was going to be very, very hot, and it’s proven to be so.” Respect your elders By the way, lest you think Kodak’s embrace of the future is tantamount to an “out-with-the-old” directive, think again: According to Hayzlett, film’s obituary is being written prematurely. “There’s always going to be a role for film,” he says. “Digital doesn’t capture as much as film does. There’s a belief by cinematographers and some professional photographers around that this art form can’t be duplicated by digital.” In other words, despite its lessened importance, don’t expect Kodak to wash its hands of the product that made its name. The same sentiment applies to print, a medium Hayzlett strongly supports. So much so, in fact, that he initiated the “Print Is …” ad campaign and its accompanying Website (www.printambassador.com) to promote its continued viability to marketers, commercial printers and other audiences. “It’s not going away,” he affirms. “Paper’s not going away. Print’s not going away—though the way in which we use it will change, without question. “Print’s just hugely effective as a marketing media,” he continues. “Direct mail today is still on the rise. And the reason for that: It’s effective. Because it’s a non-intrusive media where people are accustomed to it and expect it, and you can tailor-make messages.” www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com Hayzlett also has made some fairly bold changes in Kodak’s sponsorship activities, the most striking of which was discontinuing its longtime sponsorships of the Olympic Games. Other notable sporting events have filled that gap, including the newly introduced PGA Tour Kodak Challenge. “As we make the message and brand more relevant, it shifts where we want to spend the money, and also affects the timing of that spend,” says Hayzlett. “While we love the Olympics, and love our history with the Olympic activity, waiting every two years or four years for a major event was difficult for us in terms of activation. We needed things that have a greater consistency to them.” And lending credence to the old expression, “If you want something done right, do it yourself,” Hayzlett’s proven more than willing to put his own face out there in promotion of the Kodak brand. In addition to his frequent speaking appearances around the globe, he’s become something of a television fixture—you may have caught one of his guest spots on Fox Business News or CNBC’s The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch. But as noted earlier, it was a cameo on a certain NBC show that’s garnered him the most mainstream exposure to date. “The Celebrity Apprentice thing came about just from an idea,” Hayzlett recalls. “We needed to do some more things to raise the awareness about our new consumer inkjet opportunities.” This led Hayzlett to reach out to Donald Trump, with whom he’d had an existing acquaintanceship. At the time, the latter had no plans to do another season of his mega-popular Apprentice show. “[Trump] put me into touch with Mark Burnett and the producers,” Hayzlett recalls. “They started pitching me on some other opportunities. And then, at the last minute, they pitched the Celebrity Apprentice—that became a reality. It was a great thing for us to tie into.” Though he wasn’t at liberty to share specifics, Hayzlett hints that other TV opportunities may be coming down the pike. Of course, as Kodak looks toward the future, it does so against the increasingly ominous backdrop of the economic downturn. Hayzlett doesn’t gloss over the challenges ahead, but neither does he lack confidence in Kodak’s ability to navigate them. “Most companies are buckling down for what we think might be a fairly tough year, given the state of the economy,” he says. “But good companies always will thrive, and good companies that bring out great products always will be in demand. “I always like to joke, it’s not the warmest place in Rochester. The good news about that is, we stay inside and invent a lot of things.” s&mm photo by Roger Hagadone NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 SALES &MARKETING MANAGEMENT 19 http://www.printambassador.com http://www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com
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