Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/10/12

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Leica Users digest V12 #61
From: Bernard <5521.g23@g23.relcom.ru>
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 00:40:36 +0300

Paul T. Collura wrote:

> >
> > Paul T. Collura wrote:
> >
> > > I think R lens prices are hurting R sales.  Really, who has this
> kind
> > > of money? And even if you are wealthy can you spend these sums in
> good
> > > conscience on lenses if you are not a professional photographer?
> A
> > > few choice lenses will cost more than a car.
> >
> > Well..... the USA has more than a million millionaires, so there
> seem to
> > be lots of people with plenty of cash
>
> Bernard:
>
> I know plenty of "rich" people who drive $60,000-$100,000 cars and
> wear $10,000 to $15,000 watches
> but none of them would spend the $12,000 to $30,000 required to get
> into the Leica R Modular system.
> Many of these people are physicians and lawyers.  In fact none of them
> even own a Leica. The reason
> is that much cheaper systems do as good a job for them and let's face
> it, you can't drive up to the
> Country Club in a Leica. There is no perceived added value in a
> Leica.  It may be about priorities,
> but among the people that I know with high disposable income, a
> Mercedes or BMW is an easier sell
> than a Leica.

I understand that you can't drive a Leica, but you also can't drive the
$15,000 watch you mention. Hence, Leica is doing a bad job at marketing
their products as the ultimate and most prestigious "must haves". I
could easily see someone drive up to the Country Club in a BMW, then
conspicuously stare at his Audemars Piquet, to then take out a Leica for
a picture of the regulars, such that they all turn green with envy at
seeing the red dot. Leica should really push harder to position itself
in a "you're not there if you don't have a Leica" sort of way. Mark
Rabiner had some fabulous slogans to this end, I recall.

Bernard