Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/06/20

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Subject: [Leica] Are we no longer wanted?
From: jayanand at gmail.com (Jayanand Govindaraj)
Date: Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:09:13 +0530
References: <4A3D60AB.6020607@gmx.de>

Douglas,
This has been evident for years now. They have been targeting rich
investment bankers and their ilk, not you and me. It became quite obvious
with the M8 advertising campaign, which was far more prominent in the
GQ/Esquire type magazines rather than hardcore photography magazines. It was
also heavily featured in the "fashion tech" pages (alongside the Ipod,etc)
of those magazines. But if truth be told, the bankers would buy new, and we
would buy second hand...
Cheers
Jayanand


On Sun, Jun 21, 2009 at 3:50 AM, Douglas Sharp <douglas.sharp at gmx.de> 
wrote:

> 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
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
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>


Replies: Reply from hopsternew at gmail.com (Geoff Hopkinson) ([Leica] Are we no longer wanted?)
Reply from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Are we no longer wanted?)
In reply to: Message from douglas.sharp at gmx.de (Douglas Sharp) ([Leica] Are we no longer wanted?)