Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/05/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Why not? That has been their marketing thrust for some time now - to the rich, the famous, the moneybags, the oligarchs of Russia, and now China as an aspirational lifestyle purchase, like Rolex or Montblanc. Do you realize that they have been advertising far more in lifestyle magazines like Esquire or GQ, rather than photo magazines? Blackstone's investment has been only for this, because that equity infusion seems to have gone into opening Leica Boutiques all over the place. Blackstone will also require a quickish ROI.... You think they care at all about photographers? They will not sell enough new equipment (except probably for the S2, where the second hand market will take time to develop) to photographers to pay Kaufmann's salary! Besides all amateur photographers mainly buy Leica stuff second hand, which is of zilch benefit to the company. The few pros that still use Leica M stuff, probably get it on "loan" (in other words, free). As long as this marketing strategy keeps them solidly in the black, and keeps funding new product upgrades, why complain? If we photographers do not give them the cash flow they require, they have to look elsewhere, and the Luxury space is better than most, as the margins are abnormally high, and they do not have to sell mass market quantities, or get into that rat race - never forget what this pressure forced Olympus to do. Cheers Jayanand On Sat, May 11, 2013 at 2:04 AM, Tina Manley <images at comporium.net> wrote: > LUG: > > I do not understand Leica's obsession with "celebrity photographers" > > http://loudwire.com/motley-crue-nikki-sixx-leica-camera-photography-series/ > > Tina > > -- > Tina Manley, ASMP > www.tinamanley.com > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >