Originally posted by asw66 I think that part of the value of the Pentax brand for Hoya is that it retains strong associations of high quality. Thus we're seeing Pentax eyeglasses and binoculars ... I expect that Pentax branding will feature increasingly across Hoya's products that are seeking a certain amount of cachet.
If I'm on the right track with this notion, we can conclude that Pentax's true value to Hoya is not easily discerned by reading the quarterly profit reports.
Hoya is an unknown to consumers. As a retail brand, it is nothing. Pentax has all that value.
Hoya has little B2C experience. They are B2B manufacturer. Pentax as a retail, consumer electronics company is a stretch for them. Others do it, so it is entirely possible that they will continue to do both.
Quote: We might also conclude that Hoya will endeavour to keep the Pentax brand "upmarket". The release of the 645D might be said to exemplify this strategy: Pentax has released a product that outguns the top models from Canon and Nikon. If so, then we're unlikely to see Pentax compete for the absolute entry level of any market segment -- their products will instead be targeted at or near the top of each segment.
Hopefully, of course, if Pentax follow this strategy they will nonetheless do so while retaining their traditional emphasis on value.
Pentax is NOT upmarket. Maybe there is some trend here with the Limited lens series, but not the bodies. The 645D is at the lower end of the MF digitals, so int at realm Pentax is the low-end.
The K-x is a lower end camera. It punches above its weight in some respects, but not others. It competes on price and value, not features or brand cachet. Pretty colours help.
I do not see Pentax as being near the top. I see them as a "me too, but better value" company. Bodies are a value. Lenses...slipping.
I see Hoya having little choice but to hang on to Pentax as a retail brand. It adds some public presence to the company that was missing previously (the Intel Inside effect). It can add revenue in a smaller market share segment. The whole "top 1 or 2" thing is nonsense and has been for a decade now in consumer electronics, what with Apple and South Korean companies added to the mix in a variety of sectors. No one is really dominant anywhere, and Panasonic is chipping away at Canikon.