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04-15-2012, 11:46 AM   #886
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Exactly what I meant indeed. I agree with all of it obviously.

04-15-2012, 03:44 PM   #887
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QuoteOriginally posted by glanglois Quote
Someone here is missing the point; it might well be me.

I don't see how a CEO blog is a problem as long as it is done properly. In fact, it could well be considered a public relations outlet like the tweets that are written by the Famous Person's staff. The difference is that the CEO should understand what is appropriate to share on that blog. If he screws up, it would be similar to a CEO who screws up an interview or speech. S/he needs more staff help.

I've always considered Ned's blog to be a personal view that is informed by and (in theory) supports his executive function. Whether the attempt is well-received and successful is another discussion entirely. But the concept sounds perfectly reasonable to me and I hope he perfects this outlet.
Ah, but the tweets aren't made by the Famius Person - they are made by his specially-hired and trained staff!!

Once you become a CEO you give up some part of your "person" when addressing the public about your company or industry. There is a fuzzy line between a general. light and friendly blog about, say, photography and a more serious, particular and risky blog post about a competitor, customers or about actual company policy. My point right along has been that Ned's blogs about Leica, Adorama and "The List" are on the wrong side of the fuzzy line. They're ill-advised because they can do far more harm with one mistake than all the goodwill built up over years off blogging. That kind of public writing is best left to trained public information officers. Write a personal note to Adorama. Refrain from extolling the virtues of Leica even if you won one. Let your Press Releases and arranged interviews address business strategy changes - and have someone professional to arrange the interviews.

Many companies simply don't permit their executives to blog becasue the risk of an innocent error is just too great.

Pentax outsourced all their corporate services - now that they need someone to do public information management they only have a contractor.

We're seeing the risk side of my point right now.
04-15-2012, 04:40 PM   #888
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QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
Ah, but the tweets aren't made by the Famius Person - they are made by his specially-hired and trained staff!!

Once you become a CEO you give up some part of your "person" when addressing the public about your company or industry. There is a fuzzy line between a general. light and friendly blog about, say, photography and a more serious, particular and risky blog post about a competitor, customers or about actual company policy. My point right along has been that Ned's blogs about Leica, Adorama and "The List" are on the wrong side of the fuzzy line. They're ill-advised because they can do far more harm with one mistake than all the goodwill built up over years off blogging. That kind of public writing is best left to trained public information officers. Write a personal note to Adorama. Refrain from extolling the virtues of Leica even if you won one. Let your Press Releases and arranged interviews address business strategy changes - and have someone professional to arrange the interviews.

Many companies simply don't permit their executives to blog becasue the risk of an innocent error is just too great.

Pentax outsourced all their corporate services - now that they need someone to do public information management they only have a contractor.

We're seeing the risk side of my point right now.
Isn't this all a little beside the point? Pentax USA is a two man and a dog operation. Whether Ned blogs strikes me as so low as to be irrelevant on the scale of priorities when you look at Pentax's dreadful sales, lack of investment and overall record of inactivity in this vast market. I doubt Pentax would sell fewer units if he changed his title from CEO to Chief Plunger of the Seductive Brethren. The key point is that if Ricoh are serious about sales in the USA they will - must - remake their representation there headed by someone who would indeed carry out the functions of a CEO and the blog will either cease or become a typical trade blog (phoney BS and droidspeak, but that's another story). But that's not where we are today.

I'd say judge by results, If the current price rises are really about rebalancing Ricoh's trade worldwide and the USA continues to be left to sink or swim on its own, then things will probably stay more or less as they are. In which case whether Ned blogs or not, and what he blogs, will make no difference at all. The slide towards goodbye Pentax in some of the major Western markets will simply continue.
04-15-2012, 07:40 PM   #889
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I used to think that "God Emperor" was a good title for my business card (nod to FH) but now I'm hankering for "Chief Plunger of the Seductive Brethren". Or maybe Sistren.

I need new cards so the timing is right but I don't think I'd get the requesting email past the Censors of All That Is Written. Who don't know that it's perfectly reasonable to use the Latin word for "with" in a proper English phrase. I know. I tried it. The Censors sent an email to my manager who gave it all the attention it deserved. Sigh ...

04-16-2012, 04:14 AM   #890
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I just noticed that the Sony 16-50/2.8, a quite similar lens to the Pentax 16-50/2.8, costs only USD 798 on BH Photovideo. That's quite a difference to the Pentax price of USD 1499! Here in Norway the difference is less dramatic (so far...) - prices (excluding 25% VAT) are USD 1099 for the Pentax and USD 755 for the Sony.
04-16-2012, 05:39 AM   #891
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the reason I bought my k10 in the first place was value for the money. now that they take the price advantage away.... and they are trying to catch up to the other big brands as far as performance, more and more there are less reasons to buy pentax. should have aligned with samsung

cheers
04-16-2012, 05:58 AM   #892
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QuoteOriginally posted by slip Quote
the reason I bought my k10 in the first place was value for the money. now that they take the price advantage away.... and they are trying to catch up to the other big brands as far as performance, more and more there are less reasons to buy pentax. should have aligned with samsung

cheers
you realise of course that pricing hasn't changed in Canada so you aren't in any different position. If you had gone with samsung at the time you'd still be tied to K mount, but with a supplier who no longer makes it.

As for catching up you do realise in it's class the K5 is the best performing DSLR (versus the 7D and the d7000)

04-16-2012, 06:44 AM   #893
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QuoteOriginally posted by mecrox Quote
Isn't this all a little beside the point? Pentax USA is a two man and a dog operation.
Yes. It is only one of many indications that Ricoh has a lot of work to do in the US.
04-16-2012, 09:08 AM   #894
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QuoteOriginally posted by eddie1960 Quote
you do realise in it's class the K5 is the best performing DSLR (versus the 7D and the d7000)

I'll agree with that one; Pentax K-5 (and to modify the rest) best non full frame digital camera under 3k. The close contenders being both Sony and Nikon, but... Sony is having major supply issues - and has been for about the last year.
04-16-2012, 12:26 PM   #895
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The strong yen basically means that any Japanese goods are going to go up in price. Mazda is loosing huge amounts of money from record profits just 3 years ago. Any company that has any major manufacturing in Japan is in big trouble currently.
04-16-2012, 12:39 PM   #896
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QuoteQuote:
The strong yen basically means that any Japanese goods are going to go up in price.
That statement is irrelevant. Pentax has dictated what the retailers must sell their products for. This has nothing to do with the cost of the products to the retailer.
04-16-2012, 12:39 PM   #897
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Perhaps what is happening in this news article, is what is going on with Pentax. Daring to Cut Off Amazon - Yahoo! Finance If Ricoh is in it for the long game, maybe the pricing is to allow brick and mortar stores to compete with online retailers so that they may be able to carry Pentax gear. I could see why a b&m store would refuse to line their shelves with Pentax items if they are constantly being undercut by internet retailers. It appears to be a necessary evil just so that Pentax can get back onto store shelves and start building brand recognition.
04-16-2012, 12:44 PM   #898
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A strong yen would tend to increase the price of all Pentax products. Exchange rates do not explain why Pentax doubled prices on some items while other items remain at old prices.
04-16-2012, 12:45 PM   #899
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QuoteOriginally posted by turbosaturn Quote
Perhaps what is happening in this news article, is what is going on with Pentax. Daring to Cut Off Amazon - Yahoo! Finance If Ricoh is in it for the long game, maybe the pricing is to allow brick and mortar stores to compete with online retailers so that they may be able to carry Pentax gear. I could see why a b&m store would refuse to line their shelves with Pentax items if they are constantly being undercut by internet retailers. It appears to be a necessary evil just so that Pentax can get back onto store shelves and start building brand recognition.
which is what many of us keep saying. the web is great for selling to people who know what they want. problem for Pentax is people don't even know they want them you need retail presence at the store level and dealers that will support the brand. Pentax used to have that and they lost it over the years, dramatically so after Hoya changed the rules
it's not a 6 month fix this will take at least 2 years and certainly some users will bleed to other brands, but the long term should be more new users (and the ones who leave if they sell their gear will in many cases bring in a new user who replaces them
04-16-2012, 01:32 PM   #900
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QuoteOriginally posted by Chwisch87 Quote
The strong yen basically means that any Japanese goods are going to go up in price. Mazda is loosing huge amounts of money from record profits just 3 years ago. Any company that has any major manufacturing in Japan is in big trouble currently.
Does Pentax have any major manufacturing in Japan? Lenses are assembled in Vietnam.
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