[johnmflores]

13,763 as of today and the video came out 3 days ago, so if your number is right only 763 people have watched it since the first launch. The vast majority of those are people who clicked trough from the e-mail campaign.

How do you come to the conclusion that the vast majority clicked on an email? Do you know how big their email list is? Do you know their open and click rates?

OK so 11,500 people, but the majority of those people are not current Pentax users. Maybe 3% of the professional/enthusiast photographers who go to PPE have used or are using Pentax.

The show is a waste of money if your just going to setup a small table in the back corner and be invisible. Given the number of photographers who blog, making a splash at a show like this could generate 10x the exposure through social media.

The video is cool, but its just a targeted commercial and part of a much bigger add campaign. PPE is the last big event in North America and comes just as the K-3 is going to market. Its sad that Pentax didn't take advantage of PPE and the possible exposure.

That table at the Unique booth looks like a last ditch effort by the regional rep to have some kind of presence at the show.

Let's just agree to disagree then. I do marketing for a living and I agree with Pentax's decision to skip PhotoPLUS and put their money elsewhere. Not to say that my experience trumps all else, but I've had an inside look into the dynamics of making a decision like this.

[Winder]

How do you come to the conclusion that the vast majority clicked on an email? Do you know how big their email list is? Do you know their open and click rates?

Because the e-mail came out on 10/22 and when I looked at it that morning there was less than 3,000 views. You said they received 13,000 views that day, so 10,000 more watched it after me. Only 700 more since the day the e-mail went out. Do you have a better explanation of the spike in views on the day the e-mail went out?

[awaldram]

I don't think it's a women's thing. Granted I'm not one of those women, but there's a difference between matching $100 shoes to your outfit and a $1300 camera. And those with expensive purses and shoes and the money to indulge it don't seem to be a likely group to lug around ugly camera bags.

It might be a Japanese thing. Youth culture in Japan seems to be crazy about bright colors right now. Then again, so is my niece, so maybe it's just a youth thing.

I think the analogy about car colors is more accurate. Sometimes people just want something different. Enough to sway someone away from the favorite brand? Probably not. A Ford guy isn't going to buy a Chevy because he likes the new orange paint. But for casual buyers who aren't brand loyal (yet) it might attract them.

I don't know my wife's Kx was a direct result of it rainbow colours.

She has a black one but the choice is what attracted her !

[monochrome]

If they follow through on what the Q-Users Group was told we will see the placement of Pentax's marketing money starting concurrent with market availability of the K3. On the street. In markets all over the USA. One-on-one, touch and feel, for end-buyers.

[awaldram]

Because the e-mail came out on 10/22 and when I looked at it that morning there was less than 3,000 views. You said they received 13,000 views that day, so 10,000 more watched it after me. Only 700 more since the day the e-mail went out. Do you have a better explanation of the spike in views on the day the e-mail went out?

I'd be surprised if Pentax US had 10,000 on their mailing list let own 10,000 clicking through.

[johnmflores]

Because the e-mail came out on 10/22 and when I looked at it that morning there was less than 3,000 views. You said they received 13,000 views that day, so 10,000 more watched it after me. Only 700 more since the day the e-mail went out. Do you have a better explanation of the spike in views on the day the e-mail went out?

I have a video on YouTube that got 8k views in one day. I tracked it down to a website in Poland that had posted it. If you go to the Pentax video you'll see 49 shares. One of those shares on a high traffic site like DPReview or PentaxForums or xxx could easily cause that spike. A link from Reddit could easily cause that spike. A link from an overseas site could easily cause that spike. There are a lot of possible reasons for the spike.

[Winder]

I'd be surprised if Pentax US had 10,000 on their mailing list let own 10,000 clicking through.

I would hope that they have many times that number. I have a client who (local company) sends out 30,000 Christmas cards to existing customers every year. I would hate to thank that Pentax Forums membership list is bigger than Pentax US marketing.

[monochrome]

Just let him unwind.

[dcBear78]

I would hate to thank that Pentax Forums membership list is bigger than Pentax US marketing.

Why wouldn't the forum membership be bigger or at least equivalent to the US mailing list. One is global, the other is US specific. Plus who signs up to mailing lists these days? Information comes via social networking. I saw that video from the Pentax Australia Facebook post.

[derekkite]

I'd be disturbed if that were the case, if I was in senior management in Ricoh Japan, or even Ricoh Imaging in the US. It's the job of marketing divisions to know about things like major trade shows, and to make a judgment about what to attend and in what form. They shouldn't have to rely on happenstance to alert them to opportunities.

Of course they should. But they didn't. They got a new marketing guy just a short while ago. I'm not certain, but these trade shows are organized with substantial lead times. It could very well be that Pentax US was not even on the list of potential exhibitors that a trade show would notify.

I've said that Ricoh found the cupboard very bare at Pentax when they bought them, and what we have seen over the last year or so has been an effort to buy time until the fruits of their investments arrive. I've been very impressed with the roll out of the K-3; the leaks, the announcement with the special limited silver, the manual showed up, all things that have been very good at creating and maintaining a buzz, low level but enough to generate interest. Maybe a bit happenstance, but responsiveness is even better.

The real test will be the timely shipment of the cameras. I've pre ordered, like many here, and if it shows up on time, everything works as expected, no major glitches (I expect minor ones), great. I'll be sharing my first impressions, and based on what I say, what all the pre order crowd say, others will either pass or buy. Ricoh seems to know that. Anyone who handled the development versions seemed to have been genuinely excited. We shall see. So far so good.

[Winder]

Why wouldn't the forum membership be bigger or at least equivalent to the US mailing list. One is global, the other is US specific. Plus who signs up to mailing lists these days? Information comes via social networking. I saw that video from the Pentax Australia Facebook post.

Just about anyone who enters their warranty information online with Pentax USA. I doubt people are mailing them in. Anyone who buys a P&S, lens, flash, or a DSLR and goes online to enter warranty. I'm sure a good number of people opt out of receiving the e-mails, but there should still be many thousands of people who get e-mails. Maybe I think Pentax is a lot bigger than it really is. Pentax Forums has 34,000 members on the list. As I said, I have a client who operates just in the state of Tennessee with 30,000 people on its marketing/customer list. 30,000 shouldn't be a big number for Pentax US.

[RonHendriks1966]

That boot was a freebee I guess. Nice to see the K-3.

[crewl1]

I hope locals take advantage and go check it out to bring back video for the rest of us.
I would bring a spare battery and card just in case.
Try out the new AF and report back, that is one point I'm interested in.

[chromo]

I don't think it's a women's thing. Granted I'm not one of those women, but there's a difference between matching $100 shoes to your outfit and a $1300 camera. And those with expensive purses and shoes and the money to indulge it don't seem to be a likely group to lug around ugly camera bags.

It might be a Japanese thing. Youth culture in Japan seems to be crazy about bright colors right now. Then again, so is my niece, so maybe it's just a youth thing.

I think the analogy about car colors is more accurate. Sometimes people just want something different. Enough to sway someone away from the favorite brand? Probably not. A Ford guy isn't going to buy a Chevy because he likes the new orange paint. But for casual buyers who aren't brand loyal (yet) it might attract them.

Are you sure about that ?
Men can have their choice of colors if they want, but I know a lot of women, friends, family and a wife, and I know that they would wear a dress or pair of shoes that don't fit properly just to get the right color.
Here in Australia, we had a TV show many years ago called "the inventors". New inventions were judged by a panel of three professionals that consisted of two men and a woman. She always asked "and what colors does it come in"?

[hangman43]

Just about anyone who enters their warranty information online with Pentax USA. I doubt people are mailing them in. Anyone who buys a P&S, lens, flash, or a DSLR and goes online to enter warranty. I'm sure a good number of people opt out of receiving the e-mails, but there should still be many thousands of people who get e-mails. Maybe I think Pentax is a lot bigger than it really is. Pentax Forums has 34,000 members on the list. As I said, I have a client who operates just in the state of Tennessee with 30,000 people on its marketing/customer list. 30,000 shouldn't be a big number for Pentax US.

I have did all the things you list with my last 4 Pentax cameras and I do not receive emails from them I found the video because of liking the Pentax page on Facebook so it showed up on my timeline and I would be willing to bet that 90% of the people that clicked on that video got the link from one of the social media sites.