[Nass]

Most of the suggestions here showed continuity of lenses, which I believe may not happen. As a lensmaker, I will not tell people to inherit their old stuff, but buy more new stuff.

Agreed. There's a disconnect here between Pentax - a company seeking profits - and consumers - who want to pay out as little as possible. I'd be gobsmacked if some of the ads here ever ran

The best approach Pentax could take would be to segment and target its advertising. So for example in cold countries you'd stress the weathersealing stuff because it's a USP that none of the other guys have. Desert countries too.

Personally I think advertising which shows a K-7 being used by young studly thrusting types like mountain-climbers / rock climbers / mountain bikers (action-orientated) with a quote regarding their sturdyness / cold resistance / durability and a bunch of bullet points outlining some of the other features could work well globally and appeal to young people. These should be video, HDR, high frame rate, megapixels, titanium body Ie noddy stuff the general consumer can relate to and translate into practical advantages (sturdy, likelyness of getting that cool shot), not the relatively geeky stuff nerdy camera types like us relate to

I think though rather than creating just a few posters they should do their advertising differently. Create, for example, marketing PDFs that companies can put on their website or send out. Email campaigns for camera chains. In other words it's not so much a challenge of creating a poster, but one of creating as much point of sale propaganda and material that retailers will either plaster all over their websites or have lying about in their stores... so that they make it easy for these guys to sell that stuff. And something interesting, or viral. Maybe some cool PDF case study about some jo who took his Pentax to the Arctic. Maybe 10 along that action line.

All those are just the general ones

For particular markets you'd make particular ads. So for example in Japan where they love their gadgets and they're a bit of a fashion/status symbol, heck you'd show off the 100 colours. But honestly I really don't think you'd talk about 60 year old lens compatibility when you're trying to make money through lens sales or rumours they're dying when you're launching a 645d

- added, actually perhaps the lens compatibility might strike a cord during the recession and when the company is making profits again. But I'd play that angle very carefully, along the lines of "we're the only major company that has looked after its customers by keeping backwards compatibility (great message during recessions when people are trying to save a buck)" rather that "buy only a body only because then you don't need to buy anything else from us, just use 40 year old lenses" (doesn't strike me as hugely commercially minded).

also, compactness (these pentax lenses are small!) is something that could/should be brought into play with the action theme. Rugged and compact is a good message for that market.

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Last edited by Nass; 04-14-2010 at 04:10 AM.

[unixrevolution]

I emphasized lightweight and smallness with the K-x ad with the 3 DA Limited lenses I suggested on the page previous.

I also think the weatherproof angle is a good one..as for the compatability, picture this magazine ad:

You still love your old Pentax lenses....

So do we. That's why we designed every Pentax DSLR to be fully backward compatible with our film SLRs, all the way back to 1975. Even further, back to 1957 with an adapter.

Don't think you have to stop there, though. For fully weathersealed shooting, try one of our WR lenses, or the DA* series, that also feature fast apertures, better optics, and SDM focusing.

Want to travel light? Get one of our DA Limited series lenses, which are among the lightest SLR lenses ever made. Or try one of the other lenses in our DA series, like our outstanding 12-24 wide angle or our 10-17 Fisheye...the only camera manufacturer-supplied Fisheye Zoom in the industry.

Want even more options? Try our FA, D-FA or FA Limited selection, which wil work on your old film camera or your new digital.

Wether you shoot film or digital, new lenses or old, with a Pentax DSLR system, you'll find even more to love.

[RioRico]

Most of those suggestions, showing continuity of lenses? Pure poison. A lensmaker, telling people to buy or inherit their old stuff, rather than purchasing new product? Ain't gonna happen. The one about PENTAX DOES IT FOR HALF THE PRICE is good, although maybe not quite true now.

But continuity CAN be emphasized. Scene: 1957, Mom & Dad shoot kids with Asahiflex; they age, shooting growing kids with newer Pentax each time. 1977, they hand over a Spotty and a K-cam; process repeats, focusing on son & daughter from next generation. Same in 1997, 2005, and now. Each Pentax cam morphs into the next. Message -- PENTAX: WE ARE FAMILY.

Or, to be current: heavy black Canon, Nikon, Sony cams are jogging slowly down a roadway, huffing and puffing. A zillion colorful Kx's dash up and RUN CIRCLES AROUND THEM! then dash off. Fat Canikony's stop, pant and wheeze, then shrug and turn around and walk away. Message -- PENTAX: MORE OOMPH FOR THE MONEY.

Similarly: Fat Canikony's jog slowly down the roadway. A sleek K7 runs in from the side, joins them. Clouds gather. It starts to rain. Canikony's all stop, sizzle, sparks flying; they fall over and smoke. The K7 laughs and splashes through puddles. Message -- PENTAX: A LITTLE RAIN NEVER HURT ANYBODY.

Most of the suggestions here showed continuity of lenses, which I believe may not happen. As a lensmaker, I will not tell people to inherit their old stuff, but buy more new stuff.

But continuity can be emphasized on.
For example, in the 1950s, Mom & Dad shoot childrens with Asahiflex; Mom & Dad age, shooting growing kids with newer Pentax every time.
In the 1970s, they used a K-cam and the scene repeats, focusing on son & daughter from next generation.
Fast forward to 1990s and 2000s with each scenes similar to the earlier batch but with the ist series and later the K100d series.
Like a fellow member mentioned earlier, the Message -- PENTAX: WE ARE FAMILY.

Cheers.

Pentaxie: If you are going to quote me, please QUOTE me, rather than merely posting my words as if they were your own. That is plagiarism. This is not the first time. Thank you.

[johnmflores]

Most of the suggestions here showed continuity of lenses, which I believe may not happen. As a lensmaker, I will not tell people to inherit their old stuff, but buy more new stuff.

But continuity can be emphasized on.
For example, in the 1950s, Mom & Dad shoot childrens with Asahiflex; Mom & Dad age, shooting growing kids with newer Pentax every time.
In the 1970s, they used a K-cam and the scene repeats, focusing on son & daughter from next generation.
Fast forward to 1990s and 2000s with each scenes similar to the earlier batch but with the ist series and later the K100d series.
Like a fellow member mentioned earlier, the Message -- PENTAX: WE ARE FAMILY.

Cheers.

Pentaxie, why are you quoting RioRico's post above - #67 - without any attribution or additional perspective? This is not the first time that I've seen you do this...

[SpecialK]

Most of those suggestions, showing continuity of lenses? Pure poison. A lensmaker, telling people to buy or inherit their old stuff, rather than purchasing new product? Ain't gonna happen.

They already do with the 24,000,000 lens comment.

[opfor]

Why not drop back to a 70s commercial concept...can't remember the original commercial.
You have a bored person sitting at a desk playing with paper clips(or something similar) under a sign that states they are the "Pentax Recycling Department".
Up pops a message at the bottom of the screen that says, "The problem with making products that never become obsolete", or something similar.

[Elva]

The lens part is why I got a Pentax and not a cannoton or nokon,,,,,

Love that advert as it spells it out well.

[nakey]

I feel the need to fix this lack of image in my previous post.. so...

gamgee's idea. PentaxPoke's image

Had to redo the image. didn't have my original one.

while i'm at it...

[interested_observer]

I really like the Nakey's idea with PentaxPoke's images - both of them....

• The kit lens - something that comes with the camera everyone can buy,
• and the 10-17 FE that everyone can also buy...

In another thread...

• take a look at post #19
• https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/99496-images-t...12-24mm-2.html

• Ben doing a fashion shoot in Paris, the model picks up the camera and shoots landscapes of Paris... that everyone can use!
• Some of the world's best lenses - and colorful cameras, too!!!

I went back and read the thread - there are some wonderful ideas here - and Pentax needs marketing...