Just a Spoonful of Sugar
Monday, May 4th, 2009
By Liz Cutting, Industry Analyst
My colleague Anita Frazier’s blog a few weeks ago reminded us that Mom is a driving force behind video game growth in the U.S. In the imaging industry, as the traditional keeper of photos, past, and present, she is the main player, not just the facilitator. Mom is watched expectantly for traction both in camera purchases as well as imaging output…for that fine day when items like photo books and collages hit critical mass and we high five each other from Rochester to Tokyo.
Last week, this mom was sitting blissfully in the audience of the musical Mary Poppins, as the practically perfect nanny flew overhead with a serene smile (it was truly amazing) and I thought WOW have times changed. Not only are there no floating nannies, but it’s largely a do-it-yourself world, in this economy and as moms.
We are saddled with making dinner for a small army, paying the bills, driving the kids to karate, packing for the camping trip and, oh yeah, going to work. But we somehow find time to check in on Facebook to catch up with friends, swap the day’s war stories, share a few pictures, and maybe play a few games. It’s our release.
Photos have become part of our being in a new way; the immediate gratification of sharing them every day online means we’re not printing snapshots like we used to. Shutterfly’s Q1 2009 earnings call illustrated the importance of focusing beyond the traditional snapshot – 4×6 print revenue down; personalized products and services up. Cut-throat print prices alone aren’t going to spur printing for the long haul, and certainly aren’t growing profits.
Let’s take our DIY culture and consider the love/hate relationship we have with printing our photos. We don’t have the time to make a photo book every day, or even every month, and we feel guilty as the loads of pictures we’ve taken and (fingers crossed) dutifully archived pile up unseen. Let’s face it, it still requires a lot of patience and time to scour through hundreds of photos and fit them perfectly into a template which may not be quite what we wanted. But for those of us who have toughed it out, there is no greater feeling than producing a hardbound book of very special pictures, telling our family’s story, and sharing it with those we love.
Forget cut-throat prices, I am producing something priceless. I am Mom, empowered family memory publisher, guilt assuaged! I’m fairly floating just thinking about it, serene smile on my face. And as for a spoonful of sugar, a box of chocolates provided with every finished photo book would be most delightful.
Tags: digital cameras, photo books, photo printing
Consumer Technology | Liz Cutting, Industry Analyst | 
May 4, 2009 10:23 am
Subscribe
