Tactics and Strategy

How could a century-old leader in film photography miss the digital film revolution?

Everyone knows the digital camera killed Kodak. Not everyone knows quite how this came about, though, and it’s instructive. In 1975, the digital camera’s invention ushered in what would become a new era in photography, the era we’re still in today.

From 1975 on, Kodak kept its corporate nose to the grindstone, meticulously refining its film products and continuing to market traditional film with a great deal of enthusiasm and energy. This made sense; after all, Kodak was nearly 100 years old at this point, and they were the clear leader in the industry worldwide. They knew traditional film better than anyone.

The company's microscopic focus on its existing industry, however, blinded it to the tidal wave of digital photography on the horizon. While they continued perfecting the nuances of film processing, the world around them was rapidly shifting. Their competitors, sensing the strategic change in consum…