PMA Magazine - Connecting the Imaging Communities articles from April 2008

PMA Magazine - Connecting the Imaging Communities archives from April 2008

Association leadership.(Connections)
April 1, 2008... "The rapidly changing landscape of digital imaging has created an environment of new opportunity and competition in our markets. Our survival is hinged on our ability to adapt. We need to carefully examine our market positioning, and our plans...

Paper or plastic?(Newsline)
April 1, 2008... When a customer buys something in your store, what type of bag do you use--paper or plastic? Have you thought much about it? Most customers are probably not making weekly visits to your store (that's another topic) like they do to the grocery...

Not your customers?(Newsline)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Whole Foods says stopping the use of plastic bags is something customers want the company to do. You may be thinking getting rid of plastic bags may appeal to the "hippie" customers buying organic products at Whole...

PMA data watch: catching up with Jennifer--same need, but new solutions.(Newsline)
April 1, 2008... Most everyone agrees Generation-X mothers are the most important segment in the photo industry today, but you might not know how much more important this segment is from other segments. Picture taking is a major, constant need, driving retail...

What the duck.(Connections)(Cartoon)
April 1, 2008... HEY, REMEMBER ME?!! SO THIS IS HOW YOU TREAT THE ONE WHO SERVED YOU FAITHFULLY FOR DECADES?! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BANISHED TO THE CLOSET FOR SOME FLOOZY WITH A PREVIEW SCREEN!! GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Debt restructuring: business advisor Bob Banasik explains how retailers and labs can take action when things look bleak.(Viewpoint)
April 1, 2008... I've seen the following scenario many times in our industry. If it sounds all too familiar, rest assured there is something you can do to change what may seem to be inevitable. Business as usual? Consider the following fictional...

Sports tour: SPAA Traveling Seminars blend sports photo techniques with business acumen.(Connections)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The third year of SPAA Traveling Seminars kicks off its 2008 spring itinerary on May 13, in Columbus, Ohio. Though the course outline for the day-long seminar remains for the most part unchanged, the 2008 version...

Video of you: video ads on YouTube and local search sites provide effective ways to reach consumers.(Business & Marketing)
April 1, 2008... If you have some time to kill, there may be no easier way to do so than to plop down in front of YouTube and start mining its endless library of user-generated video, which ranges as much in quality as it does in subject matter. But YouTube,...

Search engine savvy: are potential customers seeing your business in Web search results?(Business & Marketing)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Have you ever tried using a search engine to find your own company website? Where does it show up in search results? Establishing a company web page is a promotional step for any business, but what I about generating...

Where you were: as photo sharing websites expand geotagging usage, manufacturers strive to provide an ideal solution.(Trends & Technology)
April 1, 2008... Whether you're looking through thousands of digital images on your hard drive for that perfect picture you took 3 years ago on your trip to Spain, or sharing with friends the details of a recent hike through the Alps, knowing exactly where a...

All together now: taking control through vertical integration can be a winning strategy.(Business & Marketing)(Company overview)
April 1, 2008... Going "vertical" a few years ago has yielded positive results for Mark Hanson, president of Enstrom Studio Inc. (www.enstromstudios.com), based in Bovey, Minn. The company provides studio and on-location portraits for families, weddings, and...

How pro can you go? Success of Canadian retailer Vistek tied to pro photographer.(Business & Marketing)
April 1, 2008... Canadian retailer Ron Silverstein has a twinkle in his eye when he describes himself as a "failed photographer." You really have to take that statement with a grain of salt. Silverstein is president of Vistek Ltd., a company with the...

Relationship building: learn how to foster lasting youth league relationships.(Business & Marketing)
April 1, 2008... Yes, there's more to sports photography than simply showing up and taking the pictures. There's a whole lot of handholding required, especially if you want repeat business. So just how do you build youth league relationships that last? ...

Sales by the busload: an annual bus trip creates major customer loyalty for Wisconsin scrapbook store.(Business & Marketing)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] It may seem like a bad idea to put a bunch of your best customers on a bus and drive them to your competitors' stores for a day of shopping, but this somewhat counterintuitive move has paid off big. Scrap'n Nook...

If the shoe fits: expert staff, community involvement, and atmosphere set this specialty running store apart from the crowd.(Business & Marketing)(Cover story)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The pounding of feet on pavement during a brisk early morning run, the steady motion of an afternoon stroll, the starting gun at a race, and the miles stretching behind cross country runners. Does any of this sound...

A fine art: labs, online services cite growing popularity of high-end photo books used by pro photographers.(Trends & Technology)
April 1, 2008... Professional labs and online providers say the fine-art photo book is hot. ]hey are offering growing numbers of custommade, high-end books as photographers become more familiar with the product and more comfortable with the technology. ...

Mobile momentum: Moblico CEO Pierre Barbeau discusses the potential of mobile imaging and future of cameraphones.(Trends & Technology)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] More than 77 million American consumers have taken a picture with a cameraphone. The idea there is incredible potential for photo retailers to capitalize on all this mobile picture taking seems obvious; yet so far,...

Hollywood connection: movie and TV show buffs can now order fine-art prints online from the Warner Bros. Studios Photo lab.(Trends & Technology)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] The Warner Bros. Studios Photo Lab, located on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Calif., is making available for the first time fine-art giclee prints from the Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. archive. Fans and...

CMOS gains Ground: a look at the technology from PMA 08.(Trends & Technology)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As the digital camera continues to evolve into the next generations of capture technology, the drive to add more pixels and more features continues unabated. While some industry experts have expected the pixel race...

True simplicity: the new Eye-Fi Card makes getting images from the camera effortless for consumers.(Trends & Technology)
April 1, 2008... It's been the lament of photo retailers everywhere since digital imaging first caught on: Consumers aren't bothering to move images off their memory cards. People typically don't make photo products from images trapped inside cameras. While...

Better business: trend analyst Laura Heller discusses how it's never too late to take a green angle in your business.(Business & Marketing)
April 1, 2008... It's time to start thinking green, and I'm not talking about dollars. Environmental-ism is becoming a prominent issue for industry today. This means all industries, as everyone from school districts to manufacturers of heavy machinery are...

Internet impact: Tricia Gellman Holmes, vice president of marketing, liveBooks, discusses the effect of online dynamics on professional photography.(Parting Shot)
April 1, 2008... The Internet is not a new concept. In 1994, I joined a design firm that asked me to focus on creating interactive communications for Fortune 100 companies. We learned quickly CD-ROM communication was outdated and transformed our strategy to...