|
| Nikon Polska General Director Piotr Przychodzien |
|
When it established a subsidiary in Poland five years ago, Nikon was perceived as an inaccessible brand among average Polish consumers. While the Japanese company provided high-tech and user-friendly cameras, its products were considered expensive and geared toward professional photographers.
Since then, Nikon has changed its brand image by adapting to developments in the industry, releasing a wide range of more userfriendly cameras and adjusting its pricing to the local market.
"Amid a drastic erosion of prices of cameras around the world, the prices of Nikon cameras have dropped. However, it was a continuous process in Poland over the last few years," explains Nikon Polska General Director Piotr Przychodzien.
"Now Nikon is more competitive if you take into account its product offering and the price to performance ratio. Also, improved communication has made our clients more aware of Nikon's competitive advantage," he adds.
Despite a focus on the compact-camera segment, whose market has grown over 20 percent yearly and whose value grew 75 percent last year, Nikon substantially developed its traditional expertise in another imaging technology–digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras. The DSLR segment grew 39 percent from 2007 to 2008 in terms of volume.
"In the compact-camera segment,prices are similar for models with comparable features within a group. While design varies from series to series, competition is fierce. So customer loyalty and trust in a brand are the deciding factors when selecting a compact camera," says Przychodzien.
"In the DSLR segment, individuals with some experience with a compact or analog SLR camera and who want to develop their skills in photography can purchase our more advanced models. Our idea is not only to sell a DSLR product but also share the knowhow and high technology, areas in which Nikon excels over others in the market," he adds.
In the past five years, Nikon has led over its competitors Canon, Sony and Olympus in Poland in the DSLR segment, with a yearly average market share of over 35 percent.
"To defend our current position, we are executing a strategy of ‘balanced development,’ wherein we need to ensure a balance between profitability, market share and brand image. The Polish standard of living is increasing, and people want the best and latest technology like anywhere else but at a reasonable price. If we meet their expectations and consider constraints on purchasing power, we can provide Nikon’s clients with an almost perfect tool to enjoy their hobby," he says.
www.nikon.pl
|