Nikon: Companies Doing Cool Stuff With Marketing
Nikon is a name synonymous with excellence in photography. As a brand, anyone in the industry would be hard pressed to name a more resilient and lasting name to associate with imagery. That said, being top dog is also about rolling out more and more cool stuff. Nikon USA’s coolest big sponsoring event (so far) being SXSW, down there in Austin, Texas in March. Check it. This news falls into the “Stuff I like and hope you like” category.
NikonLive Cool Shot entry – 126 votes counting mine – follow link to vote
Nikon USA has something cooking behind the camera controls year round, but marketing and outreach initiatives like NikonLive, and particularly their workshops, just plain rule North America’s interest in digital photography, in my view. Case in point, the company partnered with Warner Music Group for a once in a lifetime chance to rock and click at the unforgettable 2012 SXSW event in Austin. High Def and Hi Fidelity, between the band experiences and the instructionals? Well, being an amateur camera buff myself, I wish I had been there. Rather than rant on about Austin, Nikon, and Warner Music, please watch the Vimeo segment below for a taste.
I am not usually a huge fan of corporate marketing, that is unless it serves multiple purposes like any good campaign should. In the case of Nikon, however, all the essential elements seem to be in place at all times. Just looking at their NikonLive site, passers by will find a lot going on, most notably the “Cool Shot” contest taking place right now. Winning tickets, VIP passes, and the plane trip over to a Nikon event at Jones Beach Theater may not be a super prize for many, but for music loving camera buffs? You see the point, I know. (My dream concert would be VIP access at the Santana concert next month)
Marketing successfully has to involve, not just what you want to sell, but especially what potential customers want to buy, what they want in their lives. For photographers, at least a great number of them, a Nikon body, and or lenses, goes perfectly with capturing their musical moments, their audio-visual dreams.
MWW PR is the PR agency of record for Nikon USA.
