bill Posted February 1, 2008 Share #41 Posted February 1, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) Right, I've seen it. I'll just say this. As a 45 year old bloke I recognise that I am not in the demographic that ad is aimed at. I would venture to suggest that most if not all of those who have commented negatively share that with me. Furthermore from clicking on the link to open it to the loudspeaker symbol appearing in the bottom right hand corner is approx 2 seconds. From start to getting to the link to getting out of the flash sequence is approx 20 seconds. Are you really so cash-rich-time-poor that this matters? Live with it. A couple of days ago people were complaining about David Stephens' website - now this. This is rapidly turning into grumpyoldmen.com Regards, Bill Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 1, 2008 Posted February 1, 2008 Hi bill, Take a look here New Leica Web-Site Content. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
charlesphoto99 Posted February 1, 2008 Share #42 Posted February 1, 2008 They've totally lost me with this. I think some marketers (and the designers they hired) have taken them for a ride - no wonder they need to implement an overpriced upgrade program. I did a a job for Adobe a year and a half ago photographing other photographers for a Lightroom promo which were then made into small flash movies Adobe - Photoshop Lightroom Gallery (there was a third on Doug Menuez but not sure why it's not there anymore). To my mind this is a lot more interesting and useful and Leica could have easily gone the small movie route as well. Maybe one about a hardcore pj shooting the M7, a more commercial photographer with the 8 and a serious amateur shooting interesting pics with a D-Lux. This seems marketed to people who vacation in St Tropez. Yes, who wouldn't want a piece of that but I doubt this will work for that (they just buy what they want to buy and don't go to websites that are confusing). Leica really need to find the middle ground - either it's grim eastern european documentary work or this glitzy trash. I feel a bit sorry for them actually..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dot Posted February 1, 2008 Share #43 Posted February 1, 2008 Right, I've seen it. I'll just say this. As a 45 year old bloke I recognise that I am not in the demographic that ad is aimed at. I would venture to suggest that most if not all of those who have commented negatively share that with me. Furthermore from clicking on the link to open it to the loudspeaker symbol appearing in the bottom right hand corner is approx 2 seconds. From start to getting to the link to getting out of the flash sequence is approx 20 seconds. Are you really so cash-rich-time-poor that this matters? Live with it. A couple of days ago people were complaining about David Stephens' website - now this. This is rapidly turning into grumpyoldmen.com Regards, Bill If the website sends the wrong message then I think it's important. It is not designed well requiring people to install new software just to see what the company has to offer. When they do they are treated to a fashion show. It's all style over substance. If your customer base is turned off by what you are doing it's bad for business. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dot Posted February 1, 2008 Share #44 Posted February 1, 2008 From clicking MP, or More about M System, you do have the previous M system page, and can choose M7 Leica Camera AG - Photography - M7 Indeed. It shows the M8 and MP side by side which to me says "Pick your camera. Digital or Film. These are our two models." I think the fact the M7 is only seen on the old portion of the website is very telling. I believe it is being dropped soon. The M8 and MP are polar opposites. The M7 fits somewhat in the middle and they probably see no reason to keep it around. Those still into film are likely more interested in a fully mechanical camera or at least that's what they seem to be pushing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eoin Posted February 1, 2008 Share #45 Posted February 1, 2008 I'd like to know why Leica advise us to use UV/IR filters with our lenses ...... but when they advertise like in the first page of photography there is a guy with an M8 and a Bare Noctilux up to his eye. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmb_ Posted February 1, 2008 Share #46 Posted February 1, 2008 Frankly, I'm a bit concerned about Ben in all of this. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tollie Posted February 1, 2008 Share #47 Posted February 1, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) The new site reminds me of the advertising campaign BMW ran about 5 years ago. It was a series of movie shorts made by leading directors that only indirectly mentioned the BMW product. It was style and not substance but the series really did a great job of positioning BMW as a maker of really exciting cars. I'm not saying anything about the success of the leica site... but it was kind of exciting... not the kind of thing you would expect from the makers of a $5k camera. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted February 1, 2008 Share #48 Posted February 1, 2008 If the website sends the wrong message then I think it's important. It is not designed well requiring people to install new software just to see what the company has to offer. When they do they are treated to a fashion show. It's all style over substance. If your customer base is turned off by what you are doing it's bad for business. Why on Earth did you have to install new software? Ansoff identifies four types of business. 1. Selling OLD things to OLD clients (easy but declining business) 2. Selling NEW things to OLD clients (still quite easy - milking your existing customer base) 3. Selling OLD things to NEW clients (harder, but requires no investment in the product) 4. Selling NEW things to NEW clients (hardest of the lot) We are in demographic 2. Leica are pushing hard in 3. and 4., as they should. The balancing act is not to alienate the existing client base. The gamble is that more new customers are attracted by the new homepage than old ones are turned off. Nobody is seriously going to stop buying Leica because of a homepage, eh? Regards, Bill Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted February 1, 2008 Share #49 Posted February 1, 2008 Anyone interested in 'photopournalism' for instance...? Is that the predecessor of 'photo-porno-ism'? Promising future there, I should think. Furthermore from clicking on the link to open it to the loudspeaker symbol appearing in the bottom right hand corner is approx 2 seconds. Bill, there's no loudspeaker link in my case. I guess that's in the 'love stories'? I've got latest Flash version, but it won't run under Safari on a G4 with OS X 10.4.11. At least I have less to complain about, I guess. --HC Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venkman Posted February 1, 2008 Share #50 Posted February 1, 2008 As someone who is working in web based industries in his 13th year now, I am a bit irritated that I get a message to install the latest flash player (which I already have) and fail to go further than page 1 with that message. That is some serious QA mishap. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted February 1, 2008 Share #51 Posted February 1, 2008 As someone who is working in web based industries in his 13th year now, I am a bit irritated that I get a message to install the latest flash player (which I already have) and fail to go further than page 1 with that message. That is some serious QA mishap. I really don't get it. I'm not having any of these problems. I have a volume button too. I'm running Firefox on XP - is that why? Regards, Bill Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venkman Posted February 1, 2008 Share #52 Posted February 1, 2008 Nope Bill, same setup here - firefox on XP pro. I tried MSIE now - that one works. To be honest, from a professional point of view, the (pre-)site is quite nice. Looks like a high end fashion brand site (and is actually very close to what fashion brands are presently aiming at at) - something that might alienate the traditional customers from the brand, but they probably won't matter much in sales anyway (who knows the actual demographics of the potential future customers?). The "Love Stories" are well done, if not a tad bit cold - not as emotional as it could be, but way better than the birthday party crap they tried to sell. Overall, not too bad - the information is still there and they try to sell via emotions - which is, after all the ruckus about the "upgrade", probably not a bad idea. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmb_ Posted February 1, 2008 Share #53 Posted February 1, 2008 . . . way better than the birthday party crap they tried to sell. Yeah, the new site intro is not aimed at the Summarit crowd. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venkman Posted February 1, 2008 Share #54 Posted February 1, 2008 Nope, more in the direction of the "oh, and wrap some lux's up for me, too, while you're at it..." crowd. But really, I learned to put my personal taste second when I look at stuff like this - and it seems that there actually is a market that is not that much into the history of Leica, but in buying a high end tool that also looks good (and no, Hermès is NOT that crowd) Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJP Posted February 1, 2008 Share #55 Posted February 1, 2008 I like the new website in the way that it emphasises one of the 'forgotten' aspects of Leica: Leica makes design classics. The website looks slick & glossy & expensive which fits in that side of the picture. The other side of Leica is that they make technically close to perfect equipment at actually very reasonable prices. At least compared to scientific pro equipment the Leica M prices are perfectly OK - a decent long working distance POL microscope objective can easily cost 5000 euro, a IR thermal imaging camera costs 30.000 euro and up. Small turnover = high prices. That is the way it works. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wag Posted February 1, 2008 Share #56 Posted February 1, 2008 The new site is unfortunate. The couple of people who seem to believe it's professional are, I think, mistaken. I do not believe the new site communicates well or defines a brand look which the Leica market represents. Going after a new market by attempting slick, flash graphics, is not respecting the good sense of the established or the new market. Wag Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted February 1, 2008 Share #57 Posted February 1, 2008 The new site is unfortunate. The couple of people who seem to believe it's professional are,I think, mistaken. I do not believe the new site communicates well or defines a brand look which the Leica market represents. Going after a new market by attempting slick, flash graphics, is not respecting the good sense of the established or the new market. Wag Wag, do you think you are the demographic they are targeting? Regards, Bill Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MvMaltese Posted February 1, 2008 Share #58 Posted February 1, 2008 Wow, they look just like me an my friends! Chiseled jaws and all. Actually very disturbing. Desperate and completely out of touch. An aspirational target is one thing, but come on. It is not 1988. Leica, you're selling cameras, not soap. Don't embarrass us. Everyone's watching. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Englander Posted February 1, 2008 Share #59 Posted February 1, 2008 They've totally lost me with this. I think some marketers (and the designers they hired) have taken them for a ride - no wonder they need to implement an overpriced upgrade program. I did a a job for Adobe a year and a half ago photographing other photographers for a Lightroom promo which were then made into small flash movies Adobe - Photoshop Lightroom Gallery (there was a third on Doug Menuez but not sure why it's not there anymore). To my mind this is a lot more interesting and useful and Leica could have easily gone the small movie route as well. Maybe one about a hardcore pj shooting the M7, a more commercial photographer with the 8 and a serious amateur shooting interesting pics with a D-Lux. This seems marketed to people who vacation in St Tropez. Yes, who wouldn't want a piece of that but I doubt this will work for that (they just buy what they want to buy and don't go to websites that are confusing). Leica really need to find the middle ground - either it's grim eastern european documentary work or this glitzy trash. I feel a bit sorry for them actually..... I agree with you about the Adobe vs Leica site. In fact, I think your site Charles Peterson Photography does way more to sell Leicas than Leica's, at least to people who want to do photography in what I would call a "serious" way. If I were not already familiar--unfortunately perhaps too expensively familiar-- with the equipment, the new site would convince me that Leica sells life-style toys and I would look elsewhere for products oriented toward photography instead. Given the number of problems that people seem to be having with the equipment (failures, bad rangefinders, backfocus, whatever) and the pretty poor service response (months before return, little or no communication) perhaps the site is a less than subtle statement about the direction of the company and what we should expect. I did not understand why we were presented with Ms Engelhardt's "very demanding" test of the Summarits but it was only a precursor and the reasons are becoming more clear. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
elansprint72 Posted February 1, 2008 Share #60 Posted February 1, 2008 The other side of Leica is that they make technically close to perfect equipment at actually very reasonable prices. Say what? M8??? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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