KODAK IS NUMBER ONE

[Anonymous]

Kodak is Number One in Photo Paper, but OEMs Gaining Ground
While
buyers say that the characteristics that are most important to them
when choosing a photo paper are pricing and quality, they do have
certain brand biases. A recent Lyra survey of 275 U.S. consumers who
purchase ink jet photo paper shows that Kodak was the most popular
brand, but also reveals that respondents are purchasing OEM-brand photo
paper more often than they were just a few years ago.
Lyra asked
respondents who had purchased ink jet photo paper in the previous three
months to select the brand of photo paper that they typically purchase.
Kodak photo paper is the most popular brand, with almost one-third (32
percent) of respondents saying that they typically purchase Kodak-brand
photo paper (see figure). HP-brand photo paper is a close second in
terms of overall popularity (29 percent), while Epson photo paper is a
more distant third (12 percent).
In 2002, Lyra conducted a consumer
survey of photo paper brand preferences. At that time, only 26 percent
of respondents said they typically use photo paper from one of the
printer OEMs (Canon, Epson, or HP). In 2005, 46 percent of survey
respondents said they typically buy one of the OEM brands. Canon,
Epson, and HP emphasize that their printers are designed to be used
with OEM-brand ink and photo paper to produce the best print quality, a
marketing message that appears to have resonated with consumers.
Clearly, printer brand has a strong influence on a consumer’s choice of
photo paper. It is probable that Lexmark’s new line of photo paper
(released in May 2005) will become more popular among Lexmark printer
owners.

[Author]

January 16, 2006 at 9:58 AM