Canon is a brand name that you may have heard at least once in your life, or multiple, if you are surrounded by photographers. It is a leading professional and consumer imaging equipment brand that entered India in 1997 and since then, it has been one of the preferred choices of photographers, vloggers, OTT producers, and many more. Today, in the latest episode of MSP Tech Pods, we have someone special from Canon India. We sat down with C. Sukumaran, Senior Director, Product and Communications, Canon.
We touched on some hot topics and asked him the questions that you must have in your mind related to cameras. You can click on the play button available on the top of this article, and listen to the entire podcast.
Are Smartphones Replacing Professional Cameras?
In recent years, if you have attended any wedding or any other event, you might have noticed that people use smartphones to shoot videos rather than professional cameras. But there are also one, two, or three photographers with professional cameras to capture the event. In everyone’s mind, a theory has been created that smartphones have replaced professional cameras. But is it so?
We asked this question to C. Sukumaran to which he somewhat agreed but then there’s a catch. He said that this is happening, however, cameras have changed according to the scenario. They now cater to an audience, right from a student to large enterprises and governments.
How has Content Explosion Helped Canon?
The post-COVID era has boosted the digital consumption of content. Whether it is Instagram reels or new web shows, people have started watching digital content on their smartphones. Talking about this, C. Sukumaran said that this change has expanded their business into different streams in B2B and B2C.
The OTT industry has also helped Canon on a large scale. As several movie watchers have shifted to OTT platforms for their weekend binge-watching, the demand for the best cinema-grade cameras has also increased. Sukumaran calls this B2B camera business.
With several operations like education, and religious institutions going online, the demands for professional cameras have increased.
How Canon Market Its Products in India?
Updating your consumers about your brand’s latest product is important, which is why marketing and advertising exist. Sukumaran says Canon has a separate plan for this. The company advertises its products digitally and has a very specific Targeted Group (TG). Its TG is so specific that even Sukumaran himself won’t be receiving any ads.
Its TG includes wedding photographers who contribute 50 to 60 percent of business. Vloggers are also one of their targeted audiences. For the first time, Canon increased its targeted audience for its PowerShot V10.
It also targets regional areas in India that include audiences from Tier 2,3, and 4 cities. This includes placing ads in newspapers.
The insights from C. Sukumaran suggests that DSLRs are not going anywhere, even though smartphones are becoming the preferred choice for clicking pictures. Its use cases just keep evolving.
