Bangalore: EPSON India has drawn up an innovative branding strategy for its range of photo printers as part of its thrust on popularising the concept of direct digital/photo printing in India. As part of its marketing and branding exercise, the company has roped in ace photographers Pallon Daruwala, Iqbal Mohammed and Sudhir Ramachandran to sponsor exhibitions of their work printed on Epson's photo printers. The company has also formed alliances with key film industry people including Yash Chopra to print their film posters as well.Speaking on the plans, Epson India senior country manager Paramjit Singh Puri told eFE that the focus was on four main segments of the market -- home, photolabs, professional users and the media (film/publishing) industry for its range of photo printers.
``Our branding exercise and marketing activities are aimed at showcasing the photolike quality that our printers are capable of producing. The idea of tying up with photographers is to provide them convenience together with excellent reproductions in return for their endorsement of our range,"Puri said.
The photo printer range (an extension of Epson's double pen inkjet printers) currently has four models -- EPSON Stylus Photo 710 (entry level), 870 (professional) for A4 size printing, 1270 (for A3 size printing) and the 2000P for large format printing -- ranging from Rs 12,000 to Rs 70,000 (street prices).
The printers use the `micro piezo' printing technology and offer six-colour printing with instant drying Epson ink, Puri said. The printers, depending on the media and printer use can produce prints with a life span extending from 10 years to 100 years and dpi resolutions ranging from 360 to 1440.``Epson is looking at spearheading the revolution of digital photo printing in India. We are also working with digital camera markers like Kodak, Fuji , Sony and ofcourse our range to promote the printers,'' Puri said.
Industries like advertising, film, publishing and tourism have also opened up opportunities and are part of the key focus segments for Epson. The printing costs for photographs/images are currently comparable with normal printing rates and as per industry estimates are likely to work out much cheaper as digital printing picks up in India.
On the initiatives, Puri said the company was likely to sponsor four photography exhibitions across the country and was also in the process of setting up a graphic arts showroom and photo gallery in Mumbai.
``The Indian market for printers is around 4.5 lakh and is expected to touch 1 million by 2003. Epson currently has a market share of 24 per cent in India and is targeting a 35 per cent market share this year,'' he said.Epson is targeting revenues of Rs 240 crore this year against Rs 150 crore last fiscal. Major chunk of the revenues is expected from the inkjet segment (which is the fastest growing printer segment) growing at a rate of 40 per cent in India.
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