Fujifilm Cameras

B2C & B2B l Innovative Products, Creative Campaign Engage Expanded Audience, Sales Increase ⇧ +13%

Christopher Vickers Brand, Content & MarCom Team Player, Strategist, Writer, Mentor, Leader

Background

Despite offering a growing portfolio of digital imaging products and services, Fujifilm was perceived by consumers and professional photographers as a bit of an “out-of-touch” film and camera company. Years of advertising which equated “Fuji” with “film” was creating a drag on the company’s efforts. Key brand equities and positive associations were in decline, and sales were down. 

As Fujifilm’s VP of Advertising J. Rutherford said to Claudia Deutsch of the New York Times, “We have simply got to re-position Fujifilm as a communications company”.

My Role: Player-Coach I was strategic lead responsible for supervising and coaching direct reports and colleagues, supporting and leading a large cross-functional team, guiding and developing research, insight and campaign strategy, and nurturing and supervising campaign development, production, implementation, measurement, reporting and optimization across multiple channels.

Research, Analysis & Insight

To better understand FujiFilms’ challenges, we analyzed the category, competitors, customers and the Company, including its products, services, performance, key personnel and brands.

Then we dug further, taking a classic Segmentation / Targeting / Positioning (STP) approach: Segmentation to divide the market into distinct customer groups based on demographics, psychographics and behaviors, allowing for a more accurate and thorough understanding of customer needs, perceptions and motivations; Targeting to select the most attractive segment(s) on which to focus; and Positioning to confirm the ideal product classification and craft a value proposition to maximize relevance, distinction and attraction.

Coming out of out situational analysis, one objective was clear: we’d need to develop communications which would engage consumers and professionals.

Consumers 

Segmentation FujiFilm had targeted early adopters for years, historically a smaller predominantly male target. 

FujiFilm XP 140

But digital photography meant cameras were easier to use and more convenient and affordable than ever. We dug into psychographics including family-centered values and tech comfort, and behaviors, including photo-taking habits. 

Across segments research showed females were purchasing and using cameras in much larger numbers and more frequently, spending more time taking and maintaining family photos.  

Targeting  Research showed our optimal target was family-oriented photo takers, primarily moms 25–44, who often acted like the family’s “chief memory officer” and memory maker. 

Time strapped but emotionally motivated, over years moms had gradually taken over from dads as primary taker and manager of family photos. Secondary audiences included involved dads, older teens and active grandparents.

Positioning  Fujifilm’s ease-of-use, onboard editing, and exceptional photo quality gave families the power to capture and preserve memories with confidence — without needing to be “tech experts.”  

Based on this we crafted: 

In a world full of digital distractions, Fujifilm’s easy-to-use cameras help families capture life’s most meaningful moments - simply and beautifully. 

Professionals

Segmentation  Professional photographers fell into segments organically across editorial (e.g., news and sports photo journalists), and creative/commercial (e.g., fashion, food, auto, lifestyle and advertising) where visual impact, creativity and beauty win attention and increase perceptions of product and brand value.  

Targeting To effectively compete with Minolta, Olympus, Canon and others, Fujifilm needed to play to its strengths and reputation for innovation. This lead us to focus on commercial photographers, 25-54 - creators seeking artistic freedom and technical mastery - primarily in creative industries like fashion and advertising, seeking cameras and equipment that balanced image quality, innovative features and functionality and artistic control.

Positioning to professionals:

FujiFilm GFX 50S

FujiFilm provides creative photographers with advanced imaging tools which give them the quality, speed and creative control to express their creativity without compromise.

Its advanced capabilities — paired with signature Fuji color science — delivered on pros’ needs. 

These insights gave us a blueprint to reposition Fujifilm as a modern, innovative digital brand that could meet the unique needs of two very different customer groups — while remaining emotionally resonant and technically credible. 

Development, Production & Implementation

Based on our research findings, strategy and insight, I lead the development, production and implementation of two distinct but complementary campaigns — each designed to improve perceptions about Fujifilm among two different target audiences with clarity, confidence and emotional weight.

Consumer I briefed our creative teams, who developed a variety of concepts for integrated consumer and professional campaigns.

We copy-tested three of the most engaging consumer campaign concepts, to narrow down the strongest performer, based on measures including message clarity, emotional impact, persuasion, recall and brand perception. 

The concept which emerged was built around a fictional young family full of loveable, relatable “characters” — a spirited mom, a gruff but tender dad, a goofy teenage son and a sarcastic tween daughter. The campaign highlighted funny, photo-worthy family moments while demonstrating key features including stunning color and clarity, onboard editing and ease-of-use.

The tone was warm, relatable, and lightly comedic — blending emotional appeal with subtle but effective product storytelling. The campaign included video, audio, display and retail point-of-sale across major mass merchants, big-box stores and specialty photography retailers. 

Professional The team developed a variety of concepts to engage professionals. Given budget and timing we were unable to copy-test them but were able to review competitive communications and gather feedback from the extended team. We used a structured approach, with clear guidelines to ensure and capture useful, actionable responses, helping us identify one which was relevant, unique and compelling. 

The strongest was aspirational and visual, featuring breathtaking, gallery-worthy photos by emerging and established commercial photographers using Fujifilm’s most advanced digital cameras. The shots were paired with quotes (describing one or two features each pro liked about FujiFilm cameras) with small snapshots of the photographers themselves.

FujiFilm X T30 2

The campaign displayed imaginative creativity, speaking to pros who felt their cameras weren’t just tools, but enablers of their creative vision.

Media included professional and commercial trade photography publishers, events, sponsorships, educational events and programs, and direct outreach to large photography and advertising studios and agencies.

Measurement, Reporting & Optimization

Our work delivered measurable impact across Fujifilm brand and business metrics, including: 

Brand 

• Double-digit increases in consumer brand awareness, recall and relevance among the target audience, via post-campaign brand tracking research

• Significant increases in professional photographer interest, engagement and consideration per trade media research (vs. category norms) and direct outreach 

Business

• Consumer sales increased 13% YOY across mass, big-box and specialty retailers

Industry

• One commercial received “Best Of the Week” in Adweek, helping modernize industry perceptions of Fujifilm

By creating audience-specific stories rooted in emotional truth and product performance, we helped Fujifilm transition from “out dated camera and film manufacturer” to modern, innovative digital imaging brand.

Agency McCann (formerly ATH)