With spring upon us and the energy of outdoor activities in the air, now is the perfect time to realize that our customer base is turning over once again.
A “perfect storm” is descending upon our industry. Our article in the April issue on action cams demonstrates the incredible technology that is colliding with a burgeoning interest in outdoor adventures. Millennials are willing to strap cameras onto anything—from their helmets and their surfboards to their bicycles and their pets—to capture new perspectives never before possible.
And 4K video is giving birth to young, expressive filmmakers who are using DSLRs to document their dreams. As you’ll read in Jason Schneider’s article on the 4K video evolution, never before has this kind of technology been within the reach of a new generation who are now able to produce professional-quality videos at a reasonable cost.
Our industry should be looking at these phenomenas with incredible enthusiasm. We should be marketing to a new generation of image makers—young, enthusiastic, adventurous, daring and committed to quality—some wanting nothing more than to shoot an off-the-wall video to share on YouTube. And we should be marketing to those using DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, action cams and camcorders to fulfill their dreams of becoming photojournalists and documentarians.
The challenge we face as an industry is to create an environment in our stores where this new generation can learn, explore and experience the many choices we now offer. Engage experts to present classes and real-life learning. Give these consumers what they can’t get from Internet retailers—the opportunity for hands-on experimentation with a good dose of expertise to guide them.
Our challenge will always be to lead, and to react to the market that is changing around us.
