In the established world of portrait photography, the move toward digital has at times been a rocky one. Although digital cameras have quickly replaced traditional cameras as the tool of choice for professionals; meeting the consumer’s desire to share those photos on the Internet has for the most part, been met with some resistance. Much like the record labels of the 90s resisted the move from CDs to digital downloads; studios have been cautious to parlay their print business into an ever changing, and often misunderstood world of online digital media-sharing.
But if history has taught us anything, it’s that in the end, the consumer gets what the consumer wants. And portrait studio execs are taking note. The digital media age is here. And the smart companies are looking at the Web not so much as a threat to their business, but as a strategic compliment that strengthens their core business – not weakens it.
Enter Kiddie Kandids, one of the nation’s largest portrait chains with more than 180 studios nationwide and 35 years of experience. Known for a focus on technology and service (they were the first major chain to convert to an all-digital format back in 2000), Kiddie Kandids began taking a serious look at online digital media-sharing in 2007 as a unique way to differentiate itself and accelerate growth beyond more storefronts alone.
Taking on the Industry
“In 2007, we saw a serious challenge in the industry with retention of customers, where most of the mass studios like Sears, Wal-Mart, Picture People, and JC Penny were quickly becoming very similar to one another,” said Brandon Butterfield, VP Marketing for Kiddie Kandids.
“Consumers were bouncing from one to the other, and there was no definitive line of loyalty. It was becoming more like the fast food industry, where consumers went to the most convenient place, and not necessarily the best. And we knew that to continue to thrive and expand, we had to change that.”
So Kiddie Kandids embarked on a major research initiative to identify just what it is that today’s consumers are looking for, and what it would take to create a “stickier” environment in terms of loyalty and customer retention.
“Blogging spaces were popular at the time, and scrap-booking was booming,” said Butterfield. “We found that these things were only part of what they wanted, and they lacked the privacy and security that both light and heavy online users flagged for us as top priorities.”
After extensive focus groups nationwide, Kiddie Kandids knew they had found the secret they had been searching for. It was clear customers were eager for an online sharing solution that offered more options, features, and security. But the consumer still had little concept as to what it would look like, or the exact combination of features they were looking for.
That’s when Kiddie Kandids found DigitalPost Interactive – a California Internet upstart with an interesting new take on the digital media-sharing space. Their idea: take sharing tools for online photos and videos; organizational tools like a calendar and personal directory; and communication tools like blogs, message boards, and instant newsletters; and bring it together in a fun, personalized, and user-friendly environment that consumers could really latch onto.
Another exciting feature that is being offered is online access to all of their portraits taken at Kiddie Kandids. The portraits will automatically be uploaded to their personal Web site where they can be used in combination with their personal pictures. This is a new and rare move in the portrait industry. Normally, after a portrait is taken at a studio, customers are limited with what they are able to do with them. This concept is truly groundbreaking and opens up a whole new world of opportunities for Kiddie Kandids customers.
DigitalPost Interactive also offers the security that is so important to consumers. Not only security from unwanted users, but the security of having safe, off site storage capabilities where all of their images would be safely stored in case of an accident. Now, in addition to having a backup CD, they could have a whole new level of peace of mind that their priceless pictures and videos would be safe.
The Time is Now
Kiddie Kandids has had a presence online for years, but are now ready to take it to the next level and offer much more to their customers. And recent statistics indicate that the time may be ripe for a family media-sharing solution like this. According to InfoTrends, 67 percent of US households now have at least one digital camera, yet a majority of those cameras never yield a print, as consumers struggle to find the right way to share the pictures on them.
“Our customers really liked the family website idea because their computer drives, flash cards, and digital cams are full with images,” says Butterfield. “It’s ironic, but people are taking more pictures than ever before, but fewer people are actually viewing them. They love their photos, but the question is, what do they actually do with those images once they’re captured on file?”
“People used to get their prints at the drug store, then pop them in coffee table books for their friends and family to view. Now they’re stuck viewing memories on little LCD screens, and that just doesn’t cut it,” said Michael Sawtell, CEO, DigitalPost Interactive. “So people like the notion of sharing their excitement and joy in a personalized, permanent, and safe place online. It’s really what digital media is all about.”
Sawtell says that when Kiddie Kandids came to him, they wanted something that was fun for the customer, but great for business.
“Kiddie Kandids wanted a product that could separate them from the pack in terms of quality and presentation. And that’s what we bring to the table.”
Launched in 2006, the DigitalPost Interactive re-brandable platform quickly earned the reputation as the go-to source for families looking to transform their shoebox of digital memories into a permanent online destination for sharing. In fact, their B2C version, www.TheFamilyPost.com was getting rave reviews from customers and critics alike, being called everything from the “Fisher Price of Website Management” by one customer, to one of the “Top 10 Apps to Preserve Memories” by one of the toughest media critics on the planet – PC Magazine.
“We built our platform to make it just as easy to deploy in a B2B partnership as it is for customers to use,” added Sawtell. “I think that’s what makes this technology so appealing to Kiddie Kandids. It’s the ultimate convergence of presentation and functionality.”
Competing Online
Available just in time for the all-important Holiday Season, Kiddie Kandids is launching the service through a new portal, www.OurFamilyLife.com. There, consumers can sign up for a free two-week trial followed by monthly subscriptions from $4.95 for 1,500 photos and ten minutes of video, to $11.95 for unlimited of both, plus free email.
Even with a monthly price tag, Butterfield is confident that consumers will be excited at the opportunity for such a service.
“I don’t see why every family in America wouldn’t want this. Consumers are already paying more right now for an archive CD without the ease of being able to share the content. So to combine that with a visually stunning place for all your memories, including your portraits taken at Kiddie Kandids, is an incredible solution to be able to offer. With OurFamilyLife.com, you never have to worry about those lost memories if disaster occurs, and all for the price of a latté. It’s an incredibly small price for piece of mind.”
Opening Doors
As a strategic part of their business, Kiddie Kandids sees OurFamilyLife.com as more than just a place to show off Kiddie Kandids portraits, but as a new way to extend their brand, build customer loyalty, and differentiate itself from the competition.
And with monthly subscription fees and a built-in photo store where members will be able to order high quality prints, the company sees it as an incredibly effective way to turn one-time customers into long-term patrons, giving them a distinct edge both in market, and wallet share.
“The nice thing about this is that it brings the two biggest American hobbies, genealogy and scrap-booking, together with photos and videos,” said Sawtell. “When there are challenges with the economy, people turn to family. And this is a powerful way to connect families.”
Although some might see this as a departure from their photographic business, Butterfield sees this as the perfect way to enhance it.
“Our mission is about capturing and sharing memories, which need to be captured at all of life’s stages. That’s only going to give reason for those posting and viewing to want to capture more, which will only enhance the photographic business. Life is a never-ending story, and you don’t want to leave chapters out.”
“I think what makes this special is that this is the first time a major studio has taken such a leap forward to merge the offline photo studio experience with an online digital one,” added Sawtell. “Kiddie Kandids is not just adding a product here; they’re changing the market.”
