Red Zone Success
A Shot Across the Bow…from Canon (9-03-01)

A few short years ago when Canon decided to take on Xerox in the copier space, not very many folks gave them much chance of success. The Canon strategy to penetrate the market in a low cost, low risk way…selling through dealers rather than through its own direct sales force…was not seen by many as a viable way to compete with Xerox. But it was, and they did…their success is history. Now one of the top players in copiers and conventional/digital cameras, Canon fires a shot across the bow of Kodak and Fuji with its new strategy to sell film. Film? That's right…something to go in those cameras. (We may soon be able to load a Canon with Canon…imagine that!)

The Red Zone Management lesson in this news is that the same CEO who pulled off the copier Red Zone maneuver is still at the helm as Canon launches the next maneuver toward the two-horse race in the film business. Maybe the lessons to be learned are for the film makers: Beware the competitor who has proven himself as a winner in Red Zone Management!

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