Transformation is the cornerstone of Canon’s advancement: C Sukumaran

In conversation with Adgully, C Sukumaran, Senior Director - Product and Communication, Canon India, sheds light on Canon’s comprehensive brand strategy, dynamic marketing mix, 2023 product launches, diverse marketing initiatives, growth aspirations, and forward-looking vision. He speaks about Canon’s emphasis on innovation, customer-centricity, and technological evolution emerged, showcasing their adaptability in a changing industry landscape. Canon’s marketing tactics have evolved significantly, leveraging digital platforms and tailored approaches to engage varied consumer segments. Their resilience in 2023, marked by innovative launches and strategic festive campaigns, underscores their commitment to driving consumer engagement and market growth. 

What is the brand marketing strategy and the marketing mix? What are the marketing activities undertaken by Canon this year? 

We believe that it is important to lay out the right marketing mix that not only aligns with the brand messaging but also grows in tandem with the evolving preferences of consumers. This core thought is reflected in our integrated marketing strategy, which is a blend of online and offline events and an active social media presence to strike the right balance. When it comes to events/ on-ground activations, we adhere to our philosophy of ‘Gemba’, which is our constant endeavour to engage with customers on-ground and thereafter make solutions that best cater to their present needs. Ensuring to connect with our audiences across segments and showcase the prowess of our vast technology, we make a conscious effort to participate in industry events such as PAMEX, and Broadcast India Show, premier printing and infotainment exhibitions. Also, recognizing the immense growth and potential of regional markets, our outreach extends to Tier II and Tier III cities as well, through both industry and partner events along with innovative and educative activations such as our ‘Creator Mode On’ vlogging workshops, which run throughout the year.

Another important aspect in driving the right marketing is adopting a tailored communication approach that resonates with the specific target audience. In response to this insight, we have been strategically curating focused digital-first campaigns that act both as a source of information sharing as well as help us engage with users directly. For instance, we host diverse engagement programs on social media and also educate them through snackable short-form video content showcasing the diverse functionalities of our product range. This helps in bolstering our connection with the audience. Further, through knowledge partnerships with leading educational institutions such as Film and Television Institute of Hyderabad, Neo Film School Cochin, among others, we aim to consistently propel the growth of the photography and videography culture in India. Overall, our aim is thus, to not solely just showcase our products but create unique experiences that delight customers and also enhance their knowledge about our products to unleash their full creative potential.

How was the year 2023 for Canon? What are its growth plans and future vision?

In 2023, we embarked on the next chapter of our growth journey, with 'Henkaku' (Japanese for Transformation) as our core vision. This strategy was the cornerstone of our advancement as we underwent a revolution across three key pillars- product and service offerings, infrastructure workflows, and organizational structure. Under this principle, we pioneered innovation-first digital imaging solutions, leading to the expansion of our product lineup across segments to further meet the dynamic demands of new-age customers and businesses in India. This helped us strengthen our brand positioning as an end-to-end digital imaging solutions provider, enabling long term impact. As a result of this focused strategizing, our business witnessed robust growth fuelled by significant demand for our office automation solutions from different verticals including enterprises, start-ups, BFSI, Pharma, etc.

2023 also marked new milestones for us – the biggest one being the launch of our state-of-the-art Live Office infrastructure with its ideal integration of technology and experiences, bringing together our entire ecosystem on a single platform. Thus, throughout the journey of transformation, our unwavering commitment to a quality-first approach across all business pillars reflected our efforts to further enhance customer experiences.

Carrying forward our learnings from 2023, our key focus for 2024 is to further accelerate growth and enable greater efficiency in the country across enterprise, commercial and consumer businesses.

From the product & services standpoint, we will continue to expand our mirrorless camera portfolio with products for a wider target audience, along with strengthening our hold in emerging industries such as EdTech, OTT, Broadcast, and Cinema. Additionally, with various industries across sectors progressively transitioning towards automated and process-driven manufacturing, we see a huge potential in supporting this growth through our innovative products and solutions. Thus, with our wide array of 360-degree offerings, we aim to maintain this dynamic momentum, consistently empowering our customers through innovation as a one-stop shop for all digital imaging needs.

What were the new product launches by Canon in 2023? 

Navigating dynamic industry trends, all our products launched were aimed at addressing specific consumer requirements. For instance, recognizing the growing demand for compact, affordable, and user-friendly cameras owing to the surge in content creation, we introduced EOS R50, EOS R100, and PowerShot V10 for content creators and vloggers, and EOS R8 as the perfect companion for wedding photographers. Further, we bolstered our commitment to the video production and broadcasting segment with the launch of a range of indoor and outdoor PTZ cameras, offering comprehensive solutions for remote-operational use cases among broadcasters.

Similarly, Canon has been at the forefront of innovating in the printing segment as well to make printing more efficient and creative for users. We launched 16 new advanced consumer printers this year in the MAXIFY, PIXMA, and imageCLASS printer series to cater to the printing requirements of modern consumers, including the home segment, SOHOs, SMBs, and enterprises. In a pursuit to make printing more than just document printing, we empower consumers to ‘Print Outside the Box’ where our range of printers enable effortless printing of 3D art, banners, fabrics, photos, stickers, and marketing materials. Our professional printing segment, which has recorded exponential growth this year, saw the introduction of innovative products like imagePRESS V series, imagePROGRAF TC-20 and imagePROGRAF TM series which are aimed at solving the evolving needs of jobbers, print shops, remote worksites and AECM segment. On the other hand, our foray into the cybersecurity domain has garnered a positive response from customers as they now have access to a complete suite of office automation solutions.

Could you take us through the industry’s evolution and how the marketing tactics have changed?

It’s fascinating to witness the industry evolution marked by technological advancements and shifts in consumer behaviour. If we rewind the clock to a few years ago and talk about the industry, the imaging and printing industry primarily focused on providing standalone products. However, with the advent of the digital revolution, there has been a major shift towards integrated solutions. And we, at Canon India, have been an active contributor to this paradigm shift. Our comprehensive and diverse portfolio cuts across varied industries and effectively integrates advanced solutions for our customers.

In terms of marketing strategies, while traditional advertising will continue to be relevant, the advent of social media, online platforms, and e-commerce has necessitated a more engaging approach. One of the most notable trends has been the emergence and popularity of short-form content videos. We have adapted to this change by leveraging digital channels to engage with our audience through innovative digital campaigns and educational content on our products. Thus, our approach is to communicate via new-age storytelling and build meaningful connections with our consumers, showcasing how Canon products can seamlessly integrate into their lifestyles and add immense value for them.

For instance, our recent campaign, Some Things are Best Left to Canon, adopted a humorous and quirky take on capturing precious moments without any interruptions with our daily technology.  Interestingly, our collaboration with renowned photography enthusiasts across segments under the EOS Ambassador Program also helps us connect with users about our diverse offerings through constant webinars and masterclasses for budding creators. These efforts are a testament to our commitment to embracing the industry trends and ensuring that our marketing initiatives resonate effectively with customers in the digital era.

How is Canon enabling consumers across industries/ segments? And how has the TG of Canon evolved over the years?

Adopting an outside-in-approach, we always think from the viewpoint of our customers to deliver products and solutions in line with their requirements. Basis this and our ideology of empowering consumers through a holistic approach, Canon India is there to help customers grow in their journey be it photography professionals, printing, filmmaking, healthcare, cybersecurity, or businesses of all sizes. In recent years, we have also witnessed new and growing consumer segments and in response, have attuned to cater to modern-day requirements by offering effective, affordable and convenient digital imaging solutions.

For instance, the cinema industry in India has witnessed substantial growth, bringing in the need for high-quality and compact filmmaking equipment. To enable cinematographers in their journey of advanced filmmaking, we have further tuned our Cinema EOS cameras with innovations such as EOS R5C which is one of our many Netflix approved cameras for OTT content. Supporting SMEs and the Start-Up ecosystem has been another focus of our enterprise business, wherein we have customized products and solutions for them to improve their data management infrastructure and support their business growth.

Further, there has been tremendous growth in data and hence its storage and security have transformed into key drivers for businesses. This has led to an increase in demand for our office automation solutions such as Therefore, IRIS, and Kofax, as they assist organizations in their digital transformation efforts. Through our diverse office automation solutions, we will continue to drive the digital transformation journeys of our users along with strengthening our position as the one-stop surveillance solution provider which is fundamental to the Smart City infrastructure.

How do you look back at the festive season of 2023 for Canon? 

The festive and holiday season holds immense significance for us as it marks a time of increased consumer mobility and a heightened sense of celebration. The festive spirit resonated strongly as customers embraced our diverse range of consumer products to capture precious moments and preserve memories. Right from our state-of-the-art cameras to our consumer printers, our products were well poised to be companions for customers in action-capturing and preserving cherished festive moments for years to come. For instance, enabling users to capture their precious moments during the festive season, was our dynamic new vlogging camera range, including the PowerShot V10, EOS R100, and EOS R50. On the other hand, through Canon Creative Park and utilizing our PIXMA G series printers, we encouraged users to go beyond simple printing but also to create decorations that can add to the festive charm of their homes.

Now with the wedding season in full swing, we are expecting the demand for our products to further go up. Our overarching goal is to make Canon products an integral companion for consumers at all times to make every moment special.