"Mitch's online presence is phenomenal," said Megan Schneider, Worldwide Partnership Marketing Manager for Kodak. "He really has a way with marketing in-store too. He's put up big screens in his store where customers can view Picture Movie DVDs as they are made. Everyone is just swept away. He runs loops on new products too."
Goldstone's most successful reinvention, however, has nothing to do with brick and mortar. In 2006, he launched scanmyphotos.com, an online service which allows customers worldwide to safely ship their old photo prints to Irving, where they are scanned and digitized for a flat rate (typically, $49.95 for 1,000 pictures), and then returned right away.
The service tapped into an enormous need (Goldstone says there are 3.5 trillion analog pictures out there, sometimes as many as 5,000 per household) and, after a couple of ramp up years, was featured in David Pogue's popular New York Times technology column.
"We rethink, reinvent, restyle, and return to profitability," said Goldstone, who isn't resting on his success. A few months ago, he converted his printing technology to Kodak's APEX system, a fast, chemical-free dry lab that allows him to produce 2200 prints an hour. "All eco-friendly," he added.
His marketing campaign is progressing as well. In addition to creating and promoting National Photo Preservation Month, Goldstone has been experimenting with online social networking.
"We've made an occasional offer where we do free scanning--you pay $19.95 for the shipping--but the only requirement is that you post a review on your Facebook page or blog," he said. "I think that kind of thing makes customers feel like they've latched on to the new high-tech company."
Goldstone says he believes embracing each new tech trend as it comes along is the secret to staying lithe and profitable each year. He's unintimidated by the next wave in imaging as well: consumers using their cell phones as their primary camera device.
"I'm really encouraged by smartphones and all the new technology we see at CES. Anything that encourages people to take more pictures is all right with me."
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