Competitive Advantage Case Study

HP into Digital Printing: Charting a New Competitive Landscape

OR

Abstract:
Founded in 1938 by two Stanford engineers, Bill Hewlett and David Packard, HP became well known in the computer industry, manufacturing a range of computers from desktop machines to microcomputers. It also became popular for its wide range of personal desktop printers in the 1980s. After establishing itself in the printer industry, HP started shifting its focus more towards imaging and printing products. It launched photo printers for consumers to print at home and later acquired Snapfish, a leading online photo website to expand in the digital photo printing market. In 2006, HP launched it photo-printing kiosks to further penetrate into the digital photo printing market. But there remain doubts about HP's chances of gaining leadership in a market already dominated by Kodak and Fuji.

Pedagogical Objectives:

• To discuss the reasons behind the choice of various mediums of digital photo printing by consmers
• To discuss the logic behind HP's strategy to penetrate into the digital photo printing market
• To discuss the challenges HP might face in the digital photo printing market
• To discuss the chances HP has in the digital photo printing market in the presence of already established players like Kodak and Fuji

Keywords : Hewlett Packard (HP); Digital photo printing; Kiosks; HP Photosmart Express Station; Competitive Strategies Case Study; Snapfish; On-line photo services; Retail photofinishers; Home printing; Albertsons; Kodak; Fuji; Inkjet technology; Dye sublimation process