A JupiterResearch study out last week found that although the ranks of U.S. consumers owning wireless phones with camera capabilities rose to 35 percent in 2004, most consumers are still unwilling to pay extra for camera functionality in the devices.
More than 61 percent of those surveyed said they are unwilling to pay for camera phones, but 24 percent said they would buy camera phones during the next year if it did not increase the prices of the phones.
Jupiter cites a lack of understanding of the features and functionality of camera phones as the reason behind the figures.
The study also showed that people are willing to pay to send photos from camera phones if the price is right. Nearly half said they would pay to send photos if the capability was integrated into an existing voice or data plan, but most resisted the idea of paying per-photo prices or monthly add-ons for photo services.
It seems consumers are not properly perceiving the value of these modern technology services compared with, for example, what photographic efforts cost in a pre-digital age.
I am going through the “price” issue in the ongoing technical education of my parents. They are not so evolved to have a camera phone yet, but finally are using a digital camera, so progress is being made.
My mom has about 90 pictures on her memory card and wants to have them printed at 19 cents each at the nearby grocery store. Having not done the simple calculation yet, she thought it was going to cost “a lot” to print her photos. After I pointed out that we are only talking about $17 total, I reminded her that she probably doesn’t want to print all of them anyway and she should first choose only the photos she really wants.
With her regular camera, she used to develop a roll of 24 pictures that may have turned out seven shots she really liked. At $8 or $9 per roll, even if she prints all 90 photos sitting on her memory card, she is saving money with the digital printing-it is really just a new way of looking at the cost.
Jupiter says advertising is the key to increasing camera-phone use, but in an information-overloaded society, a plain-vanilla message isn’t going to do the trick.
Hewlett-Packard’s “Picture Book” TV ad sets the bar high in the technology realm. The catchy and cool spot takes in viewers, sending a clear message that makes people want to buy digital imaging printers.
Wireless carrier commercials showing people taking camera-phone pictures of funny-looking dogs or cars they want to buy have failed to do that.
Most folks have digital cameras these days, but the extended mobility benefits of using camera phones have not been sold quite yet.
