Mar 3, 2008
HVTO Q&A:
Kevin Joyce
Chief Marketing Officer, Kodak’s Graphic Communication Group
Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company
In January 2008, Kodak named Kevin M. Joyce chief marketing officer (CMO) of the company’s growing Graphic Communications Group (GCG). Formerly managing director, United States and Canada Region (US&C), GCG, Joyce has more than 18 years’ experience in executive sales, marketing and operations leadership. He joined the GCG in 2005 following Kodak’s acquisition of Kodak Polychrome Graphics, where he was Vice President of Sales, US&C. Joyce succeeds Jeff Hayzlett, who was named chief business development officer and vice president, Eastman Kodak Company, in the fall of 2007.
Joyce talks with OutputLinks about his new role.
Question:
Kevin, congratulations on your new position. Share a bit of your history in the output industry with us.
Answer:
I’ve spent most of my career in the graphic communications and electronic imaging business, working in sales, marketing and executive positions for the leading technology suppliers in our industry. I joined the Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group (GCG) in 2005 and have been the Managing Director of the United States and Canada (US&C), responsible for all GCG solutions. Prior to Kodak, I was Vice President of Sales, US&C, at Kodak Polychrome Graphics (KPG). Before that, I spent eight years with Creo Products, where I was President of Creo Americas.
Question:
You joined Kodak’s Graphic Communications group in 2005 and less than 3 years later you are named GCG’s Chief Marketing Officer. How does that feel?
Answer:
Of course, it is an honor to take on the role of GCG’s Chief Marketing Officer. Not so much because of the length of time I’ve been with GCG, but because it is such an exciting time for Kodak, the industry and our customers. Graphic communications is changing like never before, driven mostly by the power of mass customization enabled by digital technology. That creates incredible opportunities for our customers, and we’re working very hard to help them.
Question:
What are the first actions you took to enhance GCG’s marketing after your promotion?
Answer:
Jeff Hayzlett has built an outstanding marketing team in the GCG. With the integration of the leading companies that form the GCG nearing completion, my focus will be on the business of marketing. The role of the marketing inside organizations is fundamentally changing. The pressures to maximize returns have never been greater. It is my plan to utilize Kodak solutions and expertise to not only maximize our own marketing investments, but to assure that the solutions the GCG provides will do the same for our customers and their clients.
Question:
As CMO you are in charge of all marketing activities for GCG, including product positioning, segment marketing, branding, marketing communications and customer development, business research, marketing strategy and business development activity. That’s a big job. How do you tackle such a wide range of responsibilities?
Answer:
As Managing Director of GCG for the US&C and President of Creo, marketing has always been a critical area of focus within the organizations I have led. As CMO, how we direct our marketing disciplines to best drive our business and industry becomes my exclusive focus. Having operated one of the largest businesses within Kodak for past three years, I believe I bring a very different perspective to this role and my first task is to share my vision for the role of marketing inside Kodak and the four main objectives we have defined to execute on this vision. At the end of the day it all comes down to the same things: Ensure that your organization understands where it is going, provide the tools and support people need to get there, and get on with it. I have a great team, and we have already made great progress on this plan.
Question:
How will your previous experiences contribute to your success in this new position?
Answer:
In my roles operating the business from a regional leadership perspective, I spent 100% of my time on supporting customers and driving our organization to provide better support for their business problems. This customer centric focus is part of my DNA and whatever we do must always have this perspective at the forefront. As I work closely with the product groups and regional leadership within GCG, this experience gives me a high level of credibility on what the market is looking for, which I believe will be the key asset I bring to this new position.
Question:
What do you think will be most rewarding and satisfying about your new position?
Answer:
To see the efforts Kodak is making on delivering business solutions for our customers increase their value and, in turn, increase Kodak’s value.
Question:
From your viewpoint what is the most important task for a CMO?
Answer:
To provide our customers and Kodak the innovation necessary to grow our businesses.
Question:
How will your past experiences as an entrepreneur and business owner contribute to your success in this new position?
Answer:
Running your own business is incredibly hard work, and you need good business partners to make it happen. I counted on advisors who helped me see around the corner to what was coming next, when I needed to be focused on the immediate challenges we faced. That experience really influences my view about how important it is for GCG’s marketing group to be that link between what our customers are doing today and what they have to be getting ready for tomorrow.
Question:
What challenges and opportunities do you see coming up for Kodak?
Answer:
I think the biggest opportunity for Kodak and our customers is the ability to drive revenue growth through the power of the individual. We’re entering a new era of what I call “mass customization,” a time where people have the ability to personalize the media they consume in all kinds of new ways. But not all media have the same power of personalization, and that is one of the great strengths of print.
Targeted print communications give marketers a powerful vehicle for building a 1:1 relationship with prospects and customers. Color driven, short run digital print applications will expand in the next few years include personalized direct mail, books, catalogs, and brochure, as well as specialized products such as cards and calendars.
Offering these materials via web-based templates that customers can customize and order online via a print providers electronic storefront further enhances the “mass customization” experience for users. And the opportunities for print extend to electronic media as well. Marketers are embracing multimedia campaigns, such as linking PURLs with direct mail.
For our customers, by expanding their core business of producing mass communications materials to include providing mass customization services, they can grow their revenue.
Question:
What book have you read or listened to lately that you would like to share with our readers?
Answer:
I just finished reading the latest book by Seth Godin called “Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing Out of Sync?” Godin, who wrote the very popular book, “Purple Cow,” now writes about the Internet and “New Marketing.” He shares 14 key trends in the book, and as I read it, I couldn’t help but see tremendous opportunities for output providers.
Question:
Please share a few final comments, wisdom or observations.
Answer:
Mass Customization – the incredible power of the individual due to technology – is the new frontier, and I really believe Kodak is unique in providing the products and solutions that will help our customers capitalize on the new revenue opportunities it presents.
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