Canon’s IXUS and PowerShot compact and EOS DSLR camera brands continue to outsell competitors to cement their position as Australia’s No.1 choice

Canon has again confirmed its dominance of the Australian digital camera industry, achieving No. 1 category spot with its IXUS and PowerShot compact camera and EOS digital SLR (DSLR) camera brands. The award is based on unit sales from January to December 2009 according to GfK retail audit data. Canon’s combined digital camera range has achieved this position for three years running.

“Canon’s retention of overwhelming No.1 share across the board for digital cameras is a gratifying achievement given the fierce competition in the category,” said Darren Ryan, General Manager – Consumer Product Marketing, Canon Australia. “In addition to volume share, we’re particularly pleased to note that in value terms our 30 per cent share*1 means that one in every three dollars spent on cameras in Australia is spent on a Canon.”

2009 was a watershed year for Canon, which saw the company also achieve the long-held goal of inkjet printer market leadership with its PIXMA brand claiming No.1 volume and value share of 33.9 per cent and 33.5 per cent, respectively*2.

“We’re always fortunate to have great product to offer the market thanks to our heavy global investment in R&D, which has seen us rank in the top four patent-registering organisations worldwide for more than 15 years,” says Ryan. “Locally though, we’ve invested heavily in needs-based marketing to gain a sophisticated understanding of the consumer and then work with resellers to offer value-added programs. While the industry is going down the discounting path, we’ve been focussing on adding value to build long-term sustainability in the category and our strong value growth indicates we’ve been successful.”

In 2009, Canon’s year-on-year value growth for the total camera category was +6 per cent versus a decline of -1 per cent for the market*3. Key to Canon’s success has been heavy investment in the company’s range of brand campaigns to engage and inspire consumers around creative expression using digital imaging, such as the World of EOS online portal and IXUS True Stories integrated campaign. Retail partnerships are also critical to this success, and Canon uses key category management principles to partner effectively with the trade.

“We’re bullish in our outlook for 2010 given that digital imaging is now a centrepiece in the Australian lifestyle and our research is showing that we enjoy increasingly strong brand preference in the camera and printer categories,” said Ryan. “We’ll continue to be led by consumer needs and work with the trade to offer added value and help consumers achieve their creative outcomes using our best-ever product range.”

Adding to its already popular range, Canon recently announced an impressive new line-up of digital compact and digital SLR cameras. In Canon’s high-growth “Super Zoom” range, the PowerShot SX210 IS is the perfect all-rounder, packing a 14 times optical zoom and HD video all in a pocket-fitting, compact body. Maintaining the IXUS style heritage, the ultra-slim IXUS 130 IS – measuring just 17.8mm wide – is the slimmest IXUS to house a 28 mm wide angle lens to capture group shots. The flagship-model IXUS 210 IS features a 3.5-inch LCD “touch screen” and functions to make operation even simpler, such as Touch Auto Focus.

For those wanting to take their photography to the next level, the new EOS 550D makes the step into the world of creative DSLR photography exceptionally easy. The model is the most advanced entry-level EOS yet – featuring FULL HD movie recording and high ISO performance for low-light shooting – but makes shooting professional-looking photos effortless with full-auto capabilities and intuitive image-correction tools.

Related Links

· Learn more about Canon’s IXUS range

· Learn more about Canon’s PowerShot range

· Learn more about Canon’s World of EOS

· Learn more about Canon’s PIXMA printer range

*1 Source: GfK Retail and Technology Australia, Digital Still Cameras, Retail Sales Value, Jan to Dec 2009 (excludes Internet)

*2 Source: GfK Retail and Technology Australia, Total Inkjet Printing Devices (Multi Function and Single Function excl Sheet Feed, excl Compact Photo Printer), Retail Sales Value & Volume, Jan to Dec 09 vs Jan to Dec 08

*3 Source: GfK Retail and Technology Australia, Digital Still Cameras, Retail Sales Value, Jan to Dec 2009 vs Jan to Dec 2008