How Is Fujifilm Dealing With COVID-19?

While COVID-19 has certainly had an impact on manufacturing, how is it affecting camera companies when it comes to relationships with their consumers? In this interview, one of Fujifilm’s managers discusses how the manufacturer is responding to a unique set of challenges.

This interview by Camera Jabber with Theo Georghiades, Fujifilm UK Imaging Division General Manager, is broad-ranging and examines how the company is having to adapt to the confinement currently in place in the U.K. It’s interesting to note that Fujifilm is effectively several smaller companies, one of which is Fujifilm Medical Systems, which, as you can imagine, is incredibly busy supporting the UK’s national health services.

For such a large company, Fujifilm evidently prides itself on the personal touch that it’s able to give to its customers, something that led to its decision to close its stores earlier than the advice from the British government. The tactility of Fujifilm’s cameras is core to its brand, and it had to take steps to protect both staff and customers. Evidently, customer financial strains aside, not being able to pick up and handle a camera before you try it will have implications for Fujifilm’s sales.

It's worth emphasizing something mentioned by Georghiades: viruses can live on cardboard for up to 24 hours, so it's worth either cleaning parcels that arrive at your house, or unpacking and immediately disposing of the packaging before washing your hands.

It’s not often that we get to see senior figures from camera manufacturers speaking so candidly, and praise should be given to Fujifilm for being open and transparent with how it is handling the ongoing crisis.