The evolution of the camera industry goes beyond just the hardware — it takes the customers’ creative expression to keep the business going. Andrew Koh, President and CEO of Canon Marketing Malaysia explains.
In an industry as ever-changing as the world of tech, it can be challenging to stay relevant, but Canon Marketing Malaysia has plans for the future. Since its inception, Canon has always been committed to expanding the possibilities of imaging and delivering unrivalled experiences to users through its range of cameras.
Shutterbugs — professionals or amateurs — are always on a constant lookout for novel solutions that would help them experience the cameras at the fullest potential — resulting in amazing quality of photos. Besides ardent loyalists of the brand, there is also a wave of content creators and photography enthusiasts who are crucial chess pieces in Canon’s master plan to pioneer innovation and technology. The need to be creative is even more important now than ever.
We speak to the President and CEO of Canon Marketing Malaysia, Andrew Koh about how Canon has been adapting to the evolving needs of customers, and the company’s plans to expand as the industry grows in new perspectives.
I first started with Canon Singapore in 1997 as a Marketing Manager, where I was managing microfilm machines—devices used in projecting and magnifying images back then. Then, in 2006, I led the Consumer Imaging & Information Division in Singapore. Between 2013 to 2016, I was in Canon India. Since then, I took on my current role as President and CEO of Canon Marketing Malaysia, where I oversee the operations of the company in Malaysia as a whole.
Canon is committed not only to providing exceptional hardware and solutions for photographers, but also as a brand that celebrates its customers’ creative expression. We have diversified ourselves to venture into many other businesses apart from cameras, which is still the core of our business.
We offer inkjet and laser printers, scanners, camcorders, projectors, calculators and many more. Even when we talk about printers, Canon makes everything from compact mobile printers right up to large format versions used for mass printing. We offer the complete range, allowing customers from all walks of life to benefit from our solutions in the long run.
Besides the conventional cameras, Canon has also introduced new concept cameras like the Canon PowerShot ZOOM in the past year.
Our range of cameras also includes Interchangeable Lens Cameras such as Canon EOS M50 Mark II, Canon EOS 850D and Canon EOS M200; Full-Frame Mirrorless such as Canon EOS R, Canon EOS RP, Canon EOS R5 and Canon EOS R6; and Digital Compact Cameras such as Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III and Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II.
It all starts from research and development. Canon was ranked third for the number of U.S. patents awarded in 2020, becoming the only company in the world to have ranked in the top five for 35 years running. Our team of professionals in R&D are constantly exploring new ways to deliver unparalleled experiences to our customers. Our newly launched model, the Canon EOS R3 full-frame mirrorless camera is able to deliver high speed, high sensitivity and high reliability to expand users’ range of photographic possibilities. The EOS R system will continue to expand its lineup of impressive cameras and RF lenses.
Our full-frame R series allows photographers — both amateurs and professionals — the space to improve their photography skills, while catering to their needs. When the Canon EOS R5 and Canon EOS R6 were launched last year, our aim was to redefine photography for our customers. The new DIGIC X image processor and Dual Pixel AF II provide major improvements in auto-focusing capability and guarantee the best possible quality when it comes to capturing moments. While we continue to develop the full-frame R series, we are always listening to our customers’ feedback, committed to delivering new possibilities.
An initiative that we have introduced to remain engaged with our customers is #CanonSays, which helps educate customers on photography. It is conducted monthly via Instagram stories on @canonmalaysia, where our followers can ask burning questions to our EOS Ambassadors (EA) and EOS Youth Ambassadors (EYA) on any topic, which will be answered by these professionals themselves.
We also conduct online workshops via Zoom where participants learn directly from professional photographers. It is open to all via registration, and topics include Basic Photography, Videography, Street Photography, Travel Photography, Basic Editing and more. While travelling is restricted, we believe that capturing precious moments can take place anywhere, even at home.
A very good example of the ever-evolving needs of our customers would be the need for connectivity and efficiency in photography. We launched the EOS Webcam Utility Software in November 2020, helping people stay connected with high image quality video communication. It works with video conferencing applications as well as streaming applications including Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and more.
Our users can also store their photos and videos on our cloud service, image.canon. Users can seamlessly upload all images and movies in their original format and quality just by connecting a Wi-Fi compatible Canon camera to the image.canon service, and easily access them from the dedicated app, Canon Camera Connect, or a web browser.
With the need for constant connectivity and different forms of photography, cameras will continue to evolve into extraordinary devices that will help photographers do just that, and we at Canon will strive to deliver these unique and unrivalled experiences to our users, as we have been doing for the past 84 years.
Puteri Yasmin Suraya
Writer
Hailing from an English Literature & Creative Writing background, Yasmin has a deep love for fiction and poetry. When she’s not writing or café-hopping, she spends most of her time in the comfort of her own room binge-watching period romances, (badly) belting out show tunes, and curating Spotify playlists to match her mood for the week.
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