Qouted from an EOS list post by Henry Posner of B&H:
>"Last, Kodak is renaming their amateur line. This is from Herbert Keppler's
>article in the trade paper, Photo Industry Reporter, and refers to the
>annual PopPhoto film roundup.
>(Thanks, Burt, for letting me paste it here).
>
>We (PopPhoto) couldn�t understand just why Kodak�s consumer division seemed
>to be dragging its feet in assembling the Gold and Royal Gold listings for
>us. But a startling announcement made just at our copy deadline cleared up
>the foot-dragging. While specialty stores� Royal Gold would continue in
>200, 400 and 1000 speeds, all mass consumer Gold films will be renamed to
>simplify choice for the snapshooter. Film speed and technology will be
>played down and film use played up. Gold 100, 200 Max 400 and Max zoom 800
>will henceforth be named Kodak 100, Kodak 200, Max Versatility 400 and Max
>Versatility Plus 800.
>
>Each box will have a picture of a typical subject suitable for the film
>use�for instance a flower on the 100 and a flash photo of two young women
>on the 200 film. Film packages will have icons indicating their possible
>use. The 100 film will have one icon indicating bright sun, 200 two icons,
>bright sun and flash, while Max 800 Versatility Plus will have six icons�
>for bright sun, flash, action, still low light and less blur. The present
>graphic cross-indexed chart showing which films can be used for what
>subjects is being replaced. Since research has indicated that blur is a
>most common snapshooter picture complaint, Kodak is concentrating on a
>single line, four-picture chart illustrating blur. The 100 film picture of
>an athlete in action much blur, 200 slightly less blur with the same
>subject, 400 a small amount of blur and 800 a sharp picture.
>
>Results from focus groups have apparently indicated that Kodak�s on the
>right tracks with even the two most controversial aspects of the new
>marketing strategy�the use of the words "versatility" and "versatility
>plus" in the film names and the multiple pictures of blurred action
>subjects on each 100, 200 and 400 and 800 film package. Presumably would-be
>film purchasers will be spurred on to buy the more expensive
>top-of-the-line Max 800 Versatility Plus.
>
>Sales will tell. However, as a result of the ditching of the Gold name for
>the snapshooter market, the Royal Gold specialty dealer films will no
>longer face the confusion between Gold and Royal Gold. Royal Gold will
>continue to stand for less gaudy, more accurate color and finer grain than
>its mass-market counterparts. Evidently, Royal Gold 100 has gotten the boot
>because knowledgeable specialty dealer customers realize they are better
>off with the faster films."
>--
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