Last year, Fujifilm’s Electronic Imaging division identified that six million Australians are content creators, 59 per cent of whom are Millennials and Gen Z. For a challenger brand like Fujifilm this opened up a marketing goldmine.
With almost a quarter of the population creating and sharing content, the opportunity was clear; put a Fujifilm camera in as many hands as possible and become the go-to-tool for Australia’s next generation of storytellers.
But this is easier said then done, so Fujifilm Australia’s head of marketing, electronic imaging and optical devices, Leanne Hughes explained to B&T that they “invested heavily in experiences and community” so that likeminded content creators can come together and learn not only how to create highly engaging content, but also how to connect with their audiences by leveraging Fujifilm’s technology. For Fujifilm it was simple, teach content creators how to better their posts with Fujifilm products, and as a result these people will buy the products they are better versed in.
Building Community
From 22-23 of February last year, Fujifilm presented its first ever Creator Summit. This festival delivered an array of inspiring keynotes and engaging talks in the Big Top and Palais—from monetising content creation to capturing iconic moments, elevating travel photography and more. Attendees also had the opportunity to take part in immersive workshops designed to enhance skills, including making reel-ready content and mastering food photography.
The bid to build this Fujifilm community was seen as a success because the event was a sell-out and everybody was highly engaged, which was exemplified by the 1500 organic pieces of user generated content shared from the Summit.
The Summit then became the blueprint to continue building its community. In July the camera manufacturer ran The Moment Club, which Hughes described as “an immersive day club experience where creators got to come in and have a hands on experience with the camera where they sat through multiple workshops.”
To much of everybody’s surprise, including Hughes’, all the participants were happy to hand over their phones, creating a highly engaged, immersive experience for all involved.
“We did things like how to take that perfect bathroom mirror selfie in order to tap into the culture, and be present in where they are and what they’re doing. So you know where they are and what they’re doing,” added Hughes.
Doubling down on meeting its target audience where they are, Fujifilm created its own hashtag for social media use #greenblooded.
“It’s our social media community, that’s a passionate movement taking creativity to new heights in the space for photographers, videographers and content creators to share their pieces of art with like minded people,” explained Hughes.
The results speak for themselves with 19,000 posts popping up organically on Instagram under the hashtag.
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Pushing Boundaries Beyond Personal Limits
To market to content creators, ironically, Fujifilm tap photographers and videographers. But this can’t be any of the six million, it is looking for somebody “who wants to get the camera and lens in their hand, and they want to push themselves beyond their limit,” said Hughes.
For example, Fujifilm has enlisted the talents of Dr. Michael Coyne, Russel Ord and Matt Krumins.
Coyne is an award-winning documentary photographer, that has been breaking new ground for decades. He immerses himself in some of the world’s most complex political and cultural moments, capturing history as it unfolds.
Similarly, Ord is a renowned ocean photographer, ventures into the planet’s most powerful and turbulent marine environments. Beyond his captivating imagery, Russel is deeply committed to community impact, providing education, mentorship, and training through the Desert Light Foundation—empowering young people facing geographical, financial, social, and health challenges.
Krumins exemplifies versatility and innovation, mastering aerial, land-based, and underwater photography. His breathtaking work reveals the natural world’s beauty in all its dimensions, inspiring audiences to see the environment from extraordinary new perspectives.
Together, these creators embody the spirit of pushing the status quo, using their craft not only to create stunning visuals but to tell stories that resonate, educate, and inspire.
Product
Having a community and relevant creators to speak directly to is all well and good, but this marketing strategy is only as good as the product.
“Our cameras naturally resonated with creators on Tiktok and Instagram and that’s thanks to the combination of the design and as well as the advanced technology. Our products are crafted to deliver superior colour output straight out of camera. That means that these content creators get vibrant imagery that they don’t have to edit, meaning there’s no need to spend a lot of time editing,” said Hughes.
Ultimately, Fujifilm’s community-first strategy only works because of the product it delivers. By combining standout design with advanced colour science that produces vibrant, ready-to-post imagery straight out of camera, Fujifilm ensures creators spend less time editing and more time doing what they do best—creating.
