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Kodak Modifies Ink Savings Claim; Case Closed?

Ever since Kodak came out with its rather intriguing and risky campaign that basically revolved around the fact that its competitors are milking consumers dry through the high cost of ink, their claims have been questioned by their competitors.

Hewlett-Packard (HP) questioned the advertising claims of Kodak at the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau. Kodak declined to participate in the voluntary self-regulatory process at that time, which prompted the National Advertising Board to refer the complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Kodak ESP 5 At the FTC level, a recommendation has reportedly been made and sent over to Eastman Kodak Company. In response, Eastman Kodak has made an announcement that they will be making modifications to their current advertising claims, based on the recommendations of the FTC.

The notification, said to have come from the Division of Advertising Practices of the FTC, allowed Kodak to continue to use their advertising statement that consumers can “Save on average $110 per year on ink” if they switch to Kodak All-in-One printers. The caveat to the permission was that Kodak should be more specific regarding what will constitute $110 in savings on ink on a yearly basis for the ordinary consumer.

Hence, moving forward, the advertising statement will be revised to say that consumers who switch to Kodak inkjets can “Save on average $110 per year on ink based on just four pages per day”.

This is being made due to the fact that the $110 savings per year is based on the average cost savings that may be enjoyed considering that the user will print four pages per day or 1,500 pages per year.

As for the FTC, the Commission has ruled that “no further action is warranted at this time” regarding the matter, and now considers the investigation regarding Kodak and their advertising claims closed. We now wonder what HP will have to say on that.