A survey by J.D. Power and Associates has found that Canon ranks highest among photo printer brands in providing its customers with a satisfying experience. The survey of 814 customers ranked Canon highest with a score of 728 on a 1,000-point scale. Hewlett-Packard followed Canon in the rankings with a score of 707. “While price continues to be the most important factor to customers in shopping for a photo printer, because of fundamental price parity, other aspects of the product, like quality, ease of use and portability are largely defining brands, and are becoming the critical points of product differentiation between them.” said Steve Kirkeby, executive director of telecommunications and technology at J.D. Power and Associates.

J.D. Power and Associates Press Release

Canon Ranks Highest in Photo Printer Customer Satisfaction

Functions and Capabilities That Make the Photo Printing Experience More Convenient Have a Considerable Impact on Owner Satisfaction

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 20 September 2007 — Canon ranks highest among photo printer brands in providing its customers with a satisfying experience, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Photo Printer Usage and Satisfaction StudySM released today.

The study measures customer satisfaction with single-function photo printer machines by examining four key factors that drive overall satisfaction. In order of importance, they are: performance (37%), connectivity (28%), ease of operation (23%), and styling and appearance (12%).

Canon ranks highest with a score of 728 on a 1,000-point scale and performs particularly well in all four drivers of overall satisfaction. Hewlett-Packard follows Canon in the rankings with a score of 707.

The study finds that photo printer features that make the experience more convenient for customers—such as portability, the ability to print photos directly from a digital camera or a memory card and wireless connectivity—have a positive impact on overall satisfaction. In particular, more than 40 percent of customers who purchased a portable printer did so because of its portability, and satisfaction scores among these owners (729) is much higher than that of printer owners without portability (692). 

“Single-function photo printers are a growing niche market, particularly among customers who value convenience in efficiently producing photo prints,” said Steve Kirkeby, executive director of telecommunications and technology at J.D. Power and Associates. “While price continues to be the most important factor to customers in shopping for a photo printer, because of fundamental price parity, other aspects of the product, like quality, ease of use and portability are largely defining brands, and are becoming the critical points of product differentiation between them.”

The average price for a photo printer in 2007 is $175, and 19 percent of customers cite price as the most influential reason for purchasing a photo printer. Print quality (17%) and brand reputation (14%) follow price as key purchase influencers among customers.

“Bundling photo printers with other products—such as digital cameras or personal computers—is another effective way for brands to differentiate themselves in a market where products are competitively priced,” said Kirkeby. “Customers who receive bundled packages tend to have somewhat higher satisfaction levels than those who do not. While only 20 percent currently receive photo printer/digital camera bundles, purchasers appear to have a bias towards same brand ownership, where the printer and camera brand are the same. Manufacturers can definitely use this preference to their advantage.”

The study also reveals the following:
While 80 percent of customers purchase their photo printers in stores as opposed to purchasing through an online source, customers who purchase online are more satisfied with the overall availability of products and accessories.
Nearly 90 percent of customers report that they would repurchase from the same printer manufacturer. Additionally, 90 percent of customers would give a positive recommendation to a friend. The average number of customer-reported recommendations is 4.1.
Twenty percent of photo printer owners sometimes order their prints online to receive via mail as opposed to utilizing their single-function printer. Kodakgallery.com, Shutterfly.com, Snapfish.com and Walmart.com are among the most frequently used Web sites for photo printer owners.

The 2007 Photo Printer Usage and Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 814 customers who purchased or received a photo printer between June 2006 and May 2007. The study was fielded in July 2007. To view ratings on photo printer brands, visit JDPower.com.

About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction.  The firm’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually.  For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor’s, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2006 were $6.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.

Your Comments