The biggest problem Canon has as a brand is making cameras stay relevant while consumers have other options such as the iPhone. Global camera sales have dropped 79% in the last decade as people move to less expensive mobile photography and Canon Australia has seen similar drops in camera sales over the past 5 years. Canon knew they had to disrupt themselves before they were disrupted further. We discovered that while photography enthusiasts really want to take photos, they don’t always have the financial means to invest in new camera gear, especially when they aren’t convinced they will actually use it and already have a portable camera in their pocket.

The key Human Problem we needed to solve was ‘How might we create a feeling of excitement and ease around camera gear to increase trial and purchase for non-professional photographers?

Canon Kyoyu is Australia’s first peer to peer camera sharing community. A market place to connect Canon camera owners who want to list their idle gear with renters who need to access camera gear; all underwritten by Canon Australia.

Kyoyu transforms the way that people can access camera gear, opening up new opportunities for novice photographers to create, experiment, learn and ‘try before they buy’. It also gives current Canon camera owners new revenue streams and the ability to share their passion with others in the camera community.

Kyoyu launched in May 2019 and already has over 2,000 active users who regularly share equipment on the platform. We've also seen through users' account data that many renters of the platform have gone on to buy new Canon cameras, indicating that the platform doubles as a pressure-free 'try before you buy' mechanic. Kyoyu has been recognised within Canon globally as a pioneering approach to building new relationships with customers, and other markets are now looking to replicate.

We developed Australia’s first peer to peer camera sharing community. Kyoyu is Japanese for “share”, and as a brand, brings to life the idea of peer-to-peer sharing. Kyoyu democratizes access to premium camera gear like never before by creating an intuitive and inspiring interface for owners and renters to connect and transact.

In May 2019, we launched the digital service platform through Canon’s owned channels and existing community of photographers, amplified with a series of online videos that explained the service for renters and the benefits to owners.