• by Robert Passikoff , Op-Ed Contributor, April 30, 2010

That time of year, when memories get captured for posterity, is upon us. Graduations, Mother's and Father's days, weddings, vacations and summer camp. All opportunities to use our various multi-functional devices' photo applications. We used to say "take a photograph," but that language is so very mid-20th century!

It's been said that language shapes the way we think and determines what we can think about. But with changes in consumer expectations and technology happening at the speed of knowledge and consumer endorsement, changes in language also determine what we can say about -- or how we can position -- certain products and services.

And while technology may have exceeded our humanity, it still has not exceeded expectations. Consumer expectations are about the only things that are actually able to keep ahead of technological advances. And language has to keep up as well.

For example, changes in technology, language and expectations have caused consumers to view digital imaging brands differently than they did in earlier times when cameras used film that needed to be developed. What was once a "photograph" became a "digital image" and is now a "jpeg." Or a "file."

And expectations demand that those files be available on demand. Or sooner. Forget Polaroids or actual film. Who among us doesn't have a camera -- or in the current vernacular, a 3- to 5-megapixel autofocus photo or video application -- on their phone? And the results?

As expectations for greater connectivity increase, an image we once expected to see developed in a week turned into a day with 24-hour availabilities. Now, of course the results of your "photo applications" can appear in an email anywhere in the world or on somebody's Facebook page with a mere push of a button or caress of a touchscreen.

So when it comes to digital imaging, we turned to our Customer Loyalty Engagement Index to see which brands lead in the hearts and loyalties of consumers:

1. Kodak/Canon

2. Nikon

3. Fuji

4. Panasonic

5. Casio

6. Sony

7. Olympus

8. Pentax

And whether you call it, a "photograph" or a "file," the reason for stopping time remains unchanged: the capturing of memories, even if the way we share them is drastically different. If properly positioned, the increasing ease and sharing of images can develop a new image for brands -- for those that focus on the right thing, that is.