[PLTM]

Instead of RIM relying on the media for their uneducated and bias reports, RIM need to take a serious look at how they market their products. Here is a few FREE suggestions:

1.) Question: How many people watch TV and what percentage will actually see your ad you spent millions on? Remember, people watch TV for the shows, not the ads. I personally use my DVR alot and skip through the ads. When I dont use the DVR, I use commercial breaks to get something from the kitchen or bathroom break. During this time, your ad is shown and I dont see it.

Solution: Take your promotions directly to the consumers.

2.) Question: How can you take the promotion to the consumer? Where can you get the most attention this holiday season to the Playbook?

Solution: The malls. Millions of people will be trafficing through the malls this holiday season. Rent a kiosk space in the mall hallway and give people who are passing by the opportunity to see the real product. A real demo. You can even show off the fact that if you already have a blackberry phone on any carrier except AT&T in the US, you can browse the web without wifi being available using bridge and your existing data plan. Inform the consumers that this cannot be done with any of the competitiors.

Education is key. Your kiosk would also be a sales point for the device. No channel interventions or carriers bias to a specific device.

My brother in law went into verizon and they told him the Playbook is 3G and their android device is 4G/LTE. That shows me how the carriers are selling the products and causing false impressions to consumers.

Firstly, Verizon dont sell the playbook so they are not qualify to speak on it and secondly the playbook does not come in 3G.

These are the reasons the Playbook are not selling off the shelves.
1.) Priced out of reach for some consumers.
2.) People are being turned away by bias information from the media and some carriers and sales channels.
3.) People not getting the real information about the playbook.

Setup shop in the mall hallways, and i guarentee you access to millions of people who will be better informed and you will see Playbooks selling the way they should.

[Spinal]

they're selling fine now lol.

[glassofpinot]

Does RIM need better marketing - yes !

Some of your ideas are good - but it takes more than good ideas to market. And someone has to look at the cost-benefits of the different ideaas, + how much time-money it takes to set it all up and time it with everything else. (e.g. are your mall hires going to be temporary pr permanent? How will you train them?)

Keep giving ideas. That's great. But it's like telling a restaurant that they would be more successful if they just used your Mac & Cheese recipe. Maybe they should use your recipe - but realize that someone(s) has to put it all together, with all the people & departments, and make sure that the money works both ways - going out and coming in.

[blackjack93117]

If only they had as much common sense as a sewer rat...it is obvious to ANYONE how they have messed this up. How do the marketing guys get away with being "professionals" and get paid for it when even the layman has more marketing sense?? I'd love to see the credentials of these guys.

they're selling fine now lol.

selling fine at a loss...

[aaast36]

Two comments:

First, the top mall developers in the US are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Commercial leasing is at an all time low. Yoyou'd have an easier time trying to sell the forum on the idea you have a marketing degree over gaining attention in a mall.

Second,

I run a top national restaurant, and statistically, restaurants increase sales by at least 20% during tv ad runs. I'd lose my job if I didn't factor TV in as a major advertising outlet. I will add, the adverts are typically bland, and lack any sort of memorable draws. Apple had catchy songs for IPods, the screaming furniture salesman has a goofy slogan, and some of the most goofy commercials are all part of great marketing. Like the Geico lizard. Something catchy.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[PLTM]

I was not saying to do away with TV ads, im more implying not to rely solely on it. The restaurant statistic you used only give a 20% increase in sales, how do you make up the other 80%, radio, newspaper? Taking the product to the consumer is what sells products.

One of the main reason Apple is also doing so well is because they have a store in the malls where consumers can come in, see the product, be educated and ask questions about the product. RIM is soley relying on the channels and carriers in the US to sell their products and the channels and carriers will not dedicate their time on RIM products alone. They have other product to push also. RIM will only get 5% of their attention. When you go into Apple stores, you only seeing apple products, so the staff in there will only know apple product and will only be selling you apple product. A person would more likely buy a apple product from Apple Store and be more educated about the product over RIM product from Best Buy.

RIM starting with small Kiosk in the malls will be their start to turning their product sales around in a huge way. Mean time they are getting real-time statistics in opening full featured stores in the malls with good numbers. They have to make a start. They may not be able to make it for this shopping season, but this is the direction they need to be going.