[yzf.shaun]

Earlier today I went out to get a few network bits that I needed so went to an out of town Retail Park.

Here they have Best Buy, PC World and Comet. Best Buy and PC World are both suppliers of the PlayBook.

On looking around in both PC World and Best Buy there was not even so much as a poster to suggest that the PlayBook was on it's way. I couldn't even see anything relating to the PlayBook on the BlackBerry section they had in Best Buy. Nothing around the tablet displaystand either, and I can't believe just how sautrated the market is getting with tablets. Having played with a few I really do not like the feel of Android but that's another subject.

Anyway I dare say pre orders wont be doing very well if they don't have any information in stores.

[ericlc2]

From they way you described it, sounds a lot like pre release in the states, if you search this section of the forum for 'bestbuy' or 'staples' you will read a lot of the same (prior to 4/19).

Personally i remember staples at least having a display sign up a few days prior to release, but employees still had no idea what a playbook was. On the plus side at least you will have an easy time picking one up on release day if you decide to get one lol

[shootsscores]

Didn't guy in charge of marketing resign recently?

That said, RIM is spending a boatlaod of money on TV ads at least in the US. However, except for one chick at a Best Buy I shopped at who had the bridge email, etc. down pat, most of the sales staff are totally clueless about the PB which is displayed by the cell phones despite the fact it is wifi only.

[otacon#AC]

Here in the states I didn't see a PB commercial until almost 2 weeks after it had been released. No teaser "coming soon" commercials at all. Motorola is running Droid commericals weeks before they are released. RIM should've done a 15 second Super Bowl teaser commercial. That would've been perfect.

I just went to BestBuy today and they have an iPad2 display out in the open that you can demo....they haven't had iPad2's in stock for weeks. The PlayBook was mounted in a cabinet with the another tablet and they were both off. You couldn't even play with it if it was even on. No posters, no information even next to the PB giving it's specs and features.

RIM needs to sh*t can it's entire marketing department and start over.

[sportline]

Thats the benefit of apple store. Full control of promotion etc.
Try and hope for your product to sell in department store shelf? Must be hard for $700 tablet. I doubt that apple product marketing and sales will be so successful without apple store.
Nokia is also consistent with nokia stores and dedicated distributor/reseller.

[iN8ter]

Didn't guy in charge of marketing resign recently?

That said, RIM is spending a boatlaod of money on TV ads at least in the US. However, except for one chick at a Best Buy I shopped at who had the bridge email, etc. down pat, most of the sales staff are totally clueless about the PB which is displayed by the cell phones despite the fact it is wifi only.

I don't see how they're spending so much. The quality of their advertising is significantly below that of Apple, the 4 Major Carriers here, and even Microsoft (which Mocks Blackberry openly in all of their commercials, FTR). The only thing they say is that their tablet has Flash. That's it.

In addition to that, they have the worst time slots. No major mobile commercials are playing around the times I see the Playbook commercials. Rarely I see one during the day but 90% of them are in the middle of the night (1am to 4am).

So not only are their commercials boring as ****, and say nothing of worth about the product other than it has Flash (which isn't an exclusive feature), but in order to catch them most times I have to pull an all-nighter...

And people wonder why most consumers walk into Best Buy and don't even know the thing exists.

If they are paying tons for this type of advertising, they should inquire about a refund. It's simply not going to work when Carriers, Apple, and Even Microsoft are putting out advertising that actually makes you watch it and is in some cases (the new Samsung Infuse 4G commercial) so downright hillarious that if you're weak of mind they make you want to get online and order the phone...

[sportline]

Palm was having same problem, going thru retailers and carriers...no training, people dont know what to show to customers, lack of ads etc. Grest product but no visibility.
Havent seen pb tv ads, is it any good? Amateur no more?

[lotuslanderz]

Palm was having same problem, going thru retailers and carriers...no training, people dont know what to show to customers, lack of ads etc. Grest product but no visibility.
Havent seen pb tv ads, is it any good? Amateur no more?

PlayBook TV ads:

[sportline]

PlayBook TV ads:

thank you very much, appreciate it.