[Qurve]

So Chen seems to think that manufacturing phones = selling phones?...

Reminds me of another CEO who thought that manufacturing phones + Alicia K.= selling phones...

No business (apart from monopolies) can survive without a properly designed marketing strategy. Even if it's a single gas station along a 1,ooo miles road - it'll put up a freaking sign.

Where's BlackBerry's sign now almost 6 months with Chen at the helm?

Having a great product/idea is nothing. It's all about execution. I hope Chen gets it right! But his lack of marketing BlackBerry phones is more and more in our faces every day.

I think the Crackberry community altogether is doing 10x more to promote BlackBerry these days than whoever gets a paycheck for that in Waterloo. Actually what do these people do when they go in the morning at 9, to their offices, boot up the PC, grab a coffee, then what?

I wonder if the BlackBerry Experience event kicking off in NYC will even mention/feature the BB10 experience?...

It's fine to dump it all to an OEM, cut the fat, dispose of real estate etc but BlackBerry without handsets is another company - they better change the name back to something like RIM, sounds more suited for a software company.

Posted via CB10

[Bla1ze]

BlackBerry has never been great at marketing. They never needed to in the early days. I doubt it's going to change even if they need it now more than ever. Especially not in North America, they've ceded that market as far as I can tell. On top of that, it's becoming increasingly harder to even recommend BlackBerry. Not because the devices are terrible but because the devices just aren't readily accessible in carrier stores, big box shops etc.

Most people don't by their device off contract, suggest one of them to pay $400 for a BB at ShopBlackBerry when they can grab say a Nexus 5 for $50 and watch how they look at you like you got 10 heads. Nevermind the fact that most folks are either aware of issues at BlackBerry or think BlackBerry died a few years ago now.

[LostOnThePianoRoll]

That carrier problem is only present in the US I believe, in the countries where people actually buy BlackBerry phones, we pay the price out right for any phone we want and currently a Z10 is 1/2 the price of an iPhone 5 ( never mind the 5S) or a galaxy S4.. but there's no marketing at all..

Posted via CB10 on my Z10STL100-10.2.1.2102

[Erik_1991]

Well I totally agree with the fact that they should advertise more.. non of my friends knew that blackberry made full touch phones and they still think that they are crappy devices. Until they see me using it and all of its lovely features which there iPhone doesn't have at all.

BlackBerry died a long time ago in the Netherlands due to its failure to keep up. Now that they made devices which are good and even better than current good selling phones, nobody knows they exist. I think I've heard the question "huwh, that's a BlackBerry?? Sinds when are they making full touch devices, didn't they go bankrupt last year??" it's annoying..

Phone stores over here aren't selling any BlackBerry devices, no carrier support nothing. And with all that, no one who doesn't Google 'new BlackBerry device ' doesn't know they exist because they aren't advertised in commercials or newspaper or what so ever.

If you want the BlackBerry10 to sell, promote it!
Just a bunch or BlackBerry lovers know that they exist, the rest of the world doesn't have a clue....

Posted via CB10 for my beloved Z30 running 10.2.1.2141

[Erik_1991]

*edit* it's so true we promote it way more than Waterloo does. My GF and 3 of my friend now choose BlackBerry.. I even ordered a custom T-shirt which says: #ICHOOSEBLACKBERRY10

Posted via CB10 for my beloved Z30 running 10.2.1.2141

[Qurve]

So true about the all touch devices! Even in Europe people think Blackberry = qwerty phone [that's about extinct]...

I think it's forbidden in the EU but I think it's ok in US and Canada - advertising where you directly compare product features with those of a competitor, why don't they do it?...

On the carrier deals where you get a brand new Nexus for 150 but choke at the say 500 to pay outright for a BlackBerry - do people fool themselves to think any carrier/manufacturer is losing money on their 150 'deal'. It's a lease, and it has it's interest.

Posted via CB10

[Erik_1991]

I honestly don't know if such sort of advertising is legal or not over here, but over the last couple of years you see and hear advertisements which compare there own product to those of a different company so I guess it's legal enough.

The really should make such commercials and advertising. I think it will bring a change to BlackBerry selling rates

Posted via CB10 for my beloved Z30 running 10.2.1.2141

[Anadi Athaley]

The real problem right now is that BlackBerry is trying to appease a market which has totally dismissed it! (the US). The Z3 is a great step to take them out of the ditch. Another problem is there is no effort being made to publicize the new OS at all! In India, where Blackberry had a great following, they never marketed any BB10 products! We do no have contracts here and these phones could have been sold very well, only now they have reduced prices, and for whatever reasons they are sending very less stock and it gets out of stock as soon as it arrives. Why isn't BB sending enough stock!

The other problem is they are marketing OS7 devices heavily! I see their newspaper ads promoting Bold and Curves very often but no Z10 or Q10 or a Z30!

One of my friend bought a Z10 recently and he is very happy with it! But a lot of people who want to buy cannot, as it is out of stock and there are long waiting lists to get the device!

[Qurve]

Chen's idea of new Bold production runs is far from bold, it's ****ty? And it'll probably be a first in this industry...a model (good one hands down) already succeeded by 4 newer ones, gets ordered just because users are lazy enough to give a new (much more polished and efficient) OS a try...

Come on BlackBerry crowd, kiss your BBOS7 device good-bye!

Posted via CB10

[afl777]

The real problem right now is that BlackBerry is trying to appease a market which has totally dismissed it! (the US). The Z3 is a great step to take them out of the ditch.

Everyone said the Q10 was the turnaround device. Then the Z30 would be the one that turned it around. Now everyone is relying on the Z3 creating miracles.

And it won't be marketed, just like the others. Blackberry will rely on fanboys and the Elites to push it on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media. Videos will appear on You Tube.

But its the people sitting at home during prime time TV.....eating their dinner, watching TV and seeing iphone, Samsung and HTC ads that see the ad, see the phone, want the phone.

Even a recent news broadcast in the UK saw the presenter talking to someone about Blackberry....and the guy giving his opinion had an old 8520 in his hand.

Unless the Z3 is marketed it won't do any good at all.

[Erik_1991]

+1!

Posted via CB10 for my beloved Z30 running 10.2.1.2141

[ajst222]

OP, it doesn't make sense to market right now. They don't have an amazing product. If you market something that nobody wants because it's nothing special then that's just wasted money.

Photo a Day: C002B5A07, my amateur photography Channel

[Prem WatsApp]

I honestly don't know if such sort of advertising is legal or not over here, but over the last couple of years you see and hear advertisements which compare there own product to those of a different company so I guess it's legal enough.

The really should make such commercials and advertising. I think it will bring a change to BlackBerry selling rates

Posted via CB10 for my beloved Z30 running 10.2.1.2141

Comparative advertising is legal in the EU, if you stick to certain rules. Just bing or google it

"No Q10?" -> "Buy from Chen... "

[Prem WatsApp]

OP, it doesn't make sense to market right now. They don't have an amazing product. If you market something that nobody wants because it's nothing special then that's just wasted money.

Photo a Day: C002B5A07, my amateur photography Channel

Yep, they keep their limited advertising dollar in the pocket and target it when the new devices hit.

Wait for it, there's something in the making for Indonesia...

"No Q10?" -> "Buy from Chen... "

[Prem WatsApp]

Chen's idea of new Bold production runs is far from bold, it's ****ty? And it'll probably be a first in this industry...a model (good one hands down) already succeeded by 4 newer ones, gets ordered just because users are lazy enough to give a new (much more polished and efficient) OS a try...

Come on BlackBerry crowd, kiss your BBOS7 device good-bye!

Posted via CB10

Windows XP effect, cheap, well known, works (kind of). Corporate world still on it.

Difference is, BBOS7 is still supported, even without an expensive extended support contract from Redmond.

"No Q10?" -> "Buy from Chen... "

[Aleij Barb]

Anyone know about the Windows Phone challenge hosted by Microsoft a few years back in order for its Lumia 900 to gain some traction and public knowledge?

The challenge was about doing a simple task on your own device, be it a task of looking up a local 5 star restaurant or a task of taking a photo and posting on Facebook, against their Windows Phone. If you lose,you'd get a new phone from them, and if you win, they'd give you ($1000?) in gift card.

I wish BlackBerry would do something like this. As a Marketing student, I'd love to do something similar for BlackBerry to create some buzz.

Posted via CB10

[potatoguy]

If you ask me, BlackBerry will have to start all over again, just as they did in the beginning.
Show the enterprise market you have a great phone and it will still over into the consumer market just as it did yrs ago. Maybe then they will have the money to market the phone end of the business.

Posted via CB10

[Qurve]

Totally agree that Q5/10/Z10/Z30 are not worth spending advertising money on (already) so very curious to see what the Z3 marketing effort will look like. I hope it's not something like "it's prelodaded with $ 50 worth of stickers!"

Posted via CB10

[ajst222]

Totally agree that Q5/10/Z10/Z30 are not worth spending advertising money on (already) so very curious to see what the Z3 marketing effort will look like. I hope it's not something like "it's prelodaded with $ 50 worth of stickers!"

Posted via CB10

And, also, if the Z3 turns out to be laggy or buggy, then marketing that would be even more of a waste of money. It's tough to market BB10 anyway because of the app situation.

Photo a Day: C002B5A07, my amateur photography Channel

[lnichols]

I don't evangelize for or defend for them anymore. They burnt me with the PlayBook and the BB10 delays. I would tell people that this or that was coming out, yeah PlayBook's are a great deal and getting BB10, and then it just makes you look bad when they don't deliver. They didn't realized that if you treat your loyal customers poorly and can't deliver what you told them many times, then those customers won't keep sticking their necks out and parrot the company line for fear of spreading misinformation.

Posted via CB10

[chickenman18]

Whatever product they roll out, they have little room for error. Should a new product lack any function that a competitor has, or suffer some kind of common malfunction, it doesn't matter how well it's marketed...because the competition has deep pockets. Don't expect them to just roll over and give away marketshare.


Sent from my iPhone using CB Forums mobile app

[Allwyn John]

Totally agree, marketing is everything. Look at where it got Samsung, a company nobody cared about and now at the top of 'em all

Posted via CB10 on my lovely z30 B)

[MobileMadness002]

BlackBerry has never been great at marketing. They never needed to in the early days. I doubt it's going to change even if they need it now more than ever. Especially not in North America, they've ceded that market as far as I can tell. On top of that, it's becoming increasingly harder to even recommend BlackBerry. Not because the devices are terrible but because the devices just aren't readily accessible in carrier stores, big box shops etc.

Most people don't by their device off contract, suggest one of them to pay $400 for a BB at ShopBlackBerry when they can grab say a Nexus 5 for $50 and watch how they look at you like you got 10 heads. Nevermind the fact that most folks are either aware of issues at BlackBerry or think BlackBerry died a few years ago now.

Got my Nexus 5 for $0.00 on 2 year flex tab. Paid the same price for my SG4 too.