[advcomputer]

I am so hot under the collar right now..

The US launch has been considered by many to be an epic fail. I walked into 3 AT&T stores in my area, NY, and there were no signs, the phones were off and unless your are a die hard BB fan you would of never know BB had a launch.

The press has been bashing BB today for the "disappointing launch" and the stock drop reflects it.

Given that the US is a fairly important market for BB, I would of hoped that at least the AT&T stores would be showing off this phone, similar to how they are pushing the iCrap. That should of all be coordinated by BB Marketing Master, Frank Bouben.

Where are the kiosks, marketing material, anything to push the product?

I think BB wasted their money on the Super Bowl commercial, Alicia Keys, etc and yet they seem to be putting nothing into one of their most important markets.

I am just really pissed..

PS: I am a shareholder too

[anon(728548)]

The fact that I watched BlackBerry 10 commercials on ABC and NBC during primetime means he shouldn't be fired.

Finally someone at BlackBerry decided to run tons of primetime ads.

[Dapper37]

BlackBerry marketing genius is not for the masses to understand day one. It will evolve alongside BB10, staying just far enough ahead of the product to produce the desired effect! Verizon is the big show! It was clear with the white Z10 exclusive!

[Dapper37]

Watch for the March Madness advertising by BlackBerry!

[advcomputer]

I will admit I am not a big TV person, so the TV marketing I may be wrong..

However.., AT&T in store marketing and the like.. where is it.

Maybe I am just to passionate about this product.

-j

[eephus1]

I agree....I doubt there is anyone who will say that BB/ATT had a successful launch campaign this weekend.

Only the joy of finally owning and having the Z10 in my hands balances the disappointment I had with the US launch.

[Wilsonia Goldens]

The Z10 is only being sold by one carrier and a few stores and is sold out in a lot of stores and has only been on sale for two days one of which was a working day, so how is it a fail. You have been listening to too many attack infomercials(stock manipulators) and believing them.

[advcomputer]

>>and a few stores

I was under the impress all AT&T corporate and reseller store had this item.

Am I wrong with this?

-j

[dbmalloy]

Umm... the US launch actually does not happen the other two carriers come on board...AT&T are doing exactly what they always do... what they want.... as the money is in Apple and Android where is their incentive for BB.... Sure you can provide all the phones and accessories and promo material...if AT&T decides to not use it...what exactly to you expect BB to do..... you can be sure that is Apple launches something you would see a three ring circus in front of every store... time to face facts BB is a fringe player at best a failing company at worst at this point of time.... So why should AT&T bother.. if they see a demand this may change let us hope so....

[njblackberry]

The Z10 is only being sold by one carrier and a few stores and is sold out in a lot of stores

Any sources for this ("sold out in a lot of stores"; every store around me (Best Buy and AT&T) have them in stock and have no advertising and have buried the Z10 with every other phone.

This hasn't been a fail. It never happened. No marketing. There is no buzz outside of this forum.

[Acumenight]

Firing the guy seems a bit extreme; He did well in most areas altough I agree that it seems that the US launch appears to be a mother of a fast up. I would just want to have a clear explanation for what happened!!

Was AT&T not allowed to full on advertise until Verison starts!?

[Snowman888]

These carrier stores are the issue, the sales reps are still uneducated on the product and are incentivized to sell other products. One major reason why Apple is doing well is their stores, you get great CS and sales reps passionate about selling their products. I'm not suggesting BBRY to start opening up retail shops but they need to send their business development guys out to local stores more to make sure they are doing it right.

[Acumenight]

I wouldn't agree it was a fail - especially if it really was selling well.

Regardless how well it sells, every AT&T should have had big banners & display models.

The Z10 is only being sold by one carrier and a few stores and is sold out in a lot of stores and has only been on sale for two days one of which was a working day, so how is it a fail. You have been listening to too many attack infomercials(stock manipulators) and believing them.

[san4berry]

1. the supberbowl commercial, waste of money, and pointless....I would say that's his fault.
2. The fact that ATT downplayed the launch, bbrry doesn't have much leverage to strong arm anyone at this point, so they have to play by their rules for now. Hopefully that will change in the near future.

IMO..if you build it, and build it well, they will come.

[advcomputer]

No matter what most folks think, IMHO, you can forget the technical superiority of BB, its the marketing that matters. The Apple folks can sell sh^t on a stick and the BB folks can't give food to a starving man.

I do a lot of web marketing for many of my clients, and the first thing I tell them is;

You can have the best looking website in the world, with the cheapest prices, but if nobody knows you exist you wont make a dime..

Marketing really matters and I feel that BB really screwed this up, unless they are only really targeting their corporate customers solely. But I would tend to doubt that.

-j

[Weltreisender]

Goldman Sachs rated the stock on hold with a price target of 17$ and Citygroup says sell with a price target of just 6$.

I guess this says everything about the launch in the US.

[wolfstar]

ITs been said many times. AT&T is not pushing BB10. They have very little interest. Apple and Samsung are their bread and butter. Simple. End of story.

[J2d2]

BlackBerry 10 set to invade iPhone and Android screens with full takeover ads | The Verge

[advcomputer]

>>The Apple and Samsung are their bread and butter.

Not sure about that. No company wants all of their egg in 1 or 2 baskets. If that was the case, then soon enough both Apple and Samsung would be able to dictate higher prices for their products and AT&T and the other carriers will have to concede.

Duopoly Time: Apple And Samsung Combine For Almost 90 Percent Of 2012 Global Smartphone Market

All of the carriers know there needs to be a third player and hopefully BB is it.

-j

[bobauckland]

There have been some decent ads but overall the marketing guy has been a massive fail.
The problem is when you mention it you get one of two responses, either 'Oh yeah, if you think you could do better then ask BlackBerry to hire you' or 'It will all get better, this is part of an awesome 10 year plan, with the best stuff coming in year 10!'

Objectively speaking, I don't see the marketing guy as having done a very good job at all.

[acadia1106]

The annoying thing is that the bb10 is head and shoulders above iOS and android as OS right now, it's cool, those who lead don't follow

Posted via CB10

[jafrul]

i couldn't find the article regarding one of frank's plans of bringing BB10 experience to the masses via web and android n iphone apps...
something similar to the one they published before that allow android user to download an app that transformed their phone to become a BB10.
any links guys? if i'm not mistaken it's a Forbes interview that he explained one if his marketing plans.

INSANITY is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting DIFFERENT RESULT

[Charles Martin1]

Buy on the dips. Think of it as a gift from the bad news bears...

[allengeorge]

One poster said this before and I suspect he's right - this launch is probably for the BB faithful, not for converts.

[Gugui1969]

BB CMO Frank Boulben should have been burning the midnight oil working with AT&T brass coordinating the nation-wide launch instead of jerking around with 3rd tier celebrities (BB PR people couldn�t find some real celebrities?). They should can his behind, TODAY!!!!!! Or he should have the balls to fall on his sword and resign!!!! What about sending a Z-10 / Q10�s to Obama, or to the Google CEO, some footballers, etc... GOD!!!!!!!! Are we the Crackberrians the only ones which notice this crap? Is BB corporate so thickheaded or tired that they cannot come with Marketing / PR 101 ideas? Damn!!!!!!!!!!!