[pantlesspenguin]

Actually, if BB is looking to target professionals, then print with a heavy demographic of professionals is a good place to start. The Davos Summit attracts some of the biggest names in business, banking, and politics every year, along with support teams and journalists. Blackberry's presence there did not go unnoticed.

They've also done some innovative Web advertising. They took over the New York Times' DealBook section a few months ago and completely remade it with "Hub-like" navigation. Very clever, if you ask me.

TV ads--at least on major networks--don't make sense for BB10 right now (they do ads on business outlets like CNBC and Bloomberg TV). If they attract a bunch of new, uninformed users who are accustomed to Android and iOS, they run the risk of disappointing a LOT of those customers and running what little brand equity they have now into the ground.

They're selling phones now, largely, to users who know they want them. They don't want to peel a lot of customers away from the other platforms because they don't want endless support calls asking "why can't my Z10 do <insert random feature here> the way my iPhone could?"

Once more phones are out there, more app developers will want to compete for that audience. It will also give BB time to build out the OS properly. THEN it will be time to go head-to-head.

I'm watching NBC right now and it seems like they're playing Z10 commercials at every break. The commercials are short and sweet, though, demonstrating one feature that differentiates it from the competition. One showed the hub, the other showed flick typing. Then it invited the watcher to check it out at the Z10 website. I liked those a lot. They don't make false claims about the device or build it up only for the watcher to be disappointed. It was just a gentle invitation to check it out online.

[dierre]

why can't rappers have endorsement deals

Lil E though I'm not eure that was a good idea that song is not catchy at all

Posted via CB10

[crackcookie]

The OP was just but hurt that a rapper was out there....I don't even know who he is, and I am sure he sucks, but I bet a lot of kids care what he is about. I don't care for Bieber, but I'm sure he would be a boom for sales, I saw he made this video where he 'records it' himself, imagine if that video was all shot on a Z10......



You don't have to like him to realize that would have been amazing in terms of getting new BB fans for life.

[lorax1284]

There's near enough zero marketing out there right now. I don't even see any business ads trying to draw professionals into the Q10. There's nothing.

What a pointless topic this is.

Posted via CB10

[tinker2000]

Sooo what do you listen to if rap is "utter ****"?

A wide variety of anything else but rap of jazz.

Posted via CB10

[acadia1106]

A wide variety of anything else but rap of jazz.

Posted via CB10

How can categorize an entire class of music as isht. I don't care for country as a genre but there are zone pretty awesome country songs,
More over there are probably 50 sub genres of country. Same thing with rap.



Posted via CB10

[BBVegasGirl80]

I have slowly started to see more BB ads. Yesterday at the Galleria Mall I saw at the T-Mobile store the Z10 had a proper display in the middle of the store - I had never seen that before. Also at the Verizon kiosk the Z10 poster was prominently displayed where everyone could see it. There are also those Keep Moving Tour vans all over the place too. The marketing has been coming gradually. Plus we CB addicts have been using word of mouth to promote it like crazy. I think BB knows what they're doing, it's just going to take some time. Once Q10 comes out there will be even more brand awareness.

[BoldBigWorm]

Yeah stick to 2 paying millions to 2nd rate R&B singers. Don't just give them money make them creative directors and keep them on the payroll so they can be the "new face" of blackberry so they can advertise iOS on twitter and other social media outlets.

When it comes to marketing blackberrys worse than taking a shower with no water!!!

Posted via CB10

[FoxxBerry]

I am revisiting the thought, BlackBerry should team up with Kanye is a genius marketing rapper along with p.diddy...

Posted via CB10

[2 Phonez]

This is an official video from BlackBerry Live. I really hope they put this one on TV:

[mscooley]

Wow. Can't believe this discussion is still going. Unless I overlooked in the midst of some serious entertainment, no one mentioned the fact that Lil E is a part of the BlackBerry Elite Program like myself. He was invited to be a part of this program prior to writing any song about BlackBerry. Before that he was (and still is) a big advocate and fan of the BlackBerry brand. Call him a respected artist or a cheese ball, that's your opinion. Just be sure to also to refer to him as one of BlackBerry's biggest advocates, fans, and obviously influencers. E (as well as other Elites) were featured in official BlackBerry videos, videos that either promoted the Elite Program itself or simply a fan feedback video. Lil E, individually, is not a part of any marketing initiative of BlackBerry's and he nor I or any other Elite receive "compensation." There are very respectable perks of being an Elite, but when put into perspective, those perks are simply BlackBerry's way of saying thanks you. So to recap, no Lil E is not paid nor endorsed by BlackBerry. He is simply an advocate of the BlackBerry brand who happens to be an artist who happened to be inspired one night to write a song that happened to be embraced by BlackBerry fans and employees alike.

Posted via CB10

[mscooley]

One last thing - On Alicia Keys, having her on board is so much greater than a pretty face with a big voice. There's a character standard at play here. There's a forward thinking mind at play here. There's a passion for innovative creativity at play here. There's also the standard of mentorship and paying it forward. The new scholars program lead by Keys, her very creatively designed mobile app that inspires kids to be creative and provides the tools to do so within the app. Yes. It's available on other platforms and has been for years and is currently being built on the BlackBerry 10 platform. Producing concerts and events that allow artists who would probably never play on the same stage to play on the same stage. Oh and the general promotion of the BlackBerry brand itself. These are the things that matter. The things that last. Just like the aforementioned fan video. No one will remember an artist being paid millions to wave a device around one time while walking in the mall. They will however remember the artist who made an impact in their lives. They will remember the tools he/she used to make something happen because they hope to do the same one day. There are other artists involved in the Keep Moving Campaign, yet Alicia Keys is the one who's always called out. Why is this? See past tradition. A great sense of tradition and in box thinking is what got BlackBerry where it is now. I personally admire Frank Boulben's strategic brain. It's far greater than endorsement deals with fly by night celebrities with no real purpose past what you see on TV. Only to be dropped by the brand for some embarrassing stunt or behavior. Ain't nobody got time for that.

Posted via CB10

[2 Phonez]

Wow. Can't believe this discussion is still going. Unless I overlooked in the midst of some serious entertainment, no one mentioned the fact that Lil E is a part of the BlackBerry Elite Program like myself. He was invited to be a part of this program prior to writing any song about BlackBerry. Before that he was (and still is) a big advocate and fan of the BlackBerry brand. Call him a respected artist or a cheese ball, that's your opinion. Just be sure to also to refer to him as one of BlackBerry's biggest advocates, fans, and obviously influencers. E (as well as other Elites) were featured in official BlackBerry videos, videos that either promoted the Elite Program itself or simply a fan feedback video. Lil E, individually, is not a part of any marketing initiative of BlackBerry's and he nor I or any other Elite receive "compensation." There are very respectable perks of being an Elite, but when put into perspective, those perks are simply BlackBerry's way of saying thanks you. So to recap, no Lil E is not paid nor endorsed by BlackBerry. He is simply an advocate of the BlackBerry brand who happens to be an artist who happened to be inspired one night to write a song that happened to be embraced by BlackBerry fans and employees alike.

Posted via CB10

That all certainly sounds like endorsement to me. Paid marketing, no, but certainly endorsement.