Rewarding those who have stuck around?

**susu222** · 01-20-2013, 11:32 AM

A suggestion for Rim on launch of BB10
I think you should set up some sort of reward for us long time BlackBerry users who have stuck around and moving onto BB10.
An incentive discount on the new BB10 device would be great or like you had done before , certain amount of free BB10 apps.
What the heck , esp in the US you should offer incentives for other device owners (i.e iOs and/or Android ) if they switch over to BlackBerry to discover the awesomeness of the new BB10 devices.

**amjass12** · 01-20-2013, 11:49 AM

im on contract and due for an upgrade in Feb. As a loyal customer to that company.. and for always having a blackberry, i hope my z10 will be free... regardless of what contract i am on.. that would be a good reward for my loyalty...

**pantlesspenguin** · 01-20-2013, 12:04 PM

I was thinking of incentives a few days ago! My idea was along the lines of getting friends and family to try out BB10, and for every person you get to upgrade to BB10 you'd get a $50 rebate on your own BB10 device. I know this isn't really practical due to carrier restrictions, etc., but it would be an awesome way to spread the word and get devices into the hands of others.

ETA: I also agree with raino that it would be difficult to reward long time users. The reasons people have had BB for a long time are varied. Plus what about users like me who have had daily drivers of another platform but have had a secondary line for a BB?I And how would you go about proving what everyone who wants to claim an incentiv? Honor system? I really dondon't think that would work.

**raino** · 01-20-2013, 12:04 PM

I'll probably get slammed for this, but I don't necessarily think they should do anything for long term users (platform switchers--whole different issue.)

There would be a lot of subjectivity in figuring out what a "long term BlackBerry user" is. I've used BlackBerries from the 9000 days. Should I get the same loyalty privileges as someone who's been using BBs since the 7290 days? What about someone who's first BB was a 9700? And how would RIM evaluate customer loyalty? By having customers turn in their old phones at a physical location? Bringing in old receipts?

**susu222** · 01-20-2013, 12:49 PM

There is the BBID every BB user now have to sign on to. RIM can refer to this to for anyone using the BlackBerry system and their history with them . These incentives eg gift cards, free apps will ultimately come from Rim itself.

**mrskycar** · 01-20-2013, 12:49 PM

If I had to model a reward program, Curve users trading-in for a Curve BB10 should get the same discount value as Bold users trading-in for the Z10, model age notwithstanding. The catch is you had to have said trade-in device activated for the preceding six months.

**kill_9** · 01-20-2013, 01:27 PM

Forget device trade-ins, I need a backup smartphone in case BlackBerry Z10 proves to be another BlackBerry Bold 9900 and dies like a zombie over and over again. I prefer a 50% cash discount off the off-contract price for the BlackBerry Z10 for those with a BlackBerry BIS or BES account for at least 3 years and anyone who bough the BlackBerry PlayBook during April and May 2013 should receive a FREE BlackBerry Z10.

**chrysaurora** · 01-20-2013, 02:42 PM

For existing BB users:
- flat credit (say, $25) for app purchases or accessory purchase
- also credits for apps purchased on BB 5/6/7 devices
- device trade in (say, give us $150 for returning Bold 9900 in exchange for Z10/X10)

For acquring new users:
- flat credit (say $25) for app purchases or accessory purchase

In addition, I think RIM should start a "trial" or "loaner" service. RIM should allocate a few "loaner" BB 10 devices for each store. When somebody comes to purchase a phone, the sales-rep should offer their customer a 2-day trial of BlackBerry 10 device at no charge. After trial period, user can purchase a BlackBerry 10 device (and get same credits as all new users) or purchase another (non BB) device. No obligations. No charge.

I think BlackBerry is kind of a device that you start to "love" only after you've experienced it for a few days. It's very difficult to explain / demo BlackBerry "experience". Just showing features doesn't give user an idea of how nice/productive a BlackBerry experience is. So, if RIM offered 2-day loaners/trials, I think they'd manage to sway a lot of users. Plus, these (new) BlackBerry users will also become your word-of-mouth troops.

**Bold_until_Hybrid_Comes** · 01-20-2013, 02:55 PM

RIM has been giving incentives to developers and everyone else left,right, and centre. At some point they need to get their money from somewhere. As much as I would like free stuff myself I would have to say I don't expect it.

**darkehawke** · 01-20-2013, 03:02 PM

i would like a device trade up offer again, but i dont imagine it would happen at first

**SlcCorrado** · 01-20-2013, 03:06 PM

I'm kinda impressed with the loaner idea... I think a lot of people would have gotten on board with the 9900s if they didn't have the BB curve etched in the back of their minds

**susu222** · 01-20-2013, 05:28 PM

Good points by Bold_Until_Hybrid about Rim giving $$ to developers etc to enable BB10 success but ultimately for Rim , it is how many devices they can ship out/sell in the first few months of launch that the market/analysts care about. Most analysts agree that survival of Rim will depend on this and I think Thors has got it right so far.
These incentives is much the same as that of the telecos who will give you a free/discounted handsets/devices to tie you up for 2/3 years , In Rim case it also involve getting certain amount of revenue stream down the road .

**qbnkelt** · 01-20-2013, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by susu222

There is the BBID every BB user now have to sign on to. RIM can refer to this to for anyone using the BlackBerry system and their history with them . These incentives eg gift cards, free apps will ultimately come from Rim itself.

This would not apply to people who use BB through work. If you go by that, I've used BB since 2004. However, my first personal BB was the 8310 in 2008.

Which would you base the incentive on?

**jimpilot** · 01-20-2013, 05:31 PM

How about a credit for anyone with a Blackberry App Store ID. Credit based on how much spent in say the last year or so..

**qbnkelt** · 01-20-2013, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by kill_9

Forget device trade-ins, I need a backup smartphone in case BlackBerry Z10 proves to be another BlackBerry Bold 9900 and dies like a zombie over and over again. I prefer a 50% cash discount off the off-contract price for the BlackBerry Z10 for those with a BlackBerry BIS or BES account for at least 3 years and anyone who bough the BlackBerry PlayBook during April and May 2013 should receive a FREE BlackBerry Z10.

Exactly.
I don't want to give up my 9900 in case my Z10 nukes itself like three of my 99xx devices did.

**Skeevecr** · 01-20-2013, 06:25 PM

The existence of BlackBerry 10 is the reward for those who have stuck around until now and the warm feeling that your continued support helped Rim live along enough to give you that reward.

**Dapper37** · 01-20-2013, 06:33 PM

Originally Posted by kill_9

Forget device trade-ins, I need a backup smartphone in case BlackBerry Z10 proves to be another BlackBerry Bold 9900 and dies like a zombie over and over again. I prefer a 50% cash discount off the off-contract price for the BlackBerry Z10 for those with a BlackBerry BIS or BES account for at least 3 years and anyone who bough the BlackBerry PlayBook during April and May 2013 should receive a FREE BlackBerry Z10.

Why do I now want to like everything you say?

**Thunderbuck** · 01-20-2013, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by qbnkelt

Exactly.
I don't want to give up my 9900 in case my Z10 nukes itself like three of my 99xx devices did.

I'm kind of lucky, in the sense that I'm happy with my 9900, but my wife is desperate for a Z10, so we'll definitely have one as soon as they're available through our carrier.

And, fingers crossed, I might get the trade-in LE. Still waiting for word on that.

**nquyen** · 01-20-2013, 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by susu222

There is the BBID every BB user now have to sign on to. RIM can refer to this to for anyone using the BlackBerry system and their history with them . These incentives eg gift cards, free apps will ultimately come from Rim itself.

Lol I was using a Pearl up until last year, so technically I've been using BlackBerrys for a while however since I had a Pearl, there would not be a BBID

**sydsam** · 01-20-2013, 07:11 PM

Two words: appworld credit

**SK122387** · 01-20-2013, 07:14 PM

I'd be pleasantly surprised if RIM did anything like this. I've been using a BlackBerry since the first Pearl came out, and have been through the Curve 8320 (two colors), an 8800, an 8820, a 8900, a 9000, a 9700, a 9780 (two colors), a 9900 (two colors), and a 9810. Oh and a PlayBook. It's safe to say that I've been using a BlackBerry ever since they "got popular" and have stuck with them even when they lost their popularity amongst pretty much everyone I know (I remember a time when everyone had a Curve 83xx and sometimes the only way to tell everyone's Curves apart was because everyone had a different color gel skin on them).

I really don't think RIM would offer us any kind of discount or anything, to be honest, especially not off the price of the phone. I could maybe see them emailing us a code for like... 10% off an accessory from their online store or something, but that's really about all I could imagine.

**Alex_Hong** · 01-21-2013, 04:37 AM

I don't think there need to be any rewards for users who have stuck around. We users stuck around because there must be something we like about BBOS or the hardware, if not most would have switched long ago once they can.

The best rewards RIM can give BlackBerry fans, is to make BlackBerry 10 as awesome as they can. That's it.

However in terms of incentives, i think they can do some things to attract people to jump on-board. Like BlackBerry World credits would be good like some has mentioned. When people jump from another OS, be it BBOS, iOS, WP, or Android, the first thing they'll look for are apps, and most of them already have a bunch of apps they have purchased for other platforms. Having credit will make the switch over to BB10 a lot easier.

**tack** · 01-21-2013, 05:12 AM

They need to thrive and make money. Loyal BB users will pay, and what they need is new buyers and users!

**Banco** · 01-21-2013, 05:18 AM

Originally Posted by sydsam

Two words: appworld credit

They've got 80 million subscribers. A $10 credit would expose them to costs of anything up to nearly a billion dollars. A $25 credit as someone mentioned could wipe out most of their cash.

On balance this seems an unlikely route for them to take....

**chrysaurora** · 01-21-2013, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by Banco

They've got 80 million subscribers. A $10 credit would expose them to costs of anything up to nearly a billion dollars. A $25 credit as someone mentioned could wipe out most of their cash.
On balance this seems an unlikely route for them to take....

This is $25 credit with purchase of BB 10. So, the $25 credit is technically going to be built-into the price of the phone. Just like the price of "headset" and "hostler" that they give with phone is built-into the overall price. Sure, an additional $25 would reduce their profit margin a bit, but it will probably generate a lot of good-will and some additional sales.