[Chaplain_Clancy]

I don't think they were talking about a device. RIM makes lots of devices. It makes no sense to say that only one of them is meaningful for business in Australia. I think they should have said "brand" instead of "device". That's how I heard it.

I take your point, and I'd say you're right about the brand over the device. I will say however that in Australian culture dialog is one of the greatest tools for business. I wouldn't mind getting a new device, but I'm pretty interested in what Thorsten will announce when the 7th hits in the States.

[jafobabe]

The 'WakeUp' campaign will be followed by the 'Have a Cup of Jo' campaign.

[phonejunky]

This is the only part of your post I disagree with. We have no evidence that this action took place in other places because no one recorded it. Therefore, even if it did happen, it didn't happen. RIM made sure they had a plant at the Apple store to make a good video.

Also, one of the lines in their little scree was about doing different, rather than just thinking different. That is a direct shot at Apple; no one else.

Second, I don't think it is smart to use Apple to gain visibility. In doing so, RIM is just validating the notion that the only company that matters is Apple. Heck, for the first few days, Samsung got more coverage for the stunt than RIM. But the real winner is Apple. It was filmed inside and outside of an Apple Store. That was the only brand seen in the original stunt. RIM belatedly admits to being responsible for it, then they put up a countdown to nothing more than a class warfare, discussion board style fanboy scree.

In the meantime, Apple and Samsung say "Thank you" for the free press.

Very well said


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[avt123]

Oh stop with the histrionics; nobody is doing any "bashing." Of course RIM would like to see that cult like devotion for their products, but I find it quite hilarious that when RIM goes BOLD and dares to go where no one else has gone, it appears that some here will go out of their way to bash, yes, BASH RIM; either RIM doesn't do enough marketing, or they take a BOLD "who's your daddy now" approach to get your attention, and they still get bashed.

So who's really doing the bashing?

You just made fun of people for standing on a line for a product. That's not considered bashing?

Yes people are bashing RIM as well, but did I ever say that was ok? It's been old for a few years now...

I personally did not like this approach from RIM, but that's just my opinion. I'm not bashing. I wouldn't like it if any other company did this as well.

I can think of plenty of other ways RIM can start some hype.

[dandbj13]

I wouldn't mind getting a new device, but I'm pretty interested in what Thorsten will announce when the 7th hits in the States.

This is where the campaign falls completely apart. You, and, no doubt, others, are still waiting for the mysterious reveal. There is no reveal. The countdown is over. They said their peace. In their minds, they have started a significant conversation about what it means to be in business in Australia. That is exactly, and only what they said they would do. The let down is enormous once that fact sinks in. There is no other shoe.

[morlock_man]

This is where the campaign falls completely apart. You, and, no doubt, others, are still waiting for the mysterious reveal. There is no reveal. The countdown is over. They said their peace. In their minds, they have started a significant conversation about what it means to be in business in Australia. That is exactly, and only what they said they would do. The let down is enormous once that fact sinks in. There is no other shoe.

Except the flash ad that the countdown redirected to was up for days, it didn't just show up at the end of the countdown. There hasn't been a reveal of anything new at all yet.

I'm still expecting something to come down the pipes.

[avt123]

I think it is needed. Theres been no real difference from i pad 2 or 3, and same for iphone 4 or 4s. People line up to buy the same damn phone.. Lol come on!! Im glad samsung made fun of that in their commercials...

Really? There is no real difference? I can think of plenty of differences between the iPad 2-3 and iPhone 4-4S.

Also, it's not always the same people lining up for the phone. Not everyone goes out and buys every new iPhone. There is a high demand for Apple products. People want them day one. I waited outside of my local AT&T store when the 9000 released (never lined up for an iPhone).

I don't like that comercial either. Bashing the users you are trying to get to buy your device is not smart IMO. Nothing about that commercial made me want to leave my iPhone for a Galaxy S2. If anything, it made me not want it.

[Chaplain_Clancy]

This is where the campaign falls completely apart. You, and, no doubt, others, are still waiting for the mysterious reveal. There is no reveal. The countdown is over. They said their peace. In their minds, they have started a significant conversation about what it means to be in business in Australia. That is exactly, and only what they said they would do. The let down is enormous once that fact sinks in. There is no other shoe.

In that case I'm barking up the wrong tree. Time to leave you crackberrians to your ponderings and see what the target audience is saying. Thanks for your time.

[MartyMcfly]

I think it is needed. Theres been no real difference from i pad 2 or 3, and same for iphone 4 or 4s. People line up to buy the same damn phone.. Lol come on!! Im glad samsung made fun of that in their commercials...

Lets talk about the huge differences between the tour, bold 9650, 9800,9810...Rimm is notorious for incremental upgrades....at least 3GS users can download ios5. Can I upgrade my torch 9800 to os7?


Sent from my IPhone 4s using Tapatalk

[dandbj13]

Except the flash ad that the countdown redirected to was up for days, it didn't just show up at the end of the countdown. There hasn't been a reveal of anything new at all yet.

I'm still expecting something to come down the pipes.

I hope you're right. This is just senseless if I'm right. Thing is, there was a countdown. This was regional to Australia. It is already into the business day of the 7th in Australia. Why would we be waiting for Americans to get up out of bed for an Australian reveal.

If they do have something planned, someone should tell them to time their announcements with the countdown clock they set up. The clock sets an expectation. Letting it run down without comment or reveal, is amateur hour at its finest.

[Economist101]

Oh stop with the histrionics; nobody is doing any "bashing." Of course RIM would like to see that cult like devotion for their products, but I find it quite hilarious that when RIM goes BOLD and dares to go where no one else has gone, it appears that some here will go out of their way to bash, yes, BASH RIM; either RIM doesn't do enough marketing, or they take a BOLD "who's your daddy now" approach to get your attention, and they still get bashed.

So who's really doing the bashing?

Does it matter? I mean, let's assume everything you've written here is true, and that there is rampant RIM "bashing" going around. Let's also assume that RIM's own decisions/results have nothing to do with this, but rather people/media companies are bashing RIM just because they enjoy it. So who cares? You're not going to stop media bashing with posts on CrackBerry, nor will you effect any real change. So even if you have just given us all a perfect description of the problem, you have neither a solution nor an expectation that anything will be any different going forward.

Additionally, in terms of RIM going "where no one has gone before," I don't see how signs in front of an Apple Store get you there: Greenpeace beat RIM to that punch a while back.

Apple stores targeted by Greenpeace activists - San Jose Mercury News

[Tank1978]

Well, i did not line up to get my 9780, after my 9000.....

[alnamvet68]

Does it matter? I mean, let's assume everything you've written here is true, and that there is rampant RIM "bashing" going around. Let's also assume that RIM's own decisions/results have nothing to do with this, but rather people/media companies are bashing RIM just because they enjoy it. So who cares? You're not going to stop media bashing with posts on CrackBerry, nor will you effect any real change. So even if you have just given us all a perfect description of the problem, you have neither a solution nor an expectation that anything will be any different going forward.

Additionally, in terms of RIM going "where no one has gone before," I don't see how signs in front of an Apple Store get you there: Greenpeace beat RIM to that punch a while back.

Apple stores targeted by Greenpeace activists - San Jose Mercury News

I certainly don't care, and it's not my place to offer a solution or effect change at RIM. I am simply responding to the overly dramatic exaggeration of another poster.

In other news, Apple Mac sales down 16% and falling, Microsoft sales up 22% and climbing, and RIM sales to the feds are up, with 40+% of RIM customers upgrading to a newer RIM device. That said, I applaud RIM for daring to go where others have not.

I am more then sure if Apple had staged this marketing ploy at a retailer who sells RIM, that there would be nothing less then gushing admiration and spiking of the proverbial footbal for weeks to come by Apple devotees.

[xandermac]

I certainly don't care, and it's not my place to offer a solution or effect change at RIM. I am simply responding to the overly dramatic exaggeration of another poster.

In other news, Apple Mac sales down 16% and falling, Microsoft sales up 22% and climbing, and RIM sales to the feds are up, with 40+% of RIM customers upgrading to a newer RIM device. That said, I applaud RIM for daring to go where others have not.

I am more then sure if Apple had staged this marketing ploy at a retailer who sells RIM, that there would be nothing less then gushing admiration and spiking of the proverbial footbal for weeks to come by Apple devotees.

I personally said that I thought was a good move, however they should've had something to back it up.

[dandbj13]

It is almost noon in Australia. By the time it is 7 a.m. on the West Coast, it will be midnight, or Tuesday morning in Australia. I think we can put to bed any notion of a big reveal.

[morlock_man]

Lame.

Looks like RIM decided to float along like a cork instead of taking action and actually doing something.

[tjseaman]

Exactly. It's different, it's harmless, and it already appears to have generated more chatter than even the best-crafted conventional ads could. This is not desperation -- it's thinking outside the box. While I can see how Apple fans might take exception, I love it.

I'm not a huge fan of this so far but from some of the articles, blogs etc I've read they are calling this a fail and it's not....people are talking about it. We don't know what else if anything will follow so this could be something good or not. I must say though it was very out of the box for RIM!

[reeneebob]

What a great marketing ploy. Heins should be flush with pride for his Boldness. RIM, as they concentrate on delivering the world's next evo-revolutionary OS10, as well as almost daily delivery of productive apps, they have shown themselves quite capable of multi-tasking by going after the "market leader", which highlights their rugged, Rock of Gibraltar like strength.

Unafraid, unabashed, fair, and balanced....RIM, going Bold where no one else dares.

I would think the last thing RIM would want to be compared to is Rupert Murdoch and Faux News, just saying.

Sent from my BlackBerry Bold 9900 using Tapatalk

[Toodeurep]

Deleted post...

[dandbj13]

The backlash begins.

RIM culminates 'Wake Up' anti-Apple campaign with a business pitch | The Verge

The more RIM changes, the more RIM stays the same. In an uncharacteristic move for the usually conservative Waterloo company, RIM's Australian arm recently sent off a group of hirelings to "protest" outside Sydney's Apple Store with placards reading "Wake Up." That has been accompanied by newspaper advertising and now a dedicated website with the strapline "Wake Up, Be Bold," though if you were hoping all of the activity was building up to something good, you might be disappointed.

"You're either here to leave your mark and eat opportunity for breakfast, or you're satisfied to just float through life like a cork in the stream."
A blusterous Antipodean voice starts explaining to us how business has changed, how it's "no longer just a suit-wearing, cubicle-sitting, card-carrying kind of pursuit," but nobody bothers to clarify how RIM has changed along with that. The obligatory shot is taken at Apple with the words "you don't just think different, you do different," though again without making a connection to any of the products RIM is selling. So, in short, RIM challenges us all to become business men and women, urges us to "make things happen," and gives us absolutely no reason to choose its smartphones over any others. Guess you really do have to be bold to buy a BlackBerry.

The post is skating, but the comments are just brutal. What did RIM think they were going to get out of this?

[cgk]

Cnet was the same:

After all the hype, RIM's 'Wake Up' campaign fizzles out

The Wake Up Web site has been updated with a speech that aims at getting enterprise customers to use the same old BlackBerry they've been using for years

After all the hype, RIM's 'Wake Up' campaign fizzles out | Mobile - CNET News

[xandermac]

It's uncomfortable to watch this unfold. If only they'd had something to back this up it might have actually gone somewhere.

[cgk]

The shame is that it would have been a nice campaign if tied to the launch of BB10 devices later in the year, you start a conversation, you get people to watch the countdown and then.. blam.. BB10 devices.. a countdown to nothing is always going to be a disappointment.

[berklon]

This company is beyond idiotic.

Every thing they do makes them look more amateur.

If you have a quality product that competes with the competition - by all means, yell it from the rooftops. If you have nothing, then STFU.

I hope all the news sites picks up on this stupidity. RIM really deserves to be trashed for this. One of these days... maybe, just maybe - they'll learn from this. But I'm pretty sure it's much too late already.

[HeezyBear]

Maybe they should have waited a few months to do this when BB10 would be ready for prime time.