1. bambinoitaliano's Avatar
    Just walked out from two walmart shop, and noticed :

    1-. The iPad is presented in a standalone rack , like those you find in jewels shops. So your first thought is:. IPad must be precious enough to put it out of reach under a glass shield.

    2-. The playbook is thrown among hipstreet and other sh**tty tablets, when you come close to it, all you can see is this displayed windows asking you to create your id. So you will never be able to get through it to reach the main window to see what's in its guts.

    So thank you Rim for your horrible marketing. You are doing a great job.
    You have a point if both Playbook and Ipad were launch at the same time. As it is, Playbook is not consider current tablet. It's already written off by RIM. Walmart is a discount retailer. They are not specialist on electronics. It's always base on price point. Hence the way items were display. As how RIM screw up with Playbook in terms of marketing and getting the device fully ready like their OS and the native email, it's been discussed to death. Chances are the people that were responsible for Playbook no longer work for RIM.
    11-05-12 07:25 AM
  2. Dunt Dunt Dunt's Avatar
    Price, Marketing nor Display cases were the cause of the PlayBook not selling well...

    The Playbook got bad reviews because it didn't do the things people expect a tablet to do - thus it is a failure as a consumer tablet. If it had been release with OS2 it MIGHT have done a little better, but ultimately it still fails in providing the experience that most tablet users expect. RIM's ECOSYSTEM - the main two tablets that are a success have ecosystems that allow consumers EASY assess to content.

    For business it still was a failure because of the still very limited support from the development community - and the limitations of the software that was provided. The Adobe Reader and Doc to Go that are provided with the Playbook are both BAD software - their are now much better replacements that can be downloaded.

    It is completely possible that BB10 will overnight change all the limitations of the PlayBook software, and that RIM has a PLAN to provide a complete and competitive Ecosystem...
    11-05-12 08:55 AM
  3. joshua_sx1's Avatar
    As what other had said, from the very beginning, PlayBook does not given proper marketing strategy... what will be the purpose after more than a year?... I hope, if ever new PlayBook will be released, RIM learned from their previous weaknesses...
    11-05-12 09:16 AM
  4. middbrew's Avatar
    Just walked out from two walmart shop, and noticed :

    1-. The iPad is presented in a standalone rack , like those you find in jewels shops. So your first thought is:. IPad must be precious enough to put it out of reach under a glass shield.

    2-. The playbook is thrown among hipstreet and other sh**tty tablets, when you come close to it, all you can see is this displayed windows asking you to create your id. So you will never be able to get through it to reach the main window to see what's in its guts.

    So thank you Rim for your horrible marketing. You are doing a great job.
    You do realize that it was Walmart, not RIM, that make decisions on store item placement don't you.
    11-05-12 09:30 AM
  5. Anna Key's Avatar
    Just walked out from two walmart shop, and noticed :

    1-. So your first thought is:. IPad must be precious enough to put it out of reach under a glass shield.
    It is under a glass shield because they want:

    A. To stop Android, Windows and Playbook owners from spitting on it.

    B. To stop Apple Fanbois and Girls dribbling all over the dated tablet - like they do.

    11-05-12 09:46 AM
  6. bp3dots's Avatar
    You do realize that it was Walmart, not RIM, that make decisions on store item placement don't you.
    Manufacturers pay for top spots like that. Generally the more visible, the more expensive. It is contracted with the retailer on where those displays will go.
    Stewartj1 and middbrew like this.
    11-05-12 10:48 AM
  7. middbrew's Avatar
    Manufacturers pay for top spots like that. Generally the more visible, the more expensive. It is contracted with the retailer on where those displays will go.
    Learned something new. Thanks.
    11-05-12 11:19 AM
  8. 2c's Avatar
    no sherlock
    11-05-12 11:27 AM
  9. tarektoverso's Avatar
    no sherlock
    No Holmes on Homes either.
    11-05-12 12:26 PM
  10. bdegrande's Avatar
    The initial problem wasn't marketing, it was a bad decision on when and how to bring it to market. They priced a 7" tablet that couldn't even do email without a BlackBerry phone at the same price as the iPad. If it had been released later, when OS 2.0 came out, at a more realistic price point, it could have sold well enough that there would have been more apps, which is now the main problem. We will see whether this improves with BB10, but by then the PlayBook's hardware will be on its last legs and may not be competitive with newer tablets (that it competes pretty well even now is a tribute to how good the hardware was initially).
    11-05-12 02:03 PM
  11. RubberChicken76's Avatar
    The problem is marketing from the standpoint that it has Blackberry on the front of it. Most people in the market equate blackberry with old/outdated/business only technology. I know that sounds like a simple answer, but it is what it is.
    Umm - it's kind of "marketing's job" to show that this isn't the case.

    For all the things that aren't right with PlayBook, there are a lot of things it fixes that were wrong on the old BlackBerry OS. And there's a reason why BlackBerry 10 is based upon the PlayBook's OS and not - say - the Bold's.
    11-05-12 03:18 PM
  12. RubberChicken76's Avatar
    The initial problem wasn't marketing, it was a bad decision on when and how to bring it to market. They priced a 7" tablet that couldn't even do email without a BlackBerry phone at the same price as the iPad. If it had been released later, when OS 2.0 came out, at a more realistic price point, it could have sold well enough that there would have been more apps, which is now the main problem.
    I agree with your points, but marketing was part of it too. Look at all those "put the engineer in charge of marketing" commercials at the beginning, spouting about Flash and Multitasking and not why PlayBook was beneficial to customers. Look at how they stuffed the channel without a good retail strategy.

    The reason why the iPad is in its own rack like a 'standalone jewel' is because Apple pays for that. They pay for the floor space, the merchandising, the POP materiuals and even have their ownstaff on hand to answer questions. It costs money to sell at retail.

    RIM shoved it in there, hoping it would sell, without much retail marketing experience.

    I'm with you: Maybe if they waited six months, shipped with 2.0 (Android player, email, contacts, calendar), sold it for $349 (less than the leader), had commercials that made sense to non-techies and sold through a more familiar channel (or had the carriers market for them), maybe the story would be different.
    11-05-12 03:22 PM
  13. StampyBeaverbrook's Avatar
    It's easy to see why they don't do well in Australia BlackBerry PlayBook - RIM AU
    11-05-12 06:08 PM
  14. tarektoverso's Avatar
    It's easy to see why they don't do well in Australia BlackBerry PlayBook - RIM AU
    Wow! Thanks for the heads up. I think that it will be sold out before the end of the night...
    11-05-12 07:52 PM
  15. Sriman's Avatar
    It's easy to see why they don't do well in Australia BlackBerry PlayBook - RIM AU
    that is truly insane....
    11-05-12 08:01 PM
  16. sam81's Avatar
    It is completely possible that BB10 will overnight change all the limitations of the PlayBook software, and that RIM has a PLAN to provide a complete and competitive Ecosystem...
    Let's hope so. I think we all bought our PB's with this understanding. We just didn't expect it to take this long
    BlackStormRising likes this.
    11-05-12 08:45 PM
  17. steven4u2nv's Avatar
    There is also the problem of media. I can't remember the last time Engadget, CNet, or Gizmodo compared the Playbook to anything or the Playbook was included in comparisons. In this world the top competitors are the Ipad, Nexus, Kindel Fire and such. Playbook has to get its name in the game for the sales to increase. At this moment you can't by a Playbook in Best Buy. The sales associates don't know how to use or even sell a Playbook.
    11-05-12 10:55 PM
  18. Tha.Housewife's Avatar
    Just walked out from two walmart shop, and noticed :

    1-. The iPad is presented in a standalone rack , like those you find in jewels shops. So your first thought is:. IPad must be precious enough to put it out of reach under a glass shield.

    2-. The playbook is thrown among hipstreet and other sh**tty tablets, when you come close to it, all you can see is this displayed windows asking you to create your id. So you will never be able to get through it to reach the main window to see what's in its guts.

    So thank you Rim for your horrible marketing. You are doing a great job.
    my walmart didn't have for blackberry....they didn't even have anything for bluetooth, I was pissed
    11-05-12 11:35 PM
  19. Anjohl's Avatar
    I think it has more to do with apples branding. Apple creates desire in people. People don't go to the store to buy a tablet, they don't know what they are. They want an ipad. Because the tv told them they do.
    11-06-12 01:09 AM
  20. joshua_sx1's Avatar
    It is probably Wallmart or other stores marketing strategy decision specifically those who do not have exclusive contract with one particular brand... afterall, they are all business oriented institutions i.e. whoever sell better, it will be given priority and placed where customers can see it very well... if we are on the same business, we will be doing the same thing - it doesn't matter our preference but what will give profit to us so we can give salary to our staff... unless, "others" will give us a better offer to prioritize and give importance to their products... which obviously not done by RIM...

    And again, there is no logical reason for RIM to do that after more than a year they released the PlayBook...
    11-06-12 03:19 AM
  21. belfastdispatcher's Avatar
    Let's not forget Rim's "failure" resulted in us getting a bargain on a pretty powerful tablet that gets better and better with time.
    RubberChicken76 likes this.
    11-06-12 04:23 AM
  22. revtech's Avatar
    So let me get this straight . . OP complained that he couldn't get beyond the lockscreen on the playbook, but then extols the ipad for being behind glass locked up in a case? So, how far did you get playing with that ipad?
    11-06-12 07:08 AM
  23. christenmartin's Avatar
    I agree that when the PB came out its software was Half baked, but that is about every tablet. Go hit other forums they're complaints are the same. And when I hear that the PB is inferior, that is ridiculous. After using the playbook other tablets seem redundant and a bit clunky. There maybe some things that one does better than the other but the PB is right there. The OPs original point is totally correct. No marketing gets you no business, that is it. 80% of people follow the leader, so if you market enough or you just say something enough (playbook sucks blah blah blah) people that have never used any of it will form an opinion and voice that opinion with out any experience. My wife does it all the time. ;-)
    11-06-12 08:18 AM
  24. RubberChicken76's Avatar
    You do realize that it was Walmart, not RIM, that make decisions on store item placement don't you.
    Not exactly.

    Retailers aren't 'nice'. They almost do nothing for free. They know that for every single product they have on their shelves, there are 50 waiting to take that spot. As such, they milk those vendors for all they can.

    Want a premium shelf spot? Pay us. Want a placement on the end? Pay us. Want a nice display like the iPad? Pay us ... and you do the work. Want our guys to push your product over the thousands of others that are on shelves? Provide them an incentive and you train them, not us. Want big signs? Pay us, put them up and take it down. Want to run a promotion on price? Great ... you pay for it ... and the ads in our flyers that promote the sale. Want to lower the price? Great ... pay us the difference.

    Oh by the way ... if your provide doesn't sell within ____ amount of time, it's coming back to you. We want all our money back, even if the product is damaged. Don't agree? We won't sell anymore product.
    11-06-12 08:20 AM
  25. tarektoverso's Avatar
    So let me get this straight . . OP complained that he couldn't get beyond the lockscreen on the playbook, but then extols the ipad for being behind glass locked up in a case? So, how far did you get playing with that ipad?
    You can watch the looped demo. Plus everyone of us have had in his hands, at least one time, an iPad. So you know how it works.
    The playbook ? Many people don't even know about its existence. Let alone knowing how it works or about its specs.

    I've watched a 8 years old kid pushing like a mad on every part of the playbook to make it work. His interest didn't last long...
    11-06-12 08:37 AM
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