[2 Phonez]

The first thing I want to say here is I want BlackBerry to succeed. I've had BlackBerries ever since the 7100 and since then I've had numerous Pearls, Curves, and Bolds. I moved to iPhones and Android phones but in just a matter of months I will be getting a phone with BlackBerry 10 because I'm very happy with the new OS.

I'm also writing this as more of a vent than anything else, but I also know BlackBerry employees check these forums so I hope they see this, not as an attack but as a polite suggestion from a soon to be returning loyal customer.

Please, please stop doing crap like this.

I know that BlackBerries are popular among the teenage crowd and you're trying to appeal to them, but that isn't the way to do it. It's lame and that audience sees right through it. You aren't helping your brand image in the slightest. The same goes for the song BBM by Sean Kingston. No. No one will listen to this stuff and think "yes, I want a BlackBerry now." Nor will it make them think the BlackBerry is cool. It just makes you look like you have to try too hard and it loses you respect.

You also need to double down on TV advertising. Both Apple and Samsung - your two main competitors - have been leading a marketing frenzy to great success. The few ads from BlackBerry, on the other hand, have been forgettable and boring. The Superbowl one, I mean what was that? Terrible. No one was talking about that, everyone was talking about Samsung because they made an effort.

So what do I suggest instead? Find the guy who made this:



...and offer him money to help produce a professional version to air on TV in Canada, the US, and the UK, where you guys still have massive legions of fans (of all demographics!) who will connect with that campaign. You don't make your brand appealing by paying "Lil E" to make a song called "Reppin' BlackBerry 10", you do it by reminding people why they fell in love with your phones in the first place and showing them how awesome your new ones are. There's a reason that fan commercial has more views than any of "Mr. BlackBerry 10"'s videos. That should tell you something.

Again, I write this not to hate, but because I want to see you succeed. You have some awesome phones out now and I'm sure there's a lot more to come. I watch with excitement and I can't wait to get my hands on a BB10 phone myself. But none of that will mean much if you don't have good marketing to back it. Don't become the next Palm.

Yours sincerely,
2 Phonez.

[independentvolume]

The first thing I want to say here is I want BlackBerry to succeed. I've had BlackBerries ever since the 7100 and since then I've had numerous Pearls, Curves, and Bolds. I moved to iPhones and Android phones but in just a matter of months I will be getting a phone with BlackBerry 10 because I'm very happy with the new OS.

I'm also writing this as more of a vent than anything else, but I also know BlackBerry employees check these forums so I hope they see this, not as an attack but as a polite suggestion from a soon to be returning loyal customer.

Please, please stop doing crap like this.

I know that BlackBerries are popular among the teenage crowd and you're trying to appeal to them, but that isn't the way to do it. It's lame and that audience sees right through it. You aren't helping your brand image in the slightest. The same goes for the song BBM by Sean Kingston. No. No one will listen to this stuff and think "yes, I want a BlackBerry now." Nor will it make them think the BlackBerry is cool. It just makes you look like you have to try too hard and it loses you respect.

You also need to double down on TV advertising. Both Apple and Samsung - your two main competitors - have been leading a marketing frenzy to great success. The few ads from BlackBerry, on the other hand, have been forgettable and boring. The Superbowl one, I mean what was that? Terrible. No one was talking about that, everyone was talking about Samsung because they made an effort.

So what do I suggest instead? Find the guy who and offer him money to help produce a professional version to air on TV in Canada, the US, and the UK, where you guys still have massive legions of fans (of all demographics!) who will connect with that campaign. You don't make your brand appealing by paying "Lil E" to make a song called "Reppin' BlackBerry 10", you do it by reminding people why they fell in love with your phones in the first place and showing them how awesome your new ones are. There's a reason that fan commercial has more views than any of "Mr. BlackBerry 10"'s videos. That should tell you something.

Again, I write this not to hate, but because I want to see you succeed. You have some awesome phones out now and I'm sure there's a lot more to come. I watch with excitement and I can't wait to get my hands on a BB10 phone myself. But none of that will mean much if you don't have good marketing to back it. Don't become the next Palm.

Yours sincerely,
2 Phonez.

Lol. 2 Phonez hating on a hip hop Blackberry song. Gotta love it.

[anon(3896606)]

I REALLY DOUBT that BlackBerry is paying Lil E.
It would be a really stupid thing to be doing, especially when they could pay a rapper that is well known and have more of an audience...

[2 Phonez]

Lol. 2 Phonez hating on a hip hop Blackberry song. Gotta love it.

Yeah I do see the irony

The difference is I'm a forum poster with an ironic username, not a marketing guy for an international smartphone company popular with large corporations

[2 Phonez]

I REALLY DOUBT that BlackBerry is paying Lil E.
It would be a really stupid thing to be doing, especially when they could pay a rapper that is well known and have more of an audience...

BlackBerry sent him a special edition Z10 and I don't see why he'd be making so many songs about BlackBerry 10 unless it was an agreed marketing stunt.

[snihed]

I agree to an extent just because I haven't seen any other relevant commercials for BB10 featured in this site (except for the SuperBowl ad) or in my country for that matter (Philippines) except for OS7 (9900 and curve). I am not entirely against getting rappers to market the Z10 and Q10 since that is the sweet spot BB is trying penetrate in the market now, the 12-20 age bracket who sports iPhones and Android devices. Here in the PH, it is the big telcos who advertise the iPhone and Android on TV (including primetime), MSFT handle their own TV commercials for WP, while we get most of BlackBerry's marketing in billboards!

[crackcookie]

why can't rappers have endorsement deals

[a1s2d3f4g5]

I agree. We need more tv ads! Here in the U.S. BlackBerry is getting killed by Samsung and Apple in advertising. Put that cash to good use! I know it is expensive but it's worth it in the long run.

Posted via CB10

[2 Phonez]

why can't rappers have endorsement deals

There's nothing wrong with the odd name drop by rappers but paying a rapper to make five songs about your phones and call himself "Mr. BlackBerry 10" just looks pathetic and it won't do anything to convince potential customers to move to the platform.

[pythons]

I concur with the O.P. that Blackberry's advertising is terrible and not only that it's embarassing...
...For them to hype tools not toys when IOS and Droid had more tools.
...Was frankly stupid.

I also thought the Big Game add was alien to selling anything....
...It was just odd.

[2 Phonez]

I concur with the O.P. that Blackberry's advertising is terrible and not only that it's embarassing...
...For them to hype tools not toys when IOS and Droid had more tools.
...Was frankly stupid.

I also thought the Big Game add was alien to selling anything....
...It was just odd.

Yeah I really do cringe whenever a new BlackBerry rap song comes out. It's seriously embarrassing.

[donmateo]

2 Phonez bashing rappers on 2Chainz Tuesday?

[avatsaev]

I don't think that BlackBerry is paying anything to Lil E, because well, like others said this would be a real stupid think to do. BlackBerry has an image to maintain, and this rap thingy (not to be rude or anything) is pretty pathetic.

[2 Phonez]

2 Phonez bashing rappers on 2Chainz Tuesday?

To be clear, I'm not bashing rap, nor am I even bashing BlackBerry getting a name drop in rap songs, I just think Lil E is cringeworthy and the way BlackBerry is trying to market itself through music right now is not helping their brand image. That is all.

[2 Phonez]

I don't think that BlackBerry is paying anything to Lil E, because well, like others said this would be a real stupid think to do.

Posted via CB10

At the very least they've associated themselves as a brand with Lil E, the end effect is still the same whether or not any actual money changed hands.

[rshore]

Now THAT'S a commercial to be proud of!

[2 Phonez]

Now THAT'S a commercial to be proud of!

Yeah the fan commercial is excellent.

[donmateo]

To be clear, I'm not bashing rap, nor am I even bashing BlackBerry getting a name drop in rap songs, I just think Lil E is cringeworthy and the way BlackBerry is trying to market itself through music right now is not helping their brand image. That is all.

I know, just teasing. I don't consider Lil E to be rap anyhow. But, FWIW, that fan commercial is really moving. Especially as a college student who actually has been through that commercial WITH my BBs, it's really touching. Great ad! Should be on the CB homepage for BB reps to see.

[2 Phonez]

I know, just teasing. I don't consider Lil E to be rap anyhow. But, FWIW, that fan commercial is really moving. Especially as a college student who actually has been through that commercial WITH my BBs, it's really touching. Great ad! Should be on the CB homepage for BB reps to see.

Thought so, just wanted to make sure

Agreed, I loved that commercial, I grew up much the same with BlackBerries everywhere and I genuinely found it touching, it's not often I get that from an advert at all.

[Thunderbuck]

BlackBerry's own blog has promoted him and his music and I don't see why he'd be making so many songs about BlackBerry 10 unless it was an agreed marketing stunt.

If BB had any kind of promotional relationship with Lil E they'd be bringing him to events and such. As it is, I think he's a fan who likes the brand and realizes that he gets some exposure from doing these videos.

[Thunderbuck]

I concur with the O.P. that Blackberry's advertising is terrible and not only that it's embarassing...
...For them to hype tools not toys when IOS and Droid had more tools.
...Was frankly stupid.

I also thought the Big Game add was alien to selling anything....
...It was just odd.

So, let me get this straight... "Tools not toys" was a bad idea, but we're gushing all kinds of love all over a fan ad concept that hammers home how important BB is as a communications device rather than for playing games. Same message, isn't it?

As for the Super Bowl ad, people need to understand that many of those ads are made specifically for that day, and aren't shown again anywhere other than YouTube and the Clio Awards. They tend to be high concept (tell me what the Budwiser ad had to to with beer... or what the Lincoln ad had to do with cars), and tend to be aimed more at industry types rather than consumers as a whole. As far as that goes, I think the BB ad was better and probably cost less than Samsung's. If you ask me, the Sammy ad had even LESS to do with phones...

[2 Phonez]

If BB had any kind of promotional relationship with Lil E they'd be bringing him to events and such. As it is, I think he's a fan who likes the brand and realizes that he gets some exposure from doing these videos.

I'd be interested to see if this is the case, but since BlackBerry apparently sent a special edition Z10 to him, I thought there is some sort of relationship there. If someone can confirm I'm wrong please do.

And I only used Lil E as an example because he's the latest one. I mentioned in the OP that Sean Kingston did a song about BBM:



So even if Lil E in particular has no official relation to BlackBerry, this is a marketing tactic they seem keen on pushing.

And my main point - that they should bring out some new TV ads which emotionally capture their audience - is still solid either way IMO.

[gobimmer]

I think this days, we can help BB ourselves, if they don't act on it. Let's each of us posted that great video( ) on the Facebook and where ever else you can. It will spread!

[2 Phonez]

I think this days, we can help BB ourselves, if they don't act on it. Let's posted each of us on the Facebook and where ever else you can. It will spread!

The problem isn't brand awareness though, it's brand image. Everyone knows the BlackBerry name but it's taken a beating over the past few years. To get it back up to a trusted and respected brand they need proper mass marketing.

[ErinnM]

I agree. They should be using the money on better advertising.

Posted via Crackberry Z10