All excellent points. But I'm gonna pick on this one just a little:
Originally Posted by ubizmo
Here I disagree, sort of. I don't think it's about the BlackBerry image having sunk low, but it is about that image never having been consumer-friendly in the first place. In another thread somebody mentioned the image of BlackBerrys as leashes that companies keep their employees on. So at one end of the leash you have bosses and at the other end you have whipped employees. Neither is particularly appealing in the consumer market.
Couple that image with the perception that BlackBerrys can't keep up with what other platforms are doing--and this is largely a matter of apps--and I think you have a serious image problem.
I completely agree with all of this, but again as I noted, the perception is more 'it's not as good' than 'it sucks'. The 'image' is not that they are crap, but that, for a number of reasons, BlackBerry's don't do everything that the other phones can do. I think this can be fixed with a complete, top-end product and a full marketing blitz that effectively gets the message out. BlackBerry is back baby.
I agree with this. And, in any case, the whole "windows" concept has little to do with the mobile platform.
It also didn't help that the original Windows Phone 7 ads presented the message that Windows Phone is better, since one can use the phone less. Getting information quickly and getting on with life would be a message more geared to an older demographic. Younger people would not find appeal in a phone they would use less.
Here I disagree, sort of. I don't think it's about the BlackBerry image having sunk low, but it is about that image never having been consumer-friendly in the first place. In another thread somebody mentioned the image of BlackBerrys as leashes that companies keep their employees on. So at one end of the leash you have bosses and at the other end you have whipped employees. Neither is particularly appealing in the consumer market.
Couple that image with the perception that BlackBerrys can't keep up with what other platforms are doing--and this is largely a matter of apps--and I think you have a serious image problem.
I agree with this. RIM needs to change that image.
The comparison with Toyota/Scion is interesting. In Japan, the Scion is just another Toyota, because Toyota has no image problem there. (Or had no image problem. I bought my Scion in 2005, and that's when I researched this) But the image of Toyota in North America was an image of functionality and reliability, which are good things, but not exciting. Toyota indeed wanted to appeal to a younger demographic, so they launched the Scion brand in North America but not in Japan.
According to what I read, it didn't work, at least not as planned. The Scion has been fairly successful (My 2005 xB is still running great, with 123k on it), but not so much with the younger crowd. It was more popular with middle-aged and older folks...like me! So I don't know if there's any lesson in there for BlackBerry.
That's a fair analogy, and if it holds true the first BB10 device really has to have it all. It needs to make people say "Who knew a BlackBerry could ever do all this?" The 99xx disappointed on battery life and camera, leaving the impression that the "best" BB still falls short. Yes, I know that the EDoF camera has its advantages and OS upgrades have helped with battery life, but all of that doesn't really change the bathos of the first impression that the Bold made, and that impression is damaging to the overall image of BlackBerry.
For the twenty-somethings wanting a name change for the BlackBerry brand I suggest 'PimpleBerry' or 'The Zit'. Seems demographically appropriate for this group.
BlackBerry for professionals. PimpleBerry for everyone else.
You need to remember that the BB brand is only mud in NA. The rest of the world its quite popular...
In Australia I think they currently have .1% market share. The "rest of the world" is a big place. I think you mean "a few countries outside of NA that don't pay a whole lot for them".
In Australia I think they currently have .1% market share. The "rest of the world" is a big place. I think you mean "a few countries outside of NA that don't pay a whole lot for them".
The upside: All new platform, all new name. Sort of a fresh start approach.
The downside: RIM, not a name that readily comes to mind for the average smartphone buyer. Could lead to confusion and the lack of name recognition could drive customers to the better known brands.
My feeling: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Keep BlackBerry.
My thoughts exactly! On a different note, didn't Volkswagen try this when they renamed the Golf the Rabbit a few years ago?
In any case, I don't think RIM is about to kill the BlackBerry brand, so the real question is how to kill the "corporate leash" image that taints it, in NA at least. This is the sort of thing that people with expensive degrees in marketing are well paid to do, and some of them must be reading this thread...
In any case, I don't think RIM is about to kill the BlackBerry brand, so the real question is how to kill the "corporate leash" image that taints it, in NA at least. This is the sort of thing that people with expensive degrees in marketing are well paid to do, and some of them must be reading this thread...
How about introducing a new fresh brand for Blackberry 10 devices only, in order to address the premium market in North America and other developed markets where Blackberry brand suffered the most, while maintaining Blackberry brand for the existing lineup of OS 7 devices to be marketed in developing countries, where RIM still enjoys relatively strong position? This would also help to deferentiate the product between the two market segements that RIM is after.
Interesting take on the whole blackberry bad rep thing, it sounds like it could work to me maybe help revitalize RIM if if bb10 doesn't.
I think, notwithstanding the less-than-stellar image Blackberry now has among some consumers they still have too much international brand recognition they've built up to simply kill the name - unless they get bought out, in which case all bets are off and the name would probably go anyway.
Instead of killing the BlackBerry name entirely they could call it the "New" BlackBerry. That at least might get people asking "what's new about it?" and would give them an opportunity to expand on that.
It really depends on who they want to appeal to vs where their competitive advantage lies.
But if BB10 doesn't revitalize RIM I doubt changing the name is going to accomplish it.
I believe worldwide, RIM is totally unknown as the maker of Blackberry.
Keep Blackberry; if you want to refresh the brand perception, change the identity (logo, colors, baseline ...) but do not burn a top 100 brand.
