[markf]

So, all I saw during the Oscars was Ellen's Samsung Note. Then all the commercials for the Samsung. Now all of America (at least the ones that watched the show), know about the upcoming S5. Why didn't BB offer to provide a BB10 phone and do even half of the advertising that Samsung did. Sponsoring a Formula 1 team (Mercedes) only gets the word out to hardcore racing fans not to the masses. The money spent there could have been spent on the Oscars. BB needs to sell phones to the masses, not the choir (ie readers of Crackberry and like sites). This is the only way to get the carriers to start selling and stocking BB's again. Without the US market, BB will slowly wither away. Most people don't even know that BB still exists. Selling phones to people that already own one doesn't increase your marketshare. Will T-Mo (my carrier) offer the S5 or the new update first (have leaked, wating for official one). No one cares about BB anymore except the people on the various BB sites. Blackberry needs to find a solution to its non-existant sales in the US or it will disappear.

[Bla1ze]

Oh, another one of these threads.


*backs out slowly and hopes no one sees*

[gtredman]

I agree fully, I know people are afraid of this thread and want to be in denial but some form of advertising is needed for any product in the market place even if its just to remind the public that this product still exists and is available. That's why so many Americans think Blackberry is already dead because then don't see Blackberry billboards or signs on electronic stores or any small ads on the television even if only on special occasions like Oscars or the super bowl or even NBA games which I think is a very good avenue to take because its so popular and the cost isn't exorbitant . So yes any comeback with handsets will need at least a slight improvement in US sales and without any form of advertising that will be very hard.

[crackberry_geek]

We need these threads until BlackBerry does something about it.

Until then...BlackBerry is doomed.

Posted with Z10 via CB10

[earlym]

At this point in time, when comparing similar products, BB knows that if they spend the dollars to promote the current line, what ROI (return on investment) would they get? Also, You don't want to give your competitors ammunition to start spending dollars that they "CAN AFFORD" to make comparisons and the denigrate BBs line. Then you've dug a deeper hole for yourself.

No, BB will be strategic with their dollars which dollars can't compare to the likes of Apple and Samsung. They will continue to improve their products and still place ads where it's affordable and to re-mind consumers of what is already being sold and what those consumers are buying...QWERTY phones.

As to touch, the argument still can't be made enough to pull people away from Apple or Samsung...not yet! This media battle will go on until BB is ready, which is within 2 years I suspect. With Chen and Foxconn, we'll see newer products and an accelerated BB10 OS upgrades. Also, more apps.

Go BB!

[sixpacker]

At this point in time, when comparing similar products, BB knows that if they spend the dollars to promote the current line, what ROI (return on investment) would they get? Also, You don't want to give your competitors ammunition to start spending dollars that they "CAN AFFORD" to make comparisons and the denigrate BBs line. Then you've dug a deeper hole for yourself.

No, BB will be strategic with their dollars which dollars can't compare to the likes of Apple and Samsung. They will continue to improve their products and still place ads where it's affordable and to re-mind consumers of what is already being sold and what those consumers are buying...QWERTY phones.

As to touch, the argument still can't be made enough to pull people away from Apple or Samsung...not yet! This media battle will go on until BB is ready, which is within 2 years I suspect. With Chen and Foxconn, we'll see newer products and an accelerated BB10 OS upgrades. Also, more apps.

Go BB!

This is no doubt this is the Chen strategy, spend next to nothing on marketing until the q20 comes out (the z30 hung out to dry).
Whether they can survive the further damage to the brand and continued cash burn over this period remains to be seen.
Personally I think a more subtle approach of looking at things market by market would have been much more effective. I think he's let the US failure colour his judgment on other western markets.

[Bla1ze]

We need these threads until BlackBerry does something about it.

Until then...BlackBerry is doomed.

Posted with Z10 via CB10

You'll be waiting a while...... unless you're a BES operation with thousands of employees or live in an emerging market.

[TGR1]

Because there was no way on God's green earth that anyone could have outbid Samsung for the Oscars and even less chance that Samsung wouldn't have made it exclusive.

ETA: sounds as if it was embarrassingly blatant and tacky to boot too

[KDB84]

People watch the Oscars? I think this would be just as much of a waste of money as it would be for F1. Nascar in the States would probably be better for the US market. I love the advertising at the Jay's games, personally. Anyways, none of that matters much - they're not focusing on the consumer market in North America right now. Yes, they'll be offering the phones to us, but the big push is with BES/Corporate customers and emerging markets, as Bla1ze said.

No US Market Share? So scare. Much doom. Wow.

This is nothing new.