[hoopitz]

Is it just me who feels like BlackBerry should have tried a little bit harder before announcing to the world that their looking into "strategic alternatives?" I've seen a few ads here and there, but where is the huge marketing push?! They finally have a good product worth telling the world about, yet we're all still seeing the same boring advertising. This boggles my mind!

Maybe they were looking to sell the whole time and thought, why waste money on marketing?

Posted via CB10

[Thunderbuck]

I've mentioned this elsewhere, but I'll explain it again.

Prem Watsa heads Fairfax Financial, and owns a significant chunk of BlackBerry shares. He has also sat on the board for the past while. Watsa has a great reputation (he has been nicknamed "Canada's Warren Buffett"), and his presence on the BoD has been very reassuring.

As part of the "strategic alternatives" discussion, Watsa announced he'd be leaving the board. This is because Fairfax will likely be involved in financing a deal and it would be a conflict of interest for Watsa to remain on the board as it decides which strategy it will pursue.

Had Watsa left the board without any explanation it would have sent a shockwave through what little investor confidence remains in the company.

From the awesome PHYSICAL keyboard of my Q10

[hoopitz]

Thanks for the input, Thunderbuck. I guess my thought is that there was no need to mention any of this or for him to leave the board until it was BlackBerry's only option. Does it seem to you, or anyone else, that BlackBerry threw in the towel without ever showing up to the game? They worked so incredibly hard on releasing this phone and it seems like the marketing effort stopped there. I know there is a lot going on behind the scenes, but it should be happening in the public's eye.

Posted via CB10

[mjdimer]

Marketing effort, and the relationship with retailers, many of who do nothing but bad mouth the brand.

Posted via CB10

[FFR]

Thanks for the input, Thunderbuck. I guess my thought is that there was no need to mention any of this or for him to leave the board until it was BlackBerry's only option.

Posted via CB10

Blackberry has exercised their last contingency.

[FFR]

I've mentioned this elsewhere, but I'll explain it again.

Prem Watsa heads Fairfax Financial, and owns a significant chunk of BlackBerry shares. He has also sat on the board for the past while. Watsa has a great reputation (he has been nicknamed "Canada's Warren Buffett"), and his presence on the BoD has been very reassuring.

As part of the "strategic alternatives" discussion, Watsa announced he'd be leaving the board. This is because Fairfax will likely be involved in financing a deal and it would be a conflict of interest for Watsa to remain on the board as it decides which strategy it will pursue.

Had Watsa left the board without any explanation it would have sent a shockwave through what little investor confidence remains in the company.

What good is an explanation if it was disingenuous in nature, blackberry has been very consistent with disingenuous statements.

Statements such as:
bb10 will come to the playbook or q10 is our best launch Ever etc.

Perhaps the board came up with strategic alternatives or "explanation" as to not alarm investors or as you put it send a shockwave, perhaps wats has no intention of takin bb private.