[netwerx1]

What's disturbing is that on every single one of those blog articles, the comments are largely negative, and usually in a hostile manner. The usual droning of "RIM is done", "welcome to 2010", "Android/iOS has done this for years", "too little too late"...etc, etc, etc....makes me wonder if they are Google/Apple/MS operatives and counter-guerillas. Honestly, I guess I just don't identify with the "commenter culture" to thoroughly disparage anything new and innovative that might compete with your favorite device/platform/brand...

[VeGiTo]

What's disturbing is that on every single one of those blog articles, the comments are largely negative, and usually in a hostile manner. The usual droning of "RIM is done", "welcome to 2010", "Android/iOS has done this for years", "too little too late"...etc, etc, etc....makes me wonder if they are Google/Apple/MS operatives and counter-guerillas. Honestly, I guess I just don't identify with the "commenter culture" to thoroughly disparage anything new and innovative that might compete with your favorite device/platform/brand...

I think this is due to the fact that most of the commenters have not touched a BB10 device yet. Everybody who had a chance to touch it is universally awed, including hostile writers from BGR and Gizmodo. Gizmodo was writing extremely negatively slanted articles about RIM up to the day they finally saw the device.

Watching them do a "180" has me convinced now: BB10 really has some magic to it that captivates anybody who touched it. Wait til' the general public plays with it in a store, or watches it move on TV.

[BB10BelieveIt]

I would like to add the Engadget interview with Alec Saunders yesterday. Alec was stuck in CES crowd while the two senior guys at Engadget talked about BB10, they were almost gushing. If you watched them rip apart RIM execs in the past you will be amazed.

Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with RIM's Alec Saunders (update: video embedded)

[Superfly_FR]

1/ Tech blogs weren't near as popular back when the original iPhone came out, but if you don't think WebOS had a huge hype train behind it with tech bloggers then you clearly have selective memory.
2/As for "guerilla marketing" being the factor behind RIM being blogged about positively now, i'd wager it has more to do with the fact that the launch is (finally) impending, and bloggers naturally are excited to see something new.
[...]
3/However, I can guarantee that if RIM announces on the 30th that phones wont be available for another 2-3 months, then guess what..the press will eat them alive for that, and rightfully so.

1/ You must be kidding. They where - in these times - actually fewer, but every single line they wrote was belived, amplified, sanctified and printed, told or displayed. It was in fact very easier for positive marketing.
2/ No, it has more to do first with their new device(s) being attractive, then the imminence of the events make these pop.
3/ You can't resit, can't you ? I will, for once.

[duth]

it's not guerilla marketing.

it's just marketing done properly. what you're seeing is positive publicity, which is the one of the best ways to promote a product.

No, it is viral marketing !!! (over the internet and word to mouth), guerrilla marketing would be if RIM would have a sudden Z10 event where you wouldn't expect it !!! (like a guy jumping out of a building with a Z10 billboard and clipping it onto the building)

[Superfly_FR]

No, it is viral marketing !!!

Viral was for the 20th century. Name it social more likely

[lalston393]

It is guerilla in the sense that it is not the traditional method of warfare (e.g. outspending the opponent, blast the air waves with ads).

See Forbes' interview of Frank Boulben for an insight into RIM's thinking. They've been seeding "influencers" with devices at various stage of development, and much of what you see now is premeditated.

But let's not argue semantics, that's not the point of this thread.

I'm counting on RIM to do both. Demonstrate to the tech sites and pundits how good BB10 is before the launch, then after the launch do a big "blast the air waves with ads". The general consumer who has no idea what RIM has been up to lately, will run to CNET or Gizmodo for info, and be convinced to buy one.

[deezy87]

I agree and I have to say I'm impressed of what RIM has accomplished in such a short amount of time. You have to consider that these publications, especially BGR and Zdnet, were extremely negative towards RIM just a few months ago. They've made the bloggers feel special by showing them unreleased hardware and signing NDA with them.

They've got the Developers excited, they've got the carriers excited, they've got the media excited... Now they just need to get the consumers excited and we have a winner on our hands!

You forgot to mention how excited everyone is! hahahahahahaha I cannot wait to get my hands on a BB10 device!!

[Blacklatino]

bingo! It could just be they have a good product on their hands once again. Put a good product in peoples hands and marketing becomes much easier, almost to the point it will start to sell itself.

....and that has to be the ultimate goal. If it's good(and from all indications, it is) it will sell. H*ll, I'm getting two for starters. A few weeks after the 30th, we should all be seeing BB10s in our sleep due to the numerous commercials, infomercials, or whatever strategic marketing plan used by RIM.

[lorax1284]

...and I have to go on the record again here: the underlying strategy was because the management under Jim B's and Mike L's leadership acquired QNX and started driving the OS ground-up redo.

I will absolutely give Thor & his team 100% A++ for execution, but remember how much crap Jim and Mike took?

I mean, they get "accused" of not taking the iPhone 'threat' seriously, yet, the Storm device WAS an attempt, on the back of BB5 OS, with its inherent way of operating that required Surepress, to build an all-touch experience on top of BB5, and yeah, it didn't succeed, but when Jim and Mike realized that tacking all-touch onto BB5 was not going to cut it, they made the tough decision to start from the ground up. Perhaps they shouldn't have even TRIED to do the Storm, and just acquired QNX as soon as the all-touch paradigm took over, but I am sure a lot of shareholders would not have reacted well to the perceived inaction of not doing anything to counter "all-touch" until a QNX-based OS could have been built... but that's all water under the bridge now... bad decisions and even worse public / investor relations (over promise, under deliver) gaffes... but still... where are we now? Right at the point Jim and Mike were heading, under Thor's excellent leadership.

Criticize Jim and Mike for what they actually did wrong, but they deserve kudoes for setting out on the path that is leading to what is shaping up to be a rebirth of RIM: brand, tech, and market share.

EDIT: I should have mentioned the TAT acquisition as well, because I'm certain that TAT's sensibilities have informed a lot of what is getting the raves vis a vis BB10 UX.

[Tre Lawrence]

...and I have to go on the record again here: the underlying strategy was because the management under Jim B's and Mike L's leadership acquired QNX and started driving the OS ground-up redo.

I will absolutely give Thor & his team 100% A++ for execution, but remember how much crap Jim and Mike took?

I mean, they get "accused" of not taking the iPhone 'threat' seriously, yet, the Storm device WAS an attempt, on the back of BB5 OS, with its inherent way of operating that required Surepress, WAS an attempt to build an all-touch experience on top of BB5, and yeah, it didn't succeed, but when Jim and Mike realized that tacking all-touch onto BB5 was not going to cut it, they made the tough decision to start from the ground up. Perhaps they shouldn't have even TRIED to do the Storm, and just acquired QNX as soon as the all-touch paradigm took over, but I am sure a lot of shareholders would not have reacted well to the perceived inaction of not doing anything to counter "all-touch" until a QNX-based OS could have been built... but that's all water under the bridge now... bad decisions and even worse public / investor relations (over promise, under deliver) gaffes... but still... where are we now? Right at the point Jim and Mike were heading, under Thor's excellent leadership.

Criticize Jim and Mike for what they actually did wrong, but they deserve kudoes for setting out on the path that is leading to what is shaping up to be a rebirth of RIM: brand, tech, and market share.

That is the most generous commentary of their leadership I have read in a long time. Sounds like with all the excellent decisions they made, they should still be in charge.

[rolltide78]

Blackberry 10 is actually pretty awesome | Fox News

This one hit a little while ago..

[lorax1284]

That is the most generous commentary of their leadership I have read in a long time. Sounds like with all the excellent decisions they made, they should still be in charge.

No, because their PR & IR gaffes initiated the pitchforks 'n' torches that caused their ouster. Hindsight is 20/20... but even so, what would have been done differently? Yes, NOT saying "we'll ship in 3 months" then delay for 2 years. Don't do that... and the marketing of the PlayBook was sooo wrong whomever came up with THAT has to be accountable / made an example of. The PlayBook could have been marketed as the companion to BlackBerry handhelds that delivers that all-touch / tablet-like experience on top of a users vital BB handheld data... without having to hastily cobble together a full touch handheld. That would have had 80 million potential customers without being miscast as an "all things to everyone" tablet, which it wasn't, and until BB10 comes out, really still isn't.

"Overpromise & Underdeliver" seems to be RIM's motto from about 2008 - 2011, and that's bad... but without "overpromising" perhaps attitudes in general towards RIM would have been different... but that might have lead to further complacency, rather than the terrified realization that RIM put themselves in a trend toward irrelevance, so major executive-level changes had to be made.

I guess I'm saying that the history books would be a lot kinder to Jim and Mike re: 2008-2011 if they hadn't overpromised and underdelivered. They should have just delivered. I didn't mean to derail the thread to rehash history... just that this topic is about the 'praise' being heaped on BB10, and Jim and Mike deserve some praise, even if it doesn't undo justly deserved criticism.

[Tre Lawrence]

No, because their PR & IR gaffes initiated the pitchforks 'n' torches that caused their ouster. Hindsight is 20/20... but even so, what would have been done differently? Yes, NOT saying "we'll ship in 3 months" then delay for 2 years. Don't do that... and the marketing of the PlayBook was sooo wrong whomever came up with THAT has to be accountable / made an example of. The PlayBook could have been marketed as the companion to BlackBerry handhelds that delivers that all-touch / tablet-like experience on top of a users vital BB handheld data... without having to hastily cobble together a full touch handheld. That would have had 80 million potential customers without being miscast as an "all things to everyone" tablet, which it wasn't, and until BB10 comes out, really still isn't.

"Overpromise & Underdeliver" seems to be RIM's motto from about 2008 - 2011, and that's bad... but without "overpromising" perhaps attitudes in general towards RIM would have been different... but that might have lead to further complacency, rather than the terrified realization that RIM put themselves in a trend toward irrelevance, so major executive-level changes had to be made.

I guess I'm saying that the history books would be a lot kinder to Jim and Mike re: 2008-2011 if they hadn't overpromised and underdelivered. They should have just delivered. I didn't mean to derail the thread to rehash history... just that this topic is about the 'praise' being heaped on BB10, and Jim and Mike deserve some praise, even if it doesn't undo justly deserved criticism.

You know... I won't disagree. they take the heat, they should get some of the preceding credit. I don't know that they can be praised for the little current gains, and yes, they did not react to the market well, but they did build a behemoth.

[RubberChicken76]

That is the most generous commentary of their leadership I have read in a long time. Sounds like with all the excellent decisions they made, they should still be in charge.

They can always say "I built a $19 billion company from nothing". Have you done anything that compares?

I don't agree with all of their decisions either, but I wasn't walking in their shoes either. I agree that it appeared they "didn't react to the market well", but I also wonder if some things were simply not easy to 'react to' the way we armchair execs think.

Examples:

- They built RIM up to be huge by building a massive, massive distribution channel (Jim's accolade). But with that came a wide range of 'slightly different BlackBerrys" to appeal to the various key partners.

- The also got their start in the notoriously slow-to-upgrade business market resulting in a lot of old tech living for a long time and a resistance from key clients to accept major changes

- While in hindsight, the iPhone and the touchscreen growth was enormous, the reality was that Apple didn't catch up to RIM in sales for 3 years. Also, a lot of corporations were initially absolutely against having the iPhone on their networks

- There had always been 'mobile apps' on BlackBerry. Contratry to media view, Apple didn't invent this. But the earlier points meant it was harder to develop for BlackBerry

- Add to that fact there was huge growth at RIM in terms of employees. Difficult thing to manage


In many respect, RIM was somewhat trapped in the shackles of what made them successful. It's easy to say that RIM should have agreed to throw everything out in June 2007 when they saw the iPhone, but that would have been a big risky move. They probably did a bit of a 'wait and see', but learned the hard way that Apple could be disruptive by not having the past shackle them and was. Again, hindsight is 20-20.

Yeah - I wish they didn't announce stuff. Yeah, I wish they'd swallowed their pride sooner and realized that the BlackBerry OS was being pushed beyond what it was intended to do. Yeah, I wish they'd realized sooner that they'd taken the company as far as they could and gracefully passed the Torch. I wish they didn't over-promise and under-deliver.

But they built that company to be a $19 billion dollar behemoth. And no amount of arm-chair commenting from the peanut gallery in hindsight changes that.

[chrysaurora]

Frank has lot of experience marketing to carriers. I think Frank is going to concentrate more on marketing to carriers and enterprises. Less on marketing directly to consumers via TV Ads etc. I'd like to see both done, but let's see what Frank does. Just few more weeks and we'll see.

[Superfly_FR]

Criticize Jim and Mike for what they actually did wrong, but they deserve kudoes for setting out on the path that is leading to what is shaping up to be a rebirth of RIM: brand, tech, and market share.

+1K. I believe this makes two of us sharing the same mantra motto

[Superfly_FR]

Frank has lot of experience marketing to carriers.

Hint : if you think "animals" when you think "Orange" ... then you know the guy power (unfortunaletly, this campaign has been ruined in FR)

[Superfly_FR]

That is the most generous commentary of their leadership I have read in a long time. Sounds like with all the excellent decisions they made, they should still be in charge.

No, they reached their own limits, don't forget they were 2 in a cave at the beginning.
So they made the ego-related management #1 error : they did not delegate to specialists.

[chrysaurora]

RIM Dev events have been great. Now, it's time to line-up events for in-store staff in big cities (not just execs/managers, store staff). Show store-staff a preview of BlackBerry 10, let them play with it, show them some love and they will amplify it to ALL their customers!

Do it, RIM, do it! Events for in-store staff!

[southlander]

That is the most generous commentary of their leadership I have read in a long time. Sounds like with all the excellent decisions they made, they should still be in charge.

No, not for various reasons. And yet if BlackBerry 10 brings RIM back the foresight to buy QNX and TAT will have to be acknowledged. Remember, the common wisdom was to jump on the Android bandwagon.

[Tre Lawrence]

They can always say "I built a $19 billion company from nothing". Have you done anything that compares?

No, I haven't.

[RubberChicken76]

No, I haven't.

Me either.

[Banco]

Me either.

I have.

[RubberChicken76]

I have.

Yeah - what's that?