You have probably heard the stories in the last couple of weeks about Research in Motion (RIM). Due to declining sales projections, the smart phone champion’s stock prices are dropping quickly, and they have begun employee layoffs.
What’s the issue? In the past year we’ve seen RIM jump into the tablet market, and I’ve talked about how great I thought the BlackBerry Playbook is here, but let’s face facts: people LOVE Apple. Steve Jobs and his team have managed to convince everyone in the world that they want – no scratch that- NEED an iPad. Not a tablet – but an iPad. Think about it, if I held a BlackBerry Playbook an iPad 2 or Motorola Xoom in front of your face, told you could have any one of them for free which would you grab? Now, think of what your parents, kids, or neighbors would do. I’m guessing most will grab the iPad but couldn’t even tell you for sure why.
So now, industry analysts are saying that the demise of RIM is on the horizon. But, is this due to the product, or could it be that Apple, a well established American company, has more brand power behind it to push new technologies? In my opinion, it’s the latter.
BlackBerry as a brand has touted itself as the secure business device for years, and after pushing that as an image, it’s hard for a company to do an about face and try and become something, that it’s been claiming all along, it isn’t.
Apple, using every possible advertising channel available, became the fun and cool name. BlackBerry became the secure business name, and to most people business and security just isn’t cool. To me, RIM’s latest marketing attempts feel kind of like Donald Trump throwing on a pair of jeans and polo shirt with a popped collar and heading out for a night on the town. Sure the change in outfit will get him into the nightclub, but when people start interacting with him it won’t take them long to realize he’s more about business than having fun. And it doesn’t matter how many times he’s photographed with Jennifer Lopez, people aren’t going to think he’s cool
There is nothing wrong with the devices; in fact I love – and I do mean LOVE - my BlackBerry and everything about it. The full line of BlackBerry devices fit well in the hand, they work well, and RIM’s recent partnering with QNX to develop handheld software was an amazing move that will make the new BlackBerrys and PlayBooks even more amazing.
But now RIM will have to work harder. They have to work with application developers and accessory manufacturers to convince the world that BlackBerry as a brand is functional and cool. They need to work with so called 'non-traditional smartphone market segments to grow their business (ahem - women? moms?), get some positive media buzz and up their cool factor.
I hope RIM won’t be like the typical Canadian and go out politely. I want them to succeed. I want to see politicians and celebrities (especially Canadians) carrying PlayBooks to events, and I want to see RIM fighting it out with Apple and regaining their market share– I just hope it isn’t too late.
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