Blackberry: Sales and Marketing
Maria Moya- BADM 106 (3A/B)
Currently, Blackberry struggles with about 4% in the North American market share. As VP Sales
and Marketing, my role expectation requires coming up with ways to have people in the U.S. go
crazy for Blackberry the way they do in other countries. Finding this loophole will lead us to
success in the U.S. Presently, Blackberry remains popular in some regions with markets that are
successful towards low-end products. However, in markets where they intend to sell its higher
end products such as the Blackberry Z10 or Q10, we need to find a way to rehabilitate our
image.
Marketing SWOT Analysis
Strengths:
 Blackberry’s unique branding: despite not releasing a true Iphone competitor for 6 years,
we remain independent after surviving on our brand itself. People know exactly what
company we are, and the products we offer just by looking at our symbol
 Blackberry’s device design: We have developed our designs based upon the moving,
developing technology. By moving with the time periods, we’re knowledgeable in
developing the latest improvements needed in the market
 Blackberry’s unique software capabilities: We have made it easier for our customers to
have access to our softwares-- making their lives so much simpler
Weaknesses: Organizational Challenge: Improving Quality and Productivity
 Reputation for “business device”: We struggle to remind our customers we target more
than just business professionals
 Limited product: We’re known for carrying phone devices. We have just recently started
in the Tablet market—a product we have no experience with
 Don’t offer the same apps that iOS and Android do at the moment. We currently have
over 70,000 apps available on the Blackberry market, which is only a tenth of the
offerings of industry leaders.
Opportunity:
 Growing in International market: Over the years, we have gone into the International
market expanding products to China, India, Spain, and many more. We hope to increase
our profit margin as we expand to other countries
 Appealing to a new market: The tablet market may be forced to reckon with by
customers because of its ability to connect phones to a tablet and use the internet off the
phones instead of having to deal with WIFI and 3G hotspots
 Expanding products: We release about 2 products each year, therefore, we’re always on
top when it comes to providing something new for our customers
Threats: Organizational Challenge: Global Competition
 Tough Competition: If Blackberry rests, Apple IPhone’s and Android devices will
aggressively snatch up the little market share we have left
Target Market:
Our market targets business professionals with our preloaded mobile trail version of Microsoft
Office and wireless connectivity ability on the go for faster Internet connections. However, we
have made a push in targeting a younger generation, presently conforming to capture style and
function. Along with its auto focus camera, we also offer preloaded series of games and
applications targeting directly to the young and social groups.
What do our Current/Potential Consumers Want?
Through online communications such as Blackberry forums and discussions, we’ve come to an
understanding that our customers (or potential customers) want four specific features:
improvement in camera quality, expanded profiles, enhanced customization of the home screen,
and autocorrect features.
New and Improved Offering:
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“Funky” and “cooler” looking smartphones that had gone from “big and chunky” to “sleek
and sexy” with color choice of black, white, red, and pink to specifically target younger
generations
Update to the Blackberry Z10:
o Software update that includes access to Skype video chat application
o “Blackberry Time Shift”- equipped with a document editor that saves you time
and expense of having to download your own. Plus, a new camera feature that can
set it to quick-fire mode. It also shifts the user’s entire interface from “home” to
“work,” switching your saved contacts, saved messages, home screens and more
o “Blackberry Hub”: A comprehensive communications manager that allows you to
store your emails, texts, social media updates, and BBM messages all on a single
timeline. It includes a “Peek” feature that allows to read notifications without
closing the app you happen to be using at the time
Lower cost of Blackberry Q5: allows us to sell a next- generation device (running on
Blackberry 10) to the emerging markets where consumers have lower purchasing power,
but keeping the Blackberry brand remaining strong
BBM is better than ever. The opening of BBM service to other mobile platforms, plus chat
service that is still the most secure in the industry, and has been updated to include video
chat function and new keyboard with predictive text function similar to IPhone
Strategic Plan (based from previous mistakes)
1. Continue to Make Great Products: I believe that consumer success begins with
excellent products. The Blackberry was once perceived to be the best smartphone
available. Through word-of-mouth recommendations, Blackberries were aspirational,
and people wanted to own one because their friends and colleagues were passionate of
them. Nowadays, IPhone and Android handsets hold the excitement and energy once
brought by Blackberry. We stopped producing smartphones in favor of a poorly received
tablet “Playbook.” Successful marketing begins with having tremendous products or
services to market. Through goal-setting, we tend to direct our attention to consumer
wants, and regulate our efforts in fulfilling them.
2. Build on our Strengths: Blackberry abandoned its development and marketing for a
year or longer to create the tablet. As a result in diverting resources, investment and
innovation from the Blackberry to the Playbook, the consumer smartphone has passed
by. If we focus on developing our weaknesses (like we did previously), we’ll continue to
neglect our strengths. So by working in Problem Solving Teams, we can focus on
improving the quality and efficiency of our strengths, thereby overcoming our
weaknesses.
3. Continue to Innovate: Once we attain a certain measure of success, we will thereby
continue to innovate our products and marketing to maintain our spot. We can now
predict that the minute we stop doing the things that led us to success, our competitors
will happily roar past. Once RIM stopped releasing Blackberries for the sake of the
Playbook, we basically stopped talking to our consumers altogether. Therefore, by
working in Cross Functional Teams, we have the ability to exchange information among
departments, and develop complex new ideas. We understand that consistency and
aggression is required not only to attain our success, but to maintain it.
4. Know Our Customers and Continue Connections: Language, messaging, platforms,
and branding change completely depending on the customers we target. Therefore, we
plan on aiming all marketing efforts at them. Talking to our consumers gives us an
understanding on how they feel about our company. If we don’t constantly talk to our
customer, we’re really just guessing bits and pieces from a conference room.
We plan on advertising to them through electronic communications:
o Blackberry YouTube Channel: the base of every information system when trying
to reach a customer
o Social Networks: gives customers a sense of social interaction even when you’re
not face-to-face
o Advertisement: ensures customers the variety of things to do with your
Blackberry, to the point where you don’t have to be at work to get work stuff done
References
Gustin, S. (2012). BlackBerry Crushed. Time, 180(3), 18.
Heinrich, E. (2011). Does RIM Have a Second Act?. Time, 177(2), 1-2.
Langton, N., Robbins, S., & Judge, T. (2010). Organizational Behaviour (Fifth Canadian Edition
ed.). (Pearson, Ed.) Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Prentice Hall.
McCracken, H. (2013). BlackBerry's Last Stand. Time, 181(5), 16.
McMAHON, T. (2012). BlackBerry blues. Maclean's, 125(21), 32-34.
Segan, S. (2012). 5 Failures That Led to RIM's New CEO. PC Magazine, 1.