...Research in Motion’s Blackberry: an Innovation or Communication Crisis? This report deals with Research in Motion (RIM) a global leader in innovative wireless technology, who revolutionized the Smartphone industry in 1999 with the introduction of the Blackberry. (RIM, 2012)The specific product that will be the focus of this report is their new offering, the Blackberry Torch 9810. (RIM, 2012) 1.0 Marketing Issue Research In Motion (RIM) has failed to capitalize on the BlackBerry market share to employ an effective marketing strategy. This was evident when Torch 9810 was released to compete with iPhone and Android phones; the lack of a consistent strategic marketing direction resulted in a dismal sales performance of the model (Goldfayn, 2012). RIM was unable to effectively market the technical advantages (Brodkin, 2011) of Torch 9810. Furthermore, it may have alienated BlackBerry users by RIM’s failure to have an effective integrated marketing communication (IMC) campaign to inform customers as to what and why such features were present in Torch 9810 (Dvorak, 2011). As a company that deals in products of dynamically continuous innovation, the Torch 9810 could have been such if it was marketed more effectively (Rubin, 2012). 2.0 Target Market An effective target segmentation for an organisation in order to satisfy consumers needs and wants should include demographic, psychographic and behaviour (West, Ford and Ibrahim, 2010). RIM should target consumers’ evaluation criteria with...
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...My review was based on different smart phones and its effect or importance. I did my review on the iPhone and BlackBerry which are two major players in the smart phone market today. The BlackBerry was catered more to the business customers while the iPhone was catered more to the media seeking demographic. Articles that were reviewed by me were written by West & Mace, Groggin, and Middleton. Each article dealt with different smart phones and different effects it has on our lives. With the introduction of mobile devices such as smart phones, the work place is now taken home. According to Middleton “The BlackBerry does give its users a mechanism to exert control over the management of daily communication tasks, but by virtue of its always-on, always-connected nature, it is also reinforces cultures that expect people to be accessible outside normal business hours”.(Middleton 2007) Since the introduction of the device in 1999, the BlackBerry has made a name for itself as a mobile e-mail device for business. The study done by Middleton was to see if using the BlackBerry device in the context of work-life would lead to increase in work-life conflict, and would result in detrimental organization outcomes. The research method that was used was qualitative a qualitative interview with 13 Canadian BlackBerry users. The respondents were chosen through a network of business contacts. They come from different industries, level of job seniority, and their age ranges from mid-20 to...
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...Product 5 b) Place 6 c) Price 6 d) Promotion 6 4. Driving forces of change in the mobile industry 7 5. Changes in Competitive Landscape 8 6. Understanding customer behavior 9 7. SWOT analysis 10 8. Recommended Marketing mix strategies for RIM 13 9. Target Market for Blackberry 14 10. References 15 Executive Summary Research In Motion (RIM) is one of the world’s leading manufacturer of wireless devices and also known for their smartphone and tablet range, Blackberry. It was found in 1984 by Mike Lazaidis in Canada. Initially RIM was in to wireless equipments until 1999 when they started creating Blackberry series. Blackberry is now widely used as a smartphone which is used mainly by corporate and business people. But it also attracts a broad range of users from teenagers to other professionals. It is widely available in many countries with offices operating around the world. Recent falling of stock has forced RIM to construct an all new market strategy in order to be in a highly competitive market. It has been analyzed that it is high time RIM should constitute a better marketing plan, which will focus mainly on Value based marketing along with marketing mix strategies. This report also defines the driving forces of change in mobile industry as well as how the competition has changed during years. It has also covered the different ways in which the customer behavior...
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...STRATEGY………………………………………………………………………………………5 CONCLUSION ………………………………………………………………………………………………….8 INTRODUCTION Research In Motion (RIM) is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of wireless solutions. The company provides platforms and solutions allowing access to time-sensitive information, including email, phone, SMS, internet and intranet-based applications. Its technology also enables a broad array of third-party developers and manufacturers to enhance their products and services with wireless connectivity to data. RIM’s portfolio of products, services and embedded technologies include the BlackBerry wireless solution, and other software and hardware.The company operates offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. The company is organized and managed as a single reportable business segment, which includes the research, design, manufacture and sales of wireless communications products, services and software.The segment includes primary operations related to BlackBerry wireless solution.The BlackBerry wireless solution comprises wireless devices, software and services. RIM generates revenue primarily from the BlackBerry wireless solution, which includes sales of BlackBerry wireless devices, software and...
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...marketing audit on Blackberry; this involves both an internal and external examination of the company. A marketing audit can be used to identify both the strengths and weaknesses of a business and how it is affecting their ability to meet their overall aims and objectives. An internal audit is broken down into 5 main categories, these include: Resources- The resources of a business can include their Technical resources, financial resource, their organisational structure as well as their managerial skills Research in Motion has created value for its customers through R&D for the last 10 years, and they have as a result used their R&D as a distinctive advantage. As an innovator in wireless email solutions in the late 90’s they were able to establish assets such as licenses and patents related to data security, wireless transmission of data, and what they are known best for; their push email service. By securing these licences and patents it has given Blackberry an edge in the market with the features it offers, and allowed them to establish a target market which was business people and professionals, before moving into the general market. The major stakeholders of the company are two of the founding members, who currently serve as Co-CEOs of the firm. RIM performs well financially on a consistent basis, with revenue figures reaching $4.2 billion in 2011, although this is down 15% from the previous quarter. In the USA RIM owns 40% of the smart phone market, however their...
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...MK100- Principles of Marketing February 3, 2013 Research in Motion (RIM) - Blackberry in Decline Week 4 Assignment #1 Blackberry Cell phones have been an established brand and product offering on a global scale by Research in Motion (RIM). Research in Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Research In Motion Limited, (2013) RIM directly competes with several Smartphone companies like Apple, Nokia, and Google’s Android for market share. RIM’s product offerings include the same product that Apple, Nokia, and Google offer the consumer. The BlackBerry product line includes the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet, the award-winning BlackBerry Smartphone’s, and software for businesses and accessories. Research In Motion Limited, (2013) RIM’s blackberry devices were well known for their security and reliability as an email device. The demographics of the current Blackberry target market is composed of mid to upper class buyers aged 30-55 in the professional, executive, and industrial segments. Blackberry devices served the business world with a sturdy, reliable device that offered the business consumer a device that performed many types of business functions. One of these...
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... Question: 1 The biggest task for any of Blackberry in today’s era is to implement the effective marketing strategy with the endorsement of accurate marketing mix. Through initiatives & marketing strategies company attempts to capture maximum returns - this entire practice refers to value based marketing. Here Blackberry is in consistent effort to create a strong brand which influences consumers to give constructive feedback. Value based marketing starts with escalating correlation of sales and marketing. One of the core concepts of Marketing is Holistic Marketing concept, where everything matters in marketing is acknowledged. Wider and incorporated outlook is essential for the developing, implementing and designing marketing strategies for Blackberry. For RIM it’s inevitable to see the challenges from brand’s viewpoint but it’s not complete without considering consumer’s perspective. Once the market’s needs have changed, Blackberry should shift with it. [pic] • The complex market of phone industry forces Blackberry to deliver variety of differentiated products with fast pace in global market. All products should be distinguished with each other with the means of functionality and should be able to engage customer with unbeatable features and designs. Here the Holistic Approach comes in light and it binds customers, network of suppliers, internal team & partners in a single knot. Blackberry should see the larger picture to increase brand value...
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...Date: A Marketing Plan for Blackberry Bold 9900 in the Hispanic Market Executive summary The population of the Hispanics in the United States is growing tremendously. In 2010, the population hit 50 million constituting of 16.3% of the total united state population. At that time, it became the second largest group in terms of population. The population grew by 43% since 2000 and projections for the trend are high in the coming years especially in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Miami and Texas. Economically, the contribution of Hispanics in the gross domestic product in United States rose by $338 billion from $862 billion in the year 2007 to $1200 billion in 2012. This growth increased their buying power by close to 10% of all the United States buying power. As at 2010, 31% of mobile consumers in United States owned a Smartphone. The demand for smart phones is likely to grow massively especially within the Hispanic market which accounted for 27% usage among the Hispanics by then. On Smartphone usage, apple accounted for 29%, android phones accounted for 27% and other mobile phone products accounted for 18% usage among the Hispanics. According to this data, it is conclusive to say that any marketer who does not recognize the potential of this target market is missing a great opportunity. Hispanics are educated and their lifestyle is modernized. They are therefore technology oriented and they consume upscale goods. This is a marketing plan for Blackberry Bold 9900 in the Hispanic...
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...RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED - BLACKBERRY Research in motion limited was founded in the year 1984 by Mr. Michael Lazaridis,the company's President and Co-Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Douglas Fregin(RIM-2009). The company then grew in to one of the leading designer and manufacturer of wireless solutions, the company product portfolios include the blackberry wireless solution and other software and hardware solutions. The major markets of the company include North America, Europe and Asia Pacific (RIM-2008). RIM generates most of its revenues through the blackberry wireless device with various features which provides a user friendly interface. Although the company has been growing since its inception. In early 1990s the company was focused on developing wireless data technology but by far the significant year for the company was 1999 when it introduces the blackberry solutions and in following years it has launched many advanced models of blackberry solutions in partnership with various service providers which includes Yahoo, AOL, MTN, Qtel etc. The company has recorded a revenue of US$14.935 million in the financial year 2010 which is an increase of 35% compared to FY 2009 with USA alone accounting for 57% of the revenue. The devices accounted for 81% of the revenue followed by service (14.4%),software (1.7%) and other (2.8%). Although the company is doing very well financially, it is not immune the pressure of external forces and following section highlights some of the external...
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...1 Problem Statement RIM’s iconic product, Blackberry, has lost its lead in the smartphone market and continues to decline. Now RIM faces the decision of whether they should continue with their focus on business users or enter a new market segment that has been growing: users of useful, yet entertaining smartphones. How can Blackberry stop declining and become competitive again? 2 Situation Analysis In 2003 RIM launched the Blackberry. RIM gave users the first way to take the internet with them everywhere on their cell phone. They were pioneers leading the market. By 2008 RIM had 45% of the US smartphone market share and became the most popular smartphone in the USA.1 Blackberry targeted business professionals and government clients. RIM intended to provide the user with a useful interface that could synchronize computers to phones and simplify work regardless of where you were working from. They also offered a messaging system that was superiorly secure. Blackberry’s main competitors are Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android platform. Apple required all App’s for the iPhone to be sold through their store. Android, being free source, could be modified by any programmer. In 2012 Blackberry’s App World Store had less than a 5th of the selection compared to the Apple AppStore (Exhibit 1). The iPhone and Android phones had a touch screen interface which provided a novel interaction and a much larger screen. This, added to the attractive designs, hundreds of apps offered, and...
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...MARKETING PLAN FOR THE MOBILE PHONE MANUFACTURING BUSINESS (BLACKBERRY) 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report provides an analysis and evaluation of the current and prospective profitability of BlackBerry, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats they have in the Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) market and how to overcome it. Bmobile, one of T&T’s mobile providers has been distributing BlackBerry for over 5 years and they have 6 main outlets but over 100 authorized partners throughout T&T. BlackBerry, T&T’s most popular Smartphone device has been chosen because of its traditional business appeal and product development in order to respond to the local pressures and sustain in a highly competitive business environment. Blackberry has been in the T&T market for 8 years and possess approximately 41% market share. Blackberry’s regional director Sean Killen recognised that they had a great customer base in the T&T market and couldn’t give customers what they needed and he said “loyal customers deserve the latest technology and hardware, the most modern and innovative navigation systems in a Smartphone. As such, in a bid to remain viable in the local mobile market, Bmobile carried out market research to determine the preference of consumers and their attitudes and perception of Blackberry. This brand of mobile phones is best known for its technological advancement and as a basis for investigation, PESTLE analysis, Porter’s competitive forces have been...
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...Management Company and its head quarter is bases in Waterloo, Canada. RIM is best known as developer of smart phone for business and government usage. In 2000 RIM faced great challenges from NTP (New Technology Products) ,a patent holding company which focused on field of Radio frequency antenna design and wireless email. NTP notified RIM of their patent that its wireless email services infringed, and licensed. RIM argued their headquarter is in Canada so there’s no infringement. NTP filed law suit and it continued for six years. This impact on US Government so US Supreme Court have to involve. A risk of shutdown blackberry motivated not only in US business but also in defense department. RIM finally agreed to pay amount of $612.5 million to NTP. And this settlement gives instant increase of 15% in RIM shares. Another one is, in 1999 Glenayre Electronics filed a infringement suit against RIM and claimed interactive pager line used Glenayre’s power generation. And this cause delay in RIM’s contract reneal with BellSouth company. Also quarterly earnings report was lower than expected . Then RIM signed agreement with Dell computers and Dell started selling Blackberry at large corporate accounts. On 2001 RIM take revenge, filed suit against Glenayre for infringing on RIM’s Single Mailbox Integration patent and they won, allowed them to collect royalties from other mobile device makers. Another legal dispute patent for keyboard design was against Handspring for its Treo device...
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...THE EVOLUTION OF THE CELLULAR PHONE Presented by: Student ID No: 1415618/1 To: Anglia Ruskin University Dated: May 16, 2014 ABSTRACT This assignment seeks to examine the evolution of the mobile phone in which improved technology has changed history by converting them from a stone-aged looking block to the modern ultra, sleek and trendy smartphones. It seeks to highlight how the mobile phone evolved over a period of time with changes to its features as a result of integrating new technologies, causing a shift from a communication device to a multimedia device. Due to current competitive market conditions, companies are forced to develop strategies to maintain their competitive advantage. TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract…………………………………………...………..……………………….....…….i List of Figures.................………………...…..………………......................................iv List of Tables.................……………………..………………........................................v 1.0 Introduction 1 2.0 Influence 2 3.0 Critique 3 3.1 Invention and Innovation 3 3.2 Fast Follower/Defensive Innovative Strategies 4 3.3 Technology and the S-Curve 5 3.4 The Gestalt Rules of Perception 7 3.5 Intellectual Property – Registered Trademarks 8 3.6 The Golden Ratio 9 3.7 Failure – Pearson’s Uncertainty Map 10 3.8 The Battle of Trafalgar and Dynamic Capabilities 11 3.9 Drucker’s Seven Sources for Innovation 12 3.10 Marketing 13 3.10.1 Differentiation/Products Attributes...
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...CASE SYNOPSIS Business 478 Prepared by: Aswin Kumar Candice Woods Giorgio Budolig Lucas Segars Qasim Nathoo Prepared for: Jerry Sheppard March 20, 2013 Blackberry, Then And Now Research In Motion (RIM) entered the mobile communications industry in 1984. The Waterloo, Ontario, company founded by Mike Laziridis, penetrated the market with two-way paging technology; developed as a substitute product for Motorola’s SkyTel. Following a series of financing in 1998, and a Co-CEO partnership with Jim Balsillie, the firm launched its first signature Blackberry device in 1999. The year following, RIM released its first smart-phone, the Blackberry Bold. This release marked the beginning of RIM’s journey, through the tumultuous and extremely volatile high technology industry. Initially, the firm’s iconic Blackberry device was riding the crest of the telecom wave. Its proprietary and unparalleled encryption technology made their device the globally preferred Smartphone amongst corporate clients and government agencies. The brand dominance soon permeated the individual consumer market. However, the company’s fortunes took a turn for the worst, as intense rivalry and innovative technology emerged. Competitors, such as Apple and Samsung entered the market in 2007, and soon became cultural phenomena. As their market share severely eroded, so did RIM’s share price. RIM’s shareholders lost almost 80% of their wealth in 2011 (Levy, 2011). Adding salt to the wounds, ...
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...Analysis of Objectives 5 EXTERNAL ANALYSES 6 Environmental Scan 6 Political 7 Economic 7 Social 7 Technological 7 Environmental 8 Legal 8 Three Future Trends 9 Scenario 1: Shift from Hardware to Software Focus 9 Scenario 2: Cloud Computing 12 Scenario 3: Developing markets 14 INTERNAL ANALYSIS 15 Resource-Based View Analysis 15 Tangible Resources 15 Intangible resources 17 Value Chain Analysis 18 Primary 18 Secondary 20 Core Competencies Assessment 21 SWOT Analysis 23 GENERIC STRATEGIES 24 DISCUSSION & ANALYSIS 25 Where are they heading? 25 Where would they like to be? 25 How do they get there? 26 RECOMMENDATIONS 27 APPENDIX 28 REFERENCES 33 INTRODUCTION Company Background BlackBerry Limited, previously known as Research In Motion Limited is a wireless telecommunication equipment manufacturer, well known for its brand of smartphones and tablets of the same name. Originally founded in 1984 by Mike Lazardis, the company was managed with a dual CEO structure where Mr. Lazardis oversaw technical functions and partner Jim Balsillie oversaw sales/marketing. When stock prices began to falter, shareholder criticism of this leadership style caused both men stepped down for Thorsten Heins. He ran the company until November 2013, when he was replaced by John Chen, following the collapse of a deal with Fairfax to take the company private. Initially the company was a dominant and innovative force in the industry, leading the market...
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