Social Responsibility of RIM and Blackberry

Research In Motion is involved in many community events and sponsorship opportunities. Unfortunately, one of their recent ‘involvements’ was during the wake of Haiti Disaster. Blackberry users received a BlackBerry Messenger message with regards to the relief fund setup.

Over the past few days some BlackBerry owners have received a new BBM stating that RIM is donating 35 cents every time the BBM is passed on. According to RIM, that's not true.

The message was marked with a Red Cross symbol. It read:

"Because of what has transpired in Haiti recently, Blackberry has decided to help out and give 35 cents for the cause when you pass this message along to your friends on BBM (btw how blackberry sees this is through their Red Cross symbol)."

This fake fundraising message put Blackberry in a bad social light. Especially since the Haiti efforts were something not to be taken lightly. RIM responded to this falsification of information stating it was indeed a ‘spam’ effort and made sure the public was aware.

Research In Motion has been involved in numerous sponsorships, most notably sporting events and fundraising campaigns. Blackberry has sponsored the Asian Tour, a golfing event and the Formula 1 racing event.

Blackberry is the current sponsor for U2’S 360 degree 2010 Tour. This comes after it sponsored the Black Eyed Peas World Tour. They have been backing large groups as these for some time now and have branded everything imaginable at these events. Commercials have been made and distribution materials given out at the event, etc.

Blackberry teamed up with eBay this past month to support the Motion Picture & Television Fund which been caring for the entertainment community. The MPTF provides healthcare, child care, residential living and care for older adults, as well as social and charitable services.

RIM is an intricate part of the Canadian workforce and the community as a whole. Internally, RIM provides healthcare services, onsite massage services and discounted gym memberships to promote the wellness of their employees. They support education and are involved many charitable events even having a Philanthropy Team established that is responsible for reviewing new proposals and continuing their community involvement.

This involvement is crucial in surviving in an ever-changing world and enables the company to gain support by those a part of these causes. Although very little support and social responsibility has been placed in the America’s, Research In Motion continues to be a valuable link to the societal chain in Canada, its home base.

Strategy and CSR of Research in Motion

Blackberry, over the years, has evolved and grown into a global brand but, where did this evolution stem from? When the device was first released, its marketing strategy was simple: The phone that has the features they don’t. Blackberry was the first of its kind and the consumers learning about its kind quickly became aware of this. How then did they become the largest mobile phone manufac
turer? One word: Strategy.



Since those early days, Research in Motion has made titanic changes to its marketing strategy. The device itself started losing momentum after the release of Apple’s Iphone and RIM had to act quickly. The brand was shifted from the phone’s performance to the features it contained.


Probably one of the smartest and most emotional marketing objectives, Blackberry formed the brand around the concept that this wasn’t just a phone with bells and whistles rather, a lifestyle. This lifestyle pulled in consumers from all ends of the spectrum. Gone now are the days of business men and woman lugging around their Blackberry Curve’s for constant notification and communication with their employers. Consumers were buying for reasons such as entertainment experience, quality video and sound, and uncanny service. This strategy propelled the brand into the upper echelon of mobile technology and service, winning numerous awards, accolades, and notoriety.


Competitors to Blackberry similar to Iphone devices could not keep up with this product innovation thus creating a sustainable competitive advantage. Since the target market shifted from strictly business professionals, the brand has grown to incorporate a younger, hipper, tech-savvy consumer, bringing to their core market social networking fiends and more.


RIM has been an intricate part of society and cooperates with giving and donating time, goods, services, and of course money. Substantial expenditures have been made to Canadian-based facilities to promote education in the physics realm. The most recent involvement has been with environmental sustainability giant Greenpeace, seeking solutions to environmental dilemmas and promoting positive eco-friendly choices within society (http://www.greenpeace.org).


Bottom line here is: Research in Motion has had tremendous growth in an ever-changing, expanding market and continues to strive for excellence. Creating a strong brand, engaging the customer’s needs, and have a position in positive social affairs will keep Blackberry and RIM on the platform of worldwide domination.