Integrated Marketing Communications- The mix of all mixes.

There is one main goal of someone in business. I wish it’s changed, but it hasn’t. The main goal of any promotion is to get someone to buy a good or service. For the marketer, this means we must use all aspects of the promotion mix and integrate our marketing efforts. It is our ultimate job to communicate and get the product to the consumer.

Companies today want to show competitive advantage and that can become difficult when the audience is not tuning in. Our job – we have many of them- is to present the message through valuable mediums and channels and effectively enable our target audience to reach a – positive- decision about our product.

Promotion is pivotal to get product information to our core target audience. Promotion is a valuable and essential part of marketing and success.  Take the book required for this course, MRKTG edition 4. This book has to include personal selling and promotion both to the consumer and retailer. The publisher, most likely, went to schools, and then targeted the professors teaching this subject. This is where personal selling comes in. Why this book? What makes this book different than another one I used last year? These questions are answered by the personal sales representative. Lastly, the core consumers- students like me pulled into buying book after book- are targeted and offered promotions to obtain the book that they – the marketer- planned from the first.”Hello”. Welcome to Marketing Integration.

Personal Blogs have made companies go from bad to good and from good to bad. Fortunately, for Blackberry, the latter has not happened and blogs such as Crackberry.com have helped Blackberry generate and maintain customers for the company. The truth is, Crackberry is a mini-Blackberry corporation. Amazing really, how this blog started and became a staple for the millions of Blackberry users and skeptics.

Blackberry, perfectly balances the communication between its manufacturer, retailer, consumer and back to manufacturer. The main reason Blackberry has remained strong through the years is this communication. Blackberry has integrated with several platforms and increased its brand because of it. With every facet of the company integrated, Blackberry really is an IMC powerhouse.

Product Concepts. Wait. I have an idea !

          When we think of products, we think of tangible materials in which we, the consumer, can purchase or exchange something for.  Products are in our day-to-day lives and some we even depend on for use throughout. One product that has undoubtedly become a part of this class of products is the cellular phone. Cellar phones, when first introduced, we for business men and woman and people on the go. It was not a device for the everyday American. When, in the late 90’s and 00’s, phone’s started becoming “necessity” that is when Blackberry make some important Product decisions.

          Everything is important when it comes to product. First and foremost: the product itself. The product has to be able to perform and live up to the expectation of the consumer. An expectation made, of course, by none other than the marketer. Blackberry has done a good job at this and continues to develop new products; another facet of the company. 

          Product modification is important for several reasons. One, the product may in fact not be what research and development thought and fail connecting with customers. Second, the product may be great, but one or two features and functions may be outdated, required a modification. With Blackberry, most recently, this was done with the release and modification of the trackball.

          The trackball was the one feature about Blackberry that set it apart. No other device had the trackball and a user –or non-user- knew it was a Blackberry in their possession. The problem, however, is that the trackball feature to navigate on the phone was not durable and many customers complained. After quite some time, in early 2008, Blackberry released the TrackPad and revolutionized the Blackberry once again.

 

          Research in Motion has also extended their product line to include, besides mobile devices, the new Blackberry PlayBook tablet. Many technology professionals and industry insiders anticipate the release of the tablet and see if it says what is says it can do. We’ll see now won’t we? I think it’s a great feat to release the tablet in economic uncertain times, but also, in a market that has been lead by Apple (Ipad) and Barnes and Noble (Nook) since the craze started. This release will create a new product line, and new glimpse into the future at Blackberry. Thank you, Research in Motion.

Sales Promotion and Personal Selling- Would You Buy Me ?

           For Blackberry, selling products has been growing more and more difficult. With consumers evolving, manufacturers like RIM, have to meet those new customers’ needs and continue to have a good relationship with current customers. Through this process, Sales Promotions and Personal Selling definitely come into play here. As costs of Advertising and Marketing rise through high-traffic channels, companies like Blackberry are turning to a more cost effective way to market: Personal Selling.

Because of today’s Blackberry customer, who is more diverse and eclectic than in previous years, new initiatives and promotions must be outfitted differently; Different sales promotions for different buyers. Several programs are effective however; Blackberry only participates in a few. One use of Blackberry’s promotion strategy is their competitor customers approach. With new devices and manufacturers emerging, the company must be on their toes- constantly. The newest devices released were the Blackberry Torch and the new Curve from the series of the same name. A visible implementation of this strategy is seen with their release of the aforementioned models. As promotions were offered for the device, at comparable prices to similar mobile carriers, competitors were on the same level as Blackberry with regards to price-point.

Rebates are another sales promotion Blackberry and Research in Motion offers. Rebates are given after the initial purchase is made and the documents for the rebate, with a valid sales receipt (proof of purchase), is submitted to the rebates department. With these offers, customers can be comforted that their purchase of the device is a good one given the company’s reputation, quality and price.



Referrals are an important selling strategy that Blackberry and other companies rely on. Word-of-mouth marketing is valuable and caused companies like Facebook, and other businesses to gain national and in Facebook’s case, worldwide acclaim. 

Since a majority of Blackberries devices are sold through third party distributors or retailers, Blackberry’s follow-up is done through these parties. When a sale is made through T-mobile for instance, Blackberry may receive the data and information of the customer and the sale itself however, T-mobile deals direct to the customer and thus removing Blackberry or Research In Motion from its involvement in following up with the customer.

Maybe-just maybe- Blackberry get more involved in the selling process. I don’t think removing retailers who “push” their devices and produces should be eliminated, but as a Blackberry owner myself, it’d be nice to share my thoughts about issues or products should I feel inclined to do so. Remove the middle man from the customer service side of things and Blackberry could strengthen its efforts when creating sales promotions and engaging in personal selling. 

Weekly Shout-Out goes to: T-Mobile

I just recently saw this advertisement for T-Mobile's My Touch 4G device. They modeled the commercial after Apple's "I'm a Mac" segments and actually did a great job. Considering Apple has a innovative and creative commercials, T-mobile will get customers and consumers to listen using this model. Shout out to T-mobile.

Check out the video....

Advertising and PR - Blackberry and Beyond

Be Bold. Blackberry. Love what you do on BBM. Being innovative and creative in a company’s approach to consumers is essential for the marketer. The problem is what sells? What captivates and educates the consumer in little time? The fact is in today’s world we, the marketer, have a few seconds to catch someone’s eye or ear and generate interest for a product, service, or brand. Blackberry, has been pouring millions into its advertising and marketing campaigns and has broadened its reach over the past couple of years.

With competitors itching toward leadership in market share, a brand must keep up with the Joneses’ in their advertising initiatives. Until recently, Blackberry was word-of-mouth marketing that started in business offices around the globe and eventually filtered down to the everyday mobile device consumer. No longer can companies count on a word-of-mouth initiative with new products and developments. In order for our market share to be as high as or higher than the competition, we must reach out.

Apple had great success at the beginning of the 21^st century by engaging consumers with bright, fun, and innovative advertisements that generated interest and revenue almost immediately. Blackberry recently did this with the new Curve series and now, the new Blackberry Torch. BBM, or Blackberry Messenger, is a utility unique to devices that enables the user to send unlimited messages of any length to other Blackberry Messenger “buddies”. This gives the owner privacy, efficiency, and other features at lightning-fast speed on the network. This campaign has been quite successful and the use of BBM in media such as television and movies has been an advertising campaign in itself. The Bravo television show “NYC Prep” consistently used the term, “BBM” throughout its season. CW’s “Gossip Girl” also drops the Blackberry Messenger utility as an event for the opposite user: “BBM me.”

          With the release of the new Blackberry Torch, the company is currently using a continuous media schedule and engaging in new product publicity. Media is seen everywhere; especially in the advertising capital of the world- New York. Billboards, subway advertisements, and print all have the brand splattered about in them and momentum is strong.

The fact is the smarter the consumer gets, the smarter we as markets must be to meet their needs and wants. Deciphering the means to which potential customers receive these “signs” is a large undertaking-one that requires research, persistence, and a great amount of risk. To quote one of my favorite shows, “Advertising is based on one thing: Happiness.”

Retailing Per a Class Discussion

After a class discussion, my mind still spins on the subject of retailing. The shift of retailers over the years has been drastic for some and static for others. With competitors battling it out for the highest ownership of the market, companies have to make the right decisions when it comes to stores.

Apple made a smart decision while other computer stores were closing down to build an image and experience. Small boutiques that once occupied shopping centers and malls now stand alone and continue to thrive. On the other side of the spectrum, many a store has closed after its opening due to many factors. Stores operate effectively when the communities around them find the products useful, and affordable. The fact that 50 percent of specialty stores go out of business after one year is intimidating to entrepreneurs. However, should a company or business have a good or services that are needed or attractive, this risk is worth the taking.

In a day where technology is constantly evolving, retail stores continue to thrive. Blackberry, with very little brick and mortar stores, may be hesitant to begin opening stores to avoid the risk of failure. This is unfortunate given blackberry shares a very even market share with iPhone which has done very well under the Apple umbrella.

I envision a sophisticated, innovative and inviting store with Blackberry products. Departments could be split into divisions: Business, Gaming and Entertainment, and Blackberry World. The business division could provide products, support and solutions for businesses and give companies and business men and woman a place to call home. The gaming and entertainment would be ground zero for all things entertainment. The social media user's best friend and contained all in one place. Blackberry World could be the place for the everyday user. Everything you want in a phone from the company who is the leader in mobile technology.

Concepts are easy. Implementing them is a different story. I hope that Blackberry and other businesses take the risk and create a moving experience in the retail world.

New Blackberry Playbook Leaked

Developing A Global Vision: Global Marketing Strategy

     With newer markets holding untouched opportunity today, marketers are taking advantage of every possibility they can to reach every consumer. With technology comes the ease of reaching these markets faster, more efficiently, and in their native language with little effort. What about the current market? How do we retain their business and  loyalty: The internet.

     RIM and Blackberry have done their homework by creating the easiest platform to which marketers can reach their audience. The newest member of the strategy team is not a human and does not have a 401 K. The answer is found on the web with sites like Handango for Blackberry and other devices. Consumers now have the availability and option to update, customize, and add software and application onto their device like never before. This is a distribution effort that has been working for other mobile carriers in recent years and continues to show positive results each quarter. Blackberry has now developed its own application superstore, Blackberry App World, and it has been successful on its own since its release. 

     Blackberry continues to branch out in their marketing efforts; they even brought on a new advertising agency in June of 2010 called, The Next Door who would be responsible for their global campaign. This collaboration will enable the company to have access to large markets and the populations that are growing in them. 

     It seems as though Blackberry’s strongest market besides the United States is China and the Far East. China is excelling in technology development and creating software and products at a rate faster than any other on the planet. A majority of Blackberry’s exports go to places like China due to demand and dependability of the server. Blackberry, though many would think these days, manufacturers their devices mostly in Canada and has very few objectives bringing production and distribution away from Canada. I like to think of Blackberry as the Apple of Canada. 

     Blackberries, much like the fruit, are found across the globe due to development, outreach, and strong relationships being built in newer markets to establish the brand abroad. With competition strong, it is necessity to maintain the objectives and goals internally, while supplying the consumer with the good and service they expect with a name like Blackberry.

BlackBerry Torch 9800 Review

BlackBerry Mission Statement and Brief History

Blackberry is a brand that was created by Research in Motion’s (RIM) Founder Mike Lazaridis in 1996, providing wireless web enabled devices across multiple networks. RIM is a Canadian based company founded in 1984 that formally worked with RAM and Ericsson, developing a two way paging system and wireless email network.

The company’s goal and vision is clear: “to provide solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market, including the software that allows the BlackBerry Smartphone to provide mobile access to email, applications, media and the Internet.” (RIM website: http://www.rim.com/company)

Since the creation of Blackberry, it commands over 20% of the world’s Smartphone sales, available in over 91 countries on over 500 mobile service operators. Blackberry has sold over 100 million devices and still trumps the Iphone is sales since its development.


With the development of the New Blackberry Torch we see the progress that Blackberry has made. Not only does Blackberry dedicate so much time and funds to research and development, but they have successfully built the brand strong and have reached different demographics in the past 5 years than any other company.


There is no doubt that Blackberry has been, and will continue to be, the leader in research and development in wireless realm.