An experienced courtroom attorney will tell you never to ask a question if you don’t already know the answer. It looks like Research In Motion could’ve used an experienced courtroom attorney this week.
In an attempt to promote the struggling BlackBerry, RIM launched a Twitter campaign with the tweet “Fill in the blank: BlackBerry helps me ________.” Unfortunately, some people were all too eager to oblige, tweeting back that BlackBerry helps them:
- Realize how thankful they are for their iPhones
- Envy their friends with iPhones
- With their throwing skills
And so on.
Some of the responses were actually polite and constructive, or even downright enthusiastic (“BlackBerry helps me with everything. My BlackBerry is my life 
”). However, it seems obvious that RIM didn’t think things through quite enough.
The ill-conceived Twitter promotion followed news that RIM will delay the launch of the BlackBerry 10 model, probably to the first quarter of 2013.
With the exploding growth rate of wireless mobility — thanks in part to 4G networks launched by providers like CLEAR — smartphones, laptops and other devices have become indispensable to a growing number of people. To restore the BlackBerry’s relevance in this vibrant market, RIM will have to do a much better job not only in manufacturing its products but also in marketing them.
