Research In Motion
Social Media Technology ConsultantsGobind BrarYong HeNehal Adhikary
Agenda
• RIM - Introduction & Social Media History• Strategic Issues• Root Cause Analysis• Social Media Strategy Framework• Solution / Recommendation• Implementation• Summary
Research in Motion History
• Founded 1984• 1996 - Introduces the RIM 900
Inter@ctivePager• 1999 - Launches BlackBerry service
• 2004 - 1 million BlackBerry subscribers• 2007 - 10 million subscribers
• 2010 Revenue: $14.9 billion• 2010 Net Income: $3.46 billion
RIM Revenue and Net Income
Blackberry Subscribers
RIM’s Social Media History2008• First Facebook page and customer support forum2009• Launch of the official BlackBerry blog Inside BlackBerry• Twitter accounts for @blackberry and @blackberryhelp2010 • BlackBerry Help Blog, BlackBerry Developer Zone2011• Promotion of PlayBook launch through Social Media
RIM’s Social Media Presence• @blackberryhelp followers: 352,009 (as of 2nd April 2011)
• Over 700 Direct Messages on Twitter per day
• Over 30 Facebook pages
• Around 10 Twitter accounts in total
• About 400 mentions at Blog World
• Upwards of 200 hours per month logged on forum users
OWNED
• Official Website• YouTube Channel• Facebook fan page• Twitter Account• Blackberry support community• Blogs
• Helper Blog• Official Blog• Business Blog• Developers Blog
EARNED
• Blackberry Support sites and forums• Crackberry• Blackberry cool• Berry Review
• Unofficial Blackberry Twitter accounts• Blackberry King• BB hacker• BB Rocks
PAID• Google pages search results • Online Advertisements• Sponsored Links
RIM – Owned, Earned, Paid
RIM vs. Google vs. Apple Twitter Stats
Followers
Following
Tweets
Social Media Comparison
RIM Apple Google0
2000400060008000
100001200014000
Company Brand Phone Brand
• Keith Pardy (CMO) quit before launch of Playbook• 2011 Q4: - Shares Price plunged 11%
RIM in News
Strategic Issues Ahead
Operating Performance Declined Lost Product Innovation Changing Business Environment Increasing Competition
Operating Performance DeclinedNew Subscribers Per Quarter
turn down
New Subscribers Added Per Unit Sold continue drop
Device Gross Margin Percentage get thinner
Revenue Per BlackBerry Device Sold declined
Lost Product innovation
Touch screen
– response to iPhone
Playbook
– response to iPad2
Full Qwerty
– Classical BB Strength
Changing Environment
Mobile Trends 1/3rd of Americans access mobile browser and social
networking sites on mobile phonesMobile ApplicationTouch User Experience
Web Trends: Email Social MediaTraditional portals Online leisure Activities
Changing Customers Enterprise Mass market
Shifting Age Profile Twitter Facebook
Increasing Competition beat old competitor or address new comer
Increasing Competition – cont`dMobile App Store
Strategic Issues Analysis
RIM
Operating Performance
Subscriber Device Margin
Innovation
Talent
Competition Environment
New Trend Customer User Experience
Root Cause Analysis
Internal & External factors
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Business Matrices Operating Performance
Subscriber
New Customers Old Customer User
Experience
Device Profit Margin
New Mobile Trend Innovation Competition
Root CausesShift Ageing
Mobile Activities
Recruit Talent
Corp Culture
Customer Satisfaction
Web ExperienceShift Email to Social
Mobile App
Touch ScreenPricing
Strategy
Target Market EmployeeCustomerDeveloper
(Ecosystem)Competitor
Market Mix Promotion ProductPlace Price
RIM SWOTStrengths• Strong Brand Presence in Enterprise
Markets• Strong Wireless E-Mail and Qwerty
Products• Healthy Financial Performance
Opportunities• Growth in Emerging Markets for
Smart phones• Success Of Integrated, End-To-End
Mobile Solutions With Consumers • Availability of Multi-Tiered Pricing and
More Affordable Data Plans
Weaknesses• Weak Position in Consumer Mobile
Device Market • Weak Touch User Interface • Limited Consumer Applications,
Immature Application Store
Threats• Increased Competition from
Smartphone Vendors• Competition and Commoditization in
Smartphone Market• Free Open Smart phone platform
Social Media Strategies FrameworkInternal
External
Business Executives Business Metrics
Revenue & Reputation of the
Brand
Stakeholders Social Media Analytics
Tweets, retweets, social mention,
turn around time
Managers Social media Dept Engagement
Clicks, fans, followers, reviews
Role metrics Action
Solution - Customers• Objective:
– Improve customer satisfaction
– Gather customer requirements and feedback
– Increase awareness and adoption of Blackberry
Products
• Activities:– Enable customers help each other: Empower
BlackBerry brand evangelists to support each other
and help others in the community.
– Create Superusers
– Create online info through Helpsblogs
– Measure ROI in viral marketing campaigns to
illustrate its cost effectiveness
• Results:– Increase in number of app downloads
– Improvement in JD Power customer satisfaction
ranking
• Measurement Metrics: – Accepted Solutions: How many people actually got
helped from the support forums
– User Engagements: # of re-tweets, # of questions asked
Solution – Employees/Developers• Objective:
– first prepare and align internal roles, processes,
policies and stakeholders with their business
objectives.
– engage employees to use social media.
– Spur App development to combat Apple and Android
• Recent Developments:– An Ad platform for application developers and
was initiated in Sept 2010
– Robust tools, technologies and business services
to assist developers in creating and marketing
even more powerful and useful applications
– Opportunity to monetize developed apps
– On 24th March 2011 RIM announced that Playbook
will be able to run Android apps
• Next Steps– Hold webinars and upload tutorials
– Use Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to reach out to
potential developers
– Provide real-time support to developers via Social
Media
• Other Initiatives– BlackBerry Academic Program
– BlackBerry Theme Studio
– BlackBerry Widgets
Solution - Competitors• Objective:
– Differentiate Blackberry products and brand by learning industry best practices and attracting talents
– Promote Blackberry product and attract 3rd party developer
• Activities:– Monitor: evaluate how competitors build their brand and product image Identify target social
media/influencers differentiate RIM by effectively engaging with social media
– Promotion: Youtube, Blog, Dev Forum, Facebook, Twitter
– “RIM is changing” champion – delivery message across social sites and targeted influencers.
– “RIM Value you” champion – promote influencers and attract developers
– “DIY Blackberry” champion – encourage innovation and attract Enterprise User and developers
– Insight : use Social Media as design source and drive internal change
– Use social media to drive product direction and improve product design process.
– Collect and package real-time feedback to product team to make product better.
Summary & Implementation Plan
Involve:Build a loyal communityCreate:Relevant content for the communities of interestDiscuss:Issues of customers and developersPromote:The products and featuresMeasure:The effectiveness of online social media channels, respond to queries and address concerns
Questions?
Appendices
Owned Social Media Benefits
• Announce new product or service developments
• Listen to the problems by engaging with Blackberry customers and provide them with technical support
• Run promotions and competitions
RIM’s Social Media Metrics
Accepted Solution• How many people actually got helped from the
support forums
User Registration• # of Followers
User Engagements• # of re-tweets, # of questions asked
Channel ProliferationOffline (Historically)• TV• Print/Radio• Outdoor• Direct Mail• Word of Mouth• Trusted advisor• In Store• Directories• Conferences and Events• Loyalty programs• Product Placement
Online+ Display+ Internet Radio+ Mobile+ E-Mail+ Peer to Peer + UGC generally – Blogs, Wikis etc.+ Social Networking specifically+ Search+ IPTV+ RSS+ In game
Tablet War
Developers Matter
OS share 2009-2014 (Projected)
RIM’s Sociable Index