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