Is the Blackberry Squashed? Maybe Not (Yet)
I’m not a user but I have been shocked by how badly Blackberry’s reputation has been damaged by recent mistakes (the outage, censorship issues in Middle East) and the consumerization of IT that’s seen the brand overwhelmed by Apple (though not helped by how badly the Playbook’s been received)
Growth has slowed down to a point where people predict a case of the Nokias or worse, the Palms.
So, this articlewas a good reality check especially for those who predict Apple is the de facto for mobilising enterprises on a grander scale than previously seen.
Ansd my personal barometer of what my fellow commuters on the 7.12 from Dover use suggests the battle isn’t lost just yet. Yes, they stroke their Apple devices but – as the City draws closer the Blackberrys come out en masse for the essential emailing …
So perhaps don’t right them off yet but shouldn’t their PR machine go back to the basics of communicatinf the Blackberry as the best possible mobile business machine?
Steve Jobs, genuine innovator, visionary, entrepreneur
As the flowers and messages gather at the #Apple flagship store in #Covent Garden near our offices, we cannot let the day go past without noting the sad passing of this creative man who changed and shaped our world forever. You may not have agreed with everything he said and did but no one can deny that he made a huge impact on our world.
Barack Obama summed him up best: Steve was among the greatest of American innovators, brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.’
Some of the most notable articles of today:
#Businessweek says “Steve Jobs departs a world he helped transform. Jobs was a total original. He was somehow able to blend iconoclasm, rock-and-roll, and chic industrial design with the nerd sciences, as well as the unseemly profit motive of the corporation.”
#Venturebeat highlighted ten important products Steve Jobs has brought to the world
Moco News – a tribute in links and quotes including “For those of us lucky enough to get to work with Steve, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely.”—Bill Gates
And finally some of Steve Jobs own most memorable quotes – an inspiration
“Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?” – Macstories.net.
“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful … that’s what matters to me.” – Wall Street Journal 1993, shared by UK Guardian.
“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.
Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” – Stanford University commencement address, 1995
The Apple Chronicles
And so, he bids farewell. Apple’s great visionary and one of the geniuses of this century who heralded a whole new era of all things ‘i’, Steve Jobs, has stepped down from assuming an active role in the company’s activities. It wasn’t a terribly shocking piece of news; Jobs’ resignation as CEO was foreseen ever since news about his ailing health spread in January. But it is indeed saddening.
It is interesting to see how his decision will impact Apple’s brand image, which, incidentally, briefly surpassed Exxon Mobil as the world’ most valuable company in August. His departure made front page news on all major publications and newswires across the world (rightly so, may I add). Initial reactions ranged from panic regarding Apple’s future, prompting a drop in its share prices to a quiet resignation and renewed interest in Tim Cook, who replaces him. Everyone had something to say, whether they were a tech journalist, a consumer, or a mere bystander watching a global and historical moment unfold in the field of technology.
The debates that raged across social media networks (especially Twitter, where this was the number one trending topic for the last 24 hours) have leaned towards being conspiracy theories to sentimental fallacies. PCWorld has produced an amazing infographic providing greater insight into the conversation trends. Oddly enough, the concluding one as of the moment seems to be a steady stream of ‘i’ jokes – from ‘iQuit’ to the ‘iFamily’s’ loss.
Apple fans rallied stoically, hailing Jobs and fore-seeing Apple continuing its dominance. Journalists remain cautious and mostly wait to see what will happen with the company, with some drawing comparisons to Microsoft after its founder Bill Gates left. What, however, touched me the most and pays true testimony to the man who has indeed accomplished a mighty job was his sworn rival’s praise -Google’s Eric Schmidt offered a brilliantly appreciative statement in response to Jobs’ resignation, creating a very positive atmosphere regarding the whole situation. Indeed, this places a very positive seal on this story and the Apple brand, regardless of what may or may not happen in the company’s future.
82 percent of people who have worked in a restaurant or bar own iPods/iPads, compared with 66 percent of people in general.
These figures have been put together by a website called www.correlated.org Everyday Correlated.org, ask a new question, for example: are you left handed? Then with a clever bit of coding and maths, they work out which set of previous questions can give the biggest discrepancy from people in general and forward you an email with the results.
At this stage the sample groups are only reaching just over 300 so these correlations should be taken as interesting rather than factual and short of combining with a massive social network like Facebook, twitter or LinkedIn, we as communication professionals will not really be able to utilise them. However, with stats like:
“71 percent of perfume/cologne wearers prefer debit cards over credit cards, compared with 53 percent of people in general”
you can begin to see the beauty of this site.
Mobile: the next big thing in Marketing and PR
The number of people accessing the internet via mobile devices may reach 1 billion by 2014, meaning mobile will overtake the PC as the most popular way to get on the Web. At the same time, more users will be consuming mobile apps with the mobile app market reaching $8.3 billion in 2014 compared to $3.8 billion forecast for this year.
This makes thinking about the marketing opportunities of mobile and mobile apps all the more pressing and exciting. Many brands are already incorporating mobile apps into their marketing and PR campaigns. Deodorant brand Lynx has launched a mobile app which encourages consumers to share their party experiences with selected friends by streamlining their social media activity in one place. The application will be promoted through the company Facebook page, YouTube channel and a dedicated website and will act as a media channel for future brand and marketing campaigns.
What’s significant about this example is how it makes the most of how the mobile platform allows marketers and PR professionals to interact with consumers regardless of time and location. The increase in mobile internet usage is a great opportunity for brands to engage consumers through social networks, while using dedicated apps and location-based websites to make their messages relevant to consumers. Additionally, mobile apps can be used to create innovative, interactive and engaging forms of content using specific Smartphone functionalities such as multi-touch navigation, cameras, GPS, etc.
Not surprisingly brands and media companies are focusing significant efforts on tapping into the mobile platform. In the era of mobility and social networking, mobile devices will have a profound impact on how marketers and PR professionals communicate with their target audiences.
