This week the new blackberry bold 9780 will be available on different carriers in Canada. I’ve been waiting for this phone to be released for some time and have been researching and trying to find out as much information as I could about the new device. However, as I was researching I couldn’t help but notice the a different price for the same phone on different wireless providers.
Telus prices the phone at $99.99 on a 3 year contract, Bell is selling it for $124.99, and Rogers is by far the most expensive, advertising the phone at $149.99 on the same term.
When I went to a local Rogers retailer yesterday and asked about the price differences, he didn’t seem to know the reason behind it. He simply said “it probably has to do something with the marketing.”
It really got me wondering about how Rogers hopes compete with Telus and Bell if they price the same phone higher than their competitors. It didn’t make sense to me at the time. First, it’s the exact same product, the bold they sell at Rogers is exact one they have at Telus, minus the carrier name branded on the phone. Wouldn’t Rogers lost market share if they price significantly lower than other providers? There must be some marketing reason behind it.
Rogers must be confident that despite having a higher price tag on the new Blackberry, consumers will still be willing to buy it. Rogers has developed a position in the mind of its consumers to be the better of the wireless companies. Even if they offer the same phone at a higher price consumers will most likely still purchase it if it means they will be on the carrier they feel is the better one. It is unlikely that consumers who have enjoyed the services and products that Rogers has offered to switch over to Telus or Bell just to save some extra cash on a new phone.
Rogers has found a way to increase its revenue while still maintaining a solid piece of the wireless market. Its higher pricing of homogenous products reflects the influence it holds as the powerhouse wireless provider of Canada.
I still plan to get my new Blackberry this weekend from Rogers.
Check out the prices and see how you feel about them
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