Today i came across an article that I thought had some significant relevance to what we learned in class about strategies for good marketing – “RIM’s Playbook up against the iPad”. RIM, the company that gave us the Blackberry is launching its new tablet computer “Playbook” early next year and is facing some tough competition from the iPad.
Based on the Positioning theory we learned in class, the easiest way to get into a consumer’s mind is to be the first in its category. Thus, it would be hard for the Playbook to enter into the market as the iPad has already established a huge name for itself and is the first of its kind. When people think of portable tablet computer, the iPad immediately comes to their minds.
However, good brand positioning for a company also calls for 3 major key points which is concentrating on the brand’s points of difference, points of parity and understanding the frame of reference within which their brands work. For RIM, the Playbook has some similar features and points of parity to the iPad which gives consumers a clear image of what the Playbook is and what it has to offer. From the article, the Playbook also has distinct points of differences that distinguishes itself from the iPad, especially the fact that the Playbook is offered at a lower price. This would be an advantage for RIM as its sales could be successful among those of lower income or students. The main aim for Playbook buyers for RIM is its 50 million blackberry users and this shows that RIM has established a clear frame of reference.
It would be very difficult to compete against leading mogul Apple’s iPad, but over the long run and with clever marketing and advertising plans, the Playbook could be able to hold its own name and gain their own consumer loyalty.