Wansum Li – Intro to Marketing

Crystal Wong wrote an interesting post on BBM being made available for other platforms. Being an avid Blackberry user, my first reaction to this news was confusion. I am addicted to my BBM app. The only downside to BBM is that not everyone has it. Other instant messaging apps like WhatsApp, PingChat, or GoogleTalk don’t compare at all. The only advantage these apps have is that they are available cross-platform. As Crystal mentioned, she, and many others, view BBM as a defining feature of the Blackberry and a reason to purchase one over an iPhone, for example. It seemed that by making BBM non-exclusive, RIM would be giving up a primary differentiation point, and potentially lose customers who chose a Blackberry solely for BBM.

Upon further reflection, RIM’s move seems less of an unfortunate lapse in judgment and more of a brilliant marketing move. For one, it adds value to the BBM app. The value of any instant messaging app depends on its user base. An app could have the greatest features, but if few people are using it, it is of little value. Thus, by allowing non-Blackberry users to use BBM, RIM is promoting the app and adding value. I would not be surprised if RIM offers non-Blackberry users a free limited version of BBM only, with ad space or limited contacts, and charges a fee for the full version. In this way, RIM would able to add value to its brand, maintain a key differentiating point, and generate additional revenue from an already existing product. Sounds like a brilliant move to me.