Blackberry Smartphones and Its Competitors - Term Paper Example

?BLACKBERRY SMARTPHONES AND ITS COMPETITORS of Executive Summary The mobile phone industry has in the recent past demonstrated innovative developments in technology and mobile applications. These developments are aimed at meeting the dynamic needs of the market. Blackberry brands have specifically been challenged by the competitive smartphone market as attributed by the attractive features that Samsung, iPhone and HTC Mobile have presented to the customers in their brands. Consumers are attracted to the features that a smartphone brand exhibits such as touch screen capability, music, fast internet speeds, camera and expansive storage. The opinions that consumers of smartphones provide reveal that there are psychographics that determine the smartphone they prefer such as its popularity among peers. It is therefore reflective that competitive advantage and improved market performance is achieved by mobile phone companies by providing features that meet the needs and preferences of consumers as well as effective marketing strategies. Introduction Advancement in information and communication technology has had a significant impact in the mobile industry. Developments in the mobile industry emanate from creativity, innovativeness and customer needs motivated design of phones (Parsons 2012). More notable is the introduction of the smartphone technologies and mobile applications. This has resulted from the changes in the preferences and needs of consumers. In return mobile companies have demonstrated increased competition which is driving the various strategies in marketing which are employed to achieve a competitive advantage within the market (Strategic Direction 2009). This paper presents an analytical report on the Blackberry smartphone versus Samsung, iPhone and HTC which comprise of its main competitors. The psychographics of the market which define their preferences and needs within a mobile phone, the role of marketing and its impact on the market are also presented within the report. The customer preferences and the reflections on my blog are evaluated and discussed within the report. This report is based on concepts in brand management and theoretical frameworks which define the competitive advantage of a company within its market. Blackberry Smartphone versus Competitors When Blackberry was introduced to the market by the Research In Motion Ltd, many competitors sprouted within the smartphone market with an aim of grabbing a significant share of the mobile phone market (Shields 2010). Early brands of the Blackberry such as the 7000, 7100 and 8000 series attracted many consumers with a resultant advantageous positioning of these brands in the market (Woyke 2011). This is attributed to the customer value that was achieved by the innovativeness of the company and the provision of attractive features such as Wi-F, options for memory expansion and in-built cameras (Shepherd 2010). These brand elements as presented by the design of the blackberry is attributed to the strategic and better positioning of Blackberry within the market. More innovation was included within the Blackberry mobile as demonstrated by the mobile applications that are provided within its smartphone brands (Mobile Phones Industry Profile: Europe 2011). The mobile phone industry is characterized by rapid changes in the preferences and needs of consumers. This is attributed to the business competition that Blackberry received from other smartphone brands such as Samsung, iPhone and HTC Mobile (Boost Mobile 2012). The competitor companies provided more innovative features such as fast processing speeds, high megapixel cameras, full touch screen capabilities, android and thousands of mobile software applications for the diverse needs of the consumers (Segan and Jenn 2007). In this sense, the ability of Blackberry to maintain its position in the market would only be achieved through Customer Based Equity (CBE), brand advertising and marketing communication that was aimed at demonstrating the its attractive features to the market. Regardless of this the company has faced many challenges in marketing its brand which is attributed to the preference of the market to the attractive features of the competitor mobile phone brands such as Samsung (Bertolucci 2009). As a result of this, the positioning of the Blackberry within the smartphone market has been surpassed by the competitor brands. Operating System 2011 Market Share (%) 2015 Forecast Market Share (%) Android (e.g. Samsung) 39.5 45.4 Blackberry 14.9 13.7 Apple iOS 15.7 15.3 Symbian 20.9 0.2 Windows 7/Windows Mobile 5.5 20.9 Others 3.5 4.6 Total 100 100 Source (IDC 2011) Customer Preferences and Analysis of Comments on the Blog The features that are provided by a mobile phone brand present the most significant determining factor of the purchasing choice of the customers (Michael 2009). This is demonstrated by the comments on my blog which reveal that those who prefer the iPhone over the blackberry site the touch screen feature that the iPhone provides because of the ease in use which is made possible through this feature. In light of the comments on my blog, it is observed that the price of a mobile phone does not supersede the features that it provides in the purchase decision. This is due to the fact that smartphone with many attractive features as brand elements represents a Customer Based Equity where consumers get value for their money. In this sense it is arguable that the mobile phone industry is characterized by the capabilities and features that a phone provides as the best strategy in brand marketing and promotion. Opinions of Bloggers Various opinions were provided by bloggers to justify their preferences in purchase and use of smartphones. The Blackberry for example was demonstrated as an effective phone in connecting with friends and relatives through BBM. Moreover, some bloggers revealed that since a lot of people are using the Berry, it is easy to connect with them. The features which make iPhones and Samsung smartphones more appealing to the consumers are highlighted by the commentators on my blog. These include games, messaging, music and internet speeds. Nonetheless, psychographics such as peer influence and the popularity of a brand also contributes to the appeal that it creates among users. The comments within my blog present fast hand information from consumers which can be used to evaluate the factors which are considered by consumers of mobile phone consumers in purchase. This information would be vital for marketers and future developments in mobile phone designs and hence innovation which is aimed at achieving a Customer Based Equity. The comments within my blog demonstrate that factors such as presence of online information about a mobile phone on its website makes it to be viewed as credible by consumers and hence the resultant loyalty to the brand Conclusion In congruency with the above analyses, illustrations and discussions, it is apparent that the competitiveness of mobile phone within the market is determined by a variety of factors. The ability of a brand to achieve Customer Based Equity and meeting the dynamic preferences and needs of consumers is the best marketing tool. This is results in advantageous positioning in the market by a brand as compared to its competitors which further leads to a higher market share. Blackberry for example has been overtaken by its competitors within the smartphone market such as Samsung and iPhone because of their attractive features and applications. Psychographics such as peer influence and the popularity of a mobile phone brand also contributes to more sales, competitive advantage and better positioning in the market. It is necessary for mobile phone companies to provide their customers with features which meet their diverse needs and effective marketing and branding strategies as a way of improving their positioning in the market. Bibliography Bertolucci, Jeff. 2009. "Smart Phones for Everyone." Kiplinger's Personal Finance 63, no. 4: 85. 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Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed September 4, 2012). Shepherd, Grant. "Phone Smart." Tech Trader 2, no. 11 (December 2010): 22-28. Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed September 4, 2012). Shields, Ronan. 2010. "BlackBerry boasts of young audience to win over brands." New Media Age 06. Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed September 4, 2012) Strategic Direction. "BlackBerry still a favorite tasty treat: Punching above its weight in brand icon stakes." Strategic Direction 25, no. 5 (May 2009): 5-7 Woyke, Elizabeth. 2011. "BlackBerry Battles Back." Forbes 187, no. 3: 34-36. Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed September 4, 2012). Appendix I: Relative Market Share Read More