Black Berry Pearl Positioning

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when observing the perceptual map ,Chart 2, is that the Pearl is positioned between segments 1 and 2.

Further investigation revealed that Segments 1 and 2 and comprised primarily of business professionals, and are heavily invested in the business world. Segment 3 however is comprised predominantly of students and people with entry level job positions (Segment information available in the Appendix). This is the segment that the pearl needs to position itself for. Observing this same map we can see that the Pearl needs to focus more on the ease of typing, value for money and instant messaging capabilities in order to better position themselves within Segment 3. The pearl should focus less on brand image and email availability if they want to expand outside of the business world. If they are able to do this things they will successfully position themselves in the minds of segment 3, which will open up a whole new segment of the population for BlackBerry.

Question #4

Our target segment is segment III. The individuals within this segment are ages 18 – 25 years old and they are either in high school, completing college or have become college graduates. The attributes that separates this segment from the customer base we already serve are evident in the genres of magazine and television programs they choose. This segment reads technology and entertainment magazines more than the other segments. They also watch almost twice as much television sitcoms as the other segments. The preference for lively and entertaining media that this segment holds is the image the Blackberry Pearl needs to be associated with when re-positioning.

In order to target segment III we will have paper advertisements featured in multiple technology and entertainment magazines. The people featured in the advertisement will be of ages 18-25. Advertisements for entertainment magazines will display situations where the phone's features are in use. For example the ad will show male and female young adult using the Blackberry pearl to make a video recording of a live concert. Other ads will associate the Blackberry Pearl with young actors and actresses in their upcoming movies. Advertisements for the technology magazines will feature the Blackberry Pearl’s BBM and camera functions. Since our target market watches almost double the amount of sitcoms than any other target we will run television advertisements between the most popular sitcoms for ages 18 – 25.

Question #5

The software provided for the exercise has many advantages and few disadvantages. The software has made it possible for our group to make strategic marketing decisions. It provides a systematic structured approach to assist us throughout this process. The software transformed the perceptual and preference data into a visual representation that made it easier for our group to interpret and understand how customers view our firm’s offerings relative to competitors. The maps include dimensions which help us understand what target customers perceive about products and offerings. Not only does the software make this information easily accessible and convenient but it also helps a great deal in determining a direction for our marketing program.

Another advantage of the software is that it provided the information we needed to close the gap between how our target segments perceive the Blackberry Pearl and how we want our target segments to perceive the product. We were able to create a marketing program that would re-position the Blackberry Pearl in the minds of our target customers. We are able to indicate the potential for new concepts derived from the framework of existing products and identify the segments that would find the concept appealing.

In regards to our positioning analysis of the Blackberry Pearl we were able to identify and leverage our products strengths that are in line with our target segment’s (segment III) needs and wants, both psychologically and in functionality. In addition to the advantages previously described, the software has provided different ways to market our product. For example if we decided to choose a comparative approach to our advertising campaign we have the information available about what competitors we should compete against. Although the software provides many advantages there were a few limitations to the model.

Our group ran into a problem involving the lack of information provided about what brand locations are most attractive to our customers. Another disadvantage of the software is that perceptual and preference maps are based on the notion that perception is reality and that customer perceptions determine customer behavior. We know that preference and perception do not necessarily translate into choice. Higher preferences do not always means there will be an increase in customer purchases. Price is especially crucial in the case of the Blackberry Pearl’s re-positioning. Our target customers are significantly younger than our current customer base and our positioning analysis is lacking information about consumer behavior in terms of actual purchases.

Index

Chart 1

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Chart 2

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Chart 3

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Segment Data

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