The BlackBerry Pearl is selling quite well. Better even than what most analysts thought it would. A potential issue, however, is that the Pearl isn’t catching on with new consumers like what they had hoped.
Estimates say that 60% to 70% of BlackBerry Pearls are being purchased by existing BlackBerry users looking to upgrade. This means that percentage of new BlackBerry subscribers buying the BlackBerry Pearl is somewhere south of 40% – 30%.
That’s not so hot for a new device marketed towards new subscribers.
Will and when are we going to start seeing the cool BlackBerry Pearl commercials like we do for the BlackJack, or the Motorola Q, or the Treo? When will we see print ads in magazines other industry rags and computer / technology journals? Folks who read Forbes, PC Magazine, and Business 2.0 already know about the BlackBerry and in many cases own a BlackBerry.
If you want consumers to buy something you have to make sure they know about and and think that it is hot. There is no doubt that the BlackBerry is hot in the tech world, however, RIM, T-Mobile, and Cingular need to make it hot in the world that consumers live in.
In the last two issues of Wired magazine, RIM had full page ads for the Pearl.
I have noticed that RIM has been running ads on the online version of the Wall Street Journal.
However, I do agree…I’d love to see a really cool TV ad…