How Blackberry has taken over the youth market

For most people above the age of 24, the title of this blog post would probably come as a shock, but no, it is in fact true. Anyone aged 14-24 would agree with me. And anyone with a child of that age would also agree i am sure- having been subjected to constant 'beeps' and 'pings'.

The reason behind me wanting to write this post is as a result of a meeting with Stephen Waddington at Speed PR as part of my internship at the Taylor Bennett Foundation a couple of months ago. There, Stephen presented me with a book entitled Socialnomics and a quick flick through it lead me onto a section titled something along the lines of "Asking for a persons Facebook, is the new ask for a phone number".

The book was meant to highlight the changes in society in relation to social media and how we live our lives and do business in modern society. When i came across the title of the section, I could not help but think that perhaps it was already out of date?. I mean, it immediately made me think about a previous conversation I had with a friend of mine where we were discussing how the role of the BlackBerry messenger service has made it easier for young people to connect and how easy and comfortable it is to swop 'pins' as opposed to phone numbers due to its secure nature and the ability to be able to block or delete a contact permanently. Therefore, allowing you to ask people who you would not normally ask for phone numbers, for their 'BB pins' and subsequently also allowing people who you would not necessarily give your phone number to, to have your own pin to keep in contact.

So, this service that was originally intended for businessmen and professionals has been around for years before it took off amongst the younger generation, so how exactly has it suddenly taken off and why?. Was it an accident? Is it a brilliant example of targeted marketing? Good PR and a change in public perception towards what was usually considered a boring phone for city types. Well, I have seen the rise of the BlackBerry from the very start to its very peak and I can tell you exactly what happened.

Having a integrated feature that already did more or less what MSN Messenger did via a mobile phone should have been developed for the younger generation a whole lot earlier. Whilst professionals were already familiar with the Blackberry, MSN was at its height of popularity for youngsters online and text messaging (SMS) took the world by storm, and a combination of both of these should have been an obvious natural development. But it wasn't, here is how I personally remember it taking off and why it completely took over and why rival services will never be able to match it.

As far as I know, BlackBerrys have always been perceived as a serious phone and a youngster would never ever have thought of owning one when he/she could easily purchase a phone with the latest in technology at the time- be it polyphonic ringtones or inter-changeable covers. This trend actually changed accidentally when mobile networks, primarily T-Mobile suddenly started offering BlackBerry phones to non-business customers on upgrades at the end of their contracts leading to the first generation of public usage of Blackberry on a wide scale. Of course, having a feature that was more or less a mix of SMS and MSN with unlimited and unrestricted usage capabilities introduced the service to a whole new market and word of mouth spread the service like wildfire. I could literally remember the period when it seemed like people everywhere would ask me if I had a 'BB pin', it was like the latest childhood playground craze but one that was here to stay and surpassed age limits. It eventually came to a point where all other phones where not cool anymore, and if you did not have a BlackBerry, it had better be an iPhone or it would just be a piece of plastic. In fact, there was even a rap song recorded by UK rapper Maxwell D regarding this entitled "BB Hype" recorded during late 2009.

Of course, once the iPhone 4 was released, the game was changed. The iPhone 4 was something that was of such stature that its street-cred was able to take people off the BlackBerry. However, it is not surprising to find people who own the iPhone 4 still own a Blackberry just for the messenger service. As a matter of fact, I have plenty of friends who do just that!.

So why has it not been beaten by rivals you ask?. Well primarily because it was the first to do what it did and it stuck. Secondly, 'apps' were created for other phones to rival the service, but there were so many that it was impossible to get everybody on the same 'app' in the same way that the BlackBerry service did. Thirdly, because 'BlackBerry' was a household name and rivals that have come closest to it such as 'WhatsApp' and more recently 'LiveProfile' would never quite be able to match it. Fourthly, apps such as those mentioned usually required the user to have the phone numbers of the person they wished to add on their phones which more or less defied the point in the first place. And fifthly, the practicality and the affordability of it all combine to be exactly what the young generation want.

BlackBerry of course have jumped onto this popularity bandwagon and you can now see adverts primarily advertising the messenger service itself on posters in train stations rather than their actual phones. Lucky them. If it were not for the messenger service, the iPhone would have completely walked over BlackBerry in every department as it has with everyone else. I guess sometimes certain things you cannot plan. Although, with iPhone planning the 'iMessage' messenger service soon, and considering the only reason the majority of BlackBerry users including myself have not jumped ship is because of the service, maybe the market is about top change once again as the iPhone would not have a problem in generating users as other rival 'apps' have had.

But perhaps the differences in price would throw off the younger market?, i'm not sure. I guess we just have to wait and see what the future holds.

Social media: the experiement

Being a tech-geek, last week I decided to test myself and see how I would be able to cope without any form of social media usage for seven consecutive days. Okay, truthfully my internet connection developed a fault and I was forced into making the decision but either way, I did. Anyway, here is a quick breakdown of how the days unfolded.

The first two days felt weird. What do I mean, you ask?. Well, it felt as though I has being restricted from doing what I wanted when there was nothing to do. Being completely addicted to 'chatting' away to friends outside of my everyday social circle via Facebook is something that I have become accustomed to on a daily basis whenever I am bored and have time to spare. I actually felt lonely. Okay, that sounds extremely sad but in the context just mentioned I'm sure you understand what I mean.

By the middle of the week, I had become used to it. Almost like a child finally realising he is not going to get what he wants and has to now live with the realisation. However, this is where I started realising a few serious negative points to my lack of access to social media. Being unemployed, I use Twitter as a tool to job search and then subsequently apply for those roles, and now this was taken away from me leading to no responses from potential employers. Be it rejection emails, this was the first week where I had received none at all and this was not a good place to be whilst being unemployed in the current climate.

The only form of income that I do generate is through sales of clothing through my own small clothing line. Now, this was being affected too. Facebook is my main form of targeting and attracting potential customers and with this now being taken away, I had just witnessed the lowest number of sales I have ever had in a week!.

I must say that by day six, I failed to complete my task fully and cheated slightly. However, this was not due to my inability to finish tasks, but more to counter the lack of job applications I had made and to update my brand's Facebook page. Both of which I could not really afford to not do.

I must say that I was shocked with finding out how reliant I am on social media. At first, I thought I would be affected by the lack of socialising, but this could not be further from the truth. The free time where I had nothing to do actually forced me to go out and see more friends so it actually worked out to be a treat. It was more to do with my reliance on social media as a means to an end that really shocked me and I guess that could either be a positive or a negative thing depending on how you look at it.

East London lads light up the world stage

First of all, I probably should not post this on a blog about PR- but the organisation in question in this post is the one I work for as a communications officer so I guess it somehow opens up a loophole where I am allowed?. Or maybe i'm just making excuses. Either way, I could not be prouder of our achievements over the past week.

For those of you that do not know, whilst I am looking for a permanent role in PR, I work voluntarily as the communications officer for the Bromley-by-Bow Community Organisation. Considering it is my local community and the fact that I am one of its founding members, I do end up doing all sorts of odd jobs just like everyone else. The past week was one of the perks as we embarked on not only our biggest excursion yet, but an ultimatum of a whole years worth of training as we sent out our under-18 football team to compete at the Gothia Cup in Sweden (which just happens to be the largest football tournament in the world).

In a tournament that boasted teams from all across the globe and has produced some of the finest professional talent over the years, our boys were eventually knocked out in the third round on penalties despite not losing a single match in the whole competition. In fact, not only did we top our group but it was only in our third match played that we even had a shot on goal against us.

Well, I will end this post here so as to not bore all the football-phobes (is that even a word?). But all I must say is congratulations lads- you did us and England proud on the world stage.

Digital and Social Media consumption

Speed PR is at the foremost of those pushing digital use within the PR industry in the UK, and meeting Stephen Waddington from Speed PR last week got me thinking about how far digital and social media has come even in my own short lifetime. I am only 24, and even I can remember using technologies such as the VHS cassette, the Floppy disk and the rather flimsy 56k internet- what a difference only a few years makes!. After my meeting with Stephen, it could not help but leave me thinking about where we are heading to next and what is in store for PR as companies start looking to capitalise on the latest social trends?.

On the same note, I was recently asked by someone to say something about myself that she could not find out about through the internet, and it must have took me five minutes to think of something to say! (I will not mention it to you now, or it will also be on the internet haha). Its funny how everything I do and have done is available for everyone else to see, without me even realising. My daily media consumption sees me having Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin accounts, a blog (this) and a Blackberry, which has its own messenger service. Every update I make in five seconds whilst on my phone is potentially reaching 500 people straight away and for everyone else in the world to see should they wish to find out, sometimes even telling them my exact location! Whoa!. Now that is scary.

But then again, the positives are way better than the negatives. My university course was a breeze thanks to the internet. I got into my current PR internship thanks to the internet. I make T-Shirts thanks to PhotoShop and sell them online thanks to the internet. I make networks and connections, create a loyal fan base and organise  events all thanks to the internet. So who cares if someone can stalk me?. People will only see what you want them to see- no one is stopping you from changing your privacy settings. And like I said, the good outweighs the bad a few times over. However saying that, this is only 2011 and considering I have seen a huge overhaul in technology in my own short lifetime, who knows what the future holds?. The thought of that is not only scary, but is actually quite exciting.

Having a social conscience in PR

As I have probably made obvious from my previous post or from my Twitter updates, I am really into my social thinking. Not in a way that I mean to come across as seeming to be caring, but I genuinely am (not caring, but socially conscious. Although I would like to think I am caring too!). The reason I bring this up again is because entering PR has really made me look into PR practices, strategies and logistics in a scrutinising way to try and see how ethical the industry really is and how often the boundaries of what is deemed morally and ethically correct is played about with. This was perhaps provoked by Kenneth Cole's tweet that I have mentioned in a previous post, but it is definitely something that has provoked my thinking pattern. As I have previously mentioned too, any issue(s) that involves PR and ethics that may exist needs to be addressed and I am happy to say that by questioning every institution and agency that I have been to so far, the issue is actually recognised and is already being take into consideration. But then again, you would expect everyone to say that anyway.

What has provoked me to write this post, is a visit to Unity PR in Farringdon which I have literally just come back from. Although they could be classed as consumer PR, half of their accounts are socially conscious and dedicated to helping causes and charities and they have a proven track record in giving all their time and creative energy as with any other client. Often doing their work for free, it is a breath of fresh air to me and I feel absolutely pleasured by the visit. I cant help but think that perhaps bigger companies with more money to play with can perhaps learn a lesson or two from this small agency which has less money in comparison but which does not affect either their social conscience or their work ethic at all.

Michael Van der Ham and Louise Gray LFW AW11 Collection reviews

Michael Van der Ham’s new AW11 collection at London Fashion Week certainly turned a few heads. As soon as the first model came out onto the catwalk it was quite apparent that Van der Ham was taking a new direction with his new collection. Completely ditching his signature technique of combining different fabrics and patterns to create pieces, the first set of dresses are more based around playing with the silhouette rather than the fabric itself. This results in a vivid aesthetically pleasing colorful line of velvet dresses, each singular block coloured and made using nothing other than velvet pieces of no more than five, pieced together using the same collage method he is known for. A brave step by the young Dutchman in only his third collection, but one that has paid off as it is a beautiful collection that allows us to see a different side to the designer as well as seeing the brand grow in a more mature direction.

The second half sees the return of his traditional pieces with a range of winter and outerwear comprising of cardigans, jackets and dresses using his more conventional aesthetic techniques that we are more used to. His signature style of managing to combine almost opposing fabrics and colour’s to create homogenous pieces demonstrate a clear sign of progression and are done even better than in his previous collections. Generally receiving a positive response from bloggers and journalists alike, Vogue is quoted as saying Van der Ham has “upped his game”, and I could not agree more.

Personally, I like the collection. Velvet sounded a bit ‘iffy’ at first and something I could imagine being worn by regal women in the Tudor ages, but it was pleasantly surprising. The fact that Van der Ham is not scared to experiment and break the norm of what he is known for is admirable. In terms of design, I really like the collage technique used and I think it works really well giving him a little signature edge that is aesthetically pleasing and easy to remember him by. The little quirks he does like having no two sleeves the same is also very appealing. The fact that the clothes do seem literally ‘ready to wear’ and not too ‘out there’ in comparison to other collections on show is also something I really liked.

Talking about pieces made up in the form of a collage, Louise Gray’s ‘Up your look’ collection raised more than an eyebrow to say the least. Talking about her collection, Louise describes it by saying  “I took a spot, a stripe, and a check, and then I played around”, and that is exactly what she did resulting in a vivid explosion of colour and a bizarre wacky cross between a catwalk show and something out of a traveling circus.

Comprising of a collection of oversized jackets, blouses, cardigans, skirts, shirts and trousers designed and made using a mish-mash of different vibrant and multicoloured fabrics pieced together. A huge use of spots and stripes is evident along with a clear influence from her Scottish roots by use of tartan and plaid, which when added to the rainbow assortment of colours, multi-layered 3-dimensional figures, complementary bizarre headgear and the stage show setup, helps in creating the most unique of places you will ever find yourself in. Although the first thought that came to mind when viewing this was the cult TV show “Funhouse” and the eventual result of a psychotic, it is actually very fun and quirky. I do not understand how this could influence fashion or people on the street, but credit has to be given for thinking outside of the box and definitely giving people something to remember her by. I did enjoy the show and collection; although I cannot seem to put a finger to the reason as to why I did.

General reviews of the show amongst bloggers and publications correlated with mine, with it being compared to something out of a kaleidoscope, a kids party and Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman commenting, “I thought it was clever how she mixes her patterns and colour in ways you’d never imagine working but it does.”.

Response to Danny Rogers: Rigorous media are basis for healthy PR

Response to Danny Rogers: Rigorous media are basis for healthy PR in PR Week dated 03 March 2011.

 Danny Rogers writes a very interesting article on how press releases have been 'churned' into news stories in Britain in recent years and how this could possibly go as far as risking British publications and news media to lose their credibility due to the lack of rigor and checking that goes in place. Rogers talks about journalists having no shortage of articles and are most responsible and guilty for 'churning' out the 'fluff' appearing in today's papers that is apparently heading towards a downwards spiral.

If the case is as serious as Rogers makes it out to be, then I believe that it possibly is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. Other than the obvious papers such as The Sun which is known commonly to churn out stories without credible sources or based on little or known facts, it would be a shame for all of the more credible papers to be going down the same route. If all papers were to lose credibility, what would we rely on for the news?. Although saying that, The Sun's views generally do seem to echo the majority opinion regarding social issues amongst the greater demographic. So, in regards to Rogers, I believe that the risk will not be in losing credibility amongst readers but perhaps a greater 'dumbing down' of information that will than be assumed as general discourse amongst the wider public. What a shame that would be.

Feedback in response to Danny Roger's opinion on 'Tweeting' problems

Dated on website 10 February 2011.

Danny Rogers piece regarding comments made by Kenneth Cole via Twitter referring to the Cairo riots was quite interesting, although as pointed out in the subsequent comment it raised awareness as to the limits of PR and whether due to the growing social media, the boundaries between PR techniques and ethical and moral practices were being played with a bit too much.

I very much agree with the comment by the user in response, in the fact that there perhaps needs to be a need for better understanding of moral and ethical standards if there really is a issue regarding it in the industry. I also agree with the user in the fact that it was ill-advised and extremely stupid, whether or not it was a PR stunt. At first, I assumed it was nothing more than a silly comment but as Rogers seems adamant that it was PR, he continues to be adamant in his admiration of the stunt and the supposed bravery it needed and with the idea that this out-of-the-box technique is exactly the way the industry needs to be to move with the times.

Being socially aware myself, as Kenneth Cole claims to be in his subsequent facebook apology, I believe that it was a silly comment. If it was a PR stunt, I agree with the comment made in response by Keith Trivitt of PRSA that something needs to be done if need be within the industry. This was perhaps not too serious of a 'tweet' and it could certainly be worse. However, if this incident is not addressed, it is not unimaginable that a  case worse than this would not happen.

Opinion on PR Week's Starbucks piece

Dated 25th February 2011.

I read the piece regarding the change in branding for Starbucks in the UK due to roll out in March 2011, which I found extremely interesting as I come from a Graphic Design background and this being a major culmination of that with PR. I was interested in finding out the methods talked about by their Head of Comms Tim McCoy that they used in testing out their new image as it is clearly a big risk to take for such a well known brand around the world. Although the article did not have much information regarding the reasons as to why they decided to make a change, I would really like to know why a company of their size would like to do such a major overhaul especially considering the fact that GAP almost committed PR suicide recently only to take a last-minute U-Turn. This would have been quite interesting to read about as it would have put the article into better context for the reader as well as making it more interesting.

The methods used as described were by targeting the consumer and media stakeholders through subtle integration of new branding in certain stores as well as events for selected members of the media which apparently went well enough to continue with the decision to go ahead. I find this very interesting as I do not think the test stages would have been as small as the article makes it out to be and am interested in the methods of PR used in both of the methods used as well as the findings and results. The article has definitely left me wondering what the new look will look like and I for one am intrigued.

Pre-Week 1

I found out about this PR internship through the regular job update emails sent out by the University of East London's employability team to graduates and I was immediately intrigued by the vacancy that was on offer. I graduated in July last year and since then I have been wondering which route to take a step in, in regards to a career and everything that I read about in the email and from subsequent research appealed to me so much that I could not think of any reason not to apply.

Considering I had a degree that included Media Studies and the fact that I unknowingly did some PR anyway with my own T-Shirt label that I run on the side, I could not think of any reason why I could not see myself in this field.

The assessment day for the position was not as nerve-racking as I expected it to be, as I was in familiar territory in the group and presentation tasks and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I hope that this internship will now allow me to gain the skills, knowledge and experience necessary for me to find my feet in this industry and get me started which I am very much looking forward to.