The degree of those troubles run the gamut from RIM simply being in need of a marketing change to the company circling the drain. Hiring a new CEO didn't help matters, after his claim that RIM "doesn't need drastic change."
And while I don't believe RIM is on the verge of extinction, given their immense popularity overseas and in the corporate sector, I do agree that they need to reevaluate the direction they're headed. But change for the sake of change isn't the answer either.
Case in point: RIM's recent "Be Bold" campaign.
Just minutes after RIM posted an infographic featuring these superheroes on its blog, the insults and criticism began to rain down on Blackberry's ill-fated cartoon design.
Before you begin questioning why a company whose strength lies in the business sector is going with a campaign aimed at a demographic that is most likely too young to even own a smartphone, I'll point out that RIM announced the following day that this cartoon superhero design isn't part of the official campaign.
That being said, a few days before this animated disaster, RIM launched a Twitter-based campaign under a #BeBold hashtag. Unfortunately for them, that hashtag was quickly hijacked and turned into a stream of anti-Blackberry jabs.
The lesson here is clear. If you don't want an unofficial design associated with an official campaign, then don't use the same verbage for both. Naturally, consumers (and critics) will make that mental link.
Furthermore, if your company is under a lot of scrutiny and in flux with its marketing, you can't have these half-hearted efforts to reach consumers.
Despite these blunders, I still think there is hope for RIM, but they need to take their own advice and be bold in 2012.