Who says high-tech products don’t evoke the same emotional response as traditional consumer brands?
I love my Blackberry.
It wakes me up in the morning with a few gentle beeps, let’s me quickly peruse my morning e-mails in bed, reminds me of my meetings, let’s me text message with a QWERTY keyboard and syncs up to my Outlook calendar and task list with a click of a button.
I don’t even have the new Blackberry Pearl, which makes the old Blackberry look big and clunky. Nor do I have integrated speakerphone, but I like the fact that I can connect a Bluetooth speakerphone to my car visor or prop it on my desk for hands-free conversations.
Despite all the bad press during RIM’s patent infringement lawsuit this past year, I never considered jumping ship. Why?
A classic case of brand loyalty. In delivering an efficient mobile e-mail/phone solution to me when no one else could, they hooked me. My Blackberry isn’t just a technology device, it has become an extension of me. I even put up with T-mobile’s customer support telephone triage, because when I finally escalate to a Blackberry RIM specialist, I’ll be with best and the brightest.
Blackberry, you’ve really got a hold on me!
Great article about the blackberry and brand loyalty, Karen. After reading your insightful article, I realize that I use brand loyalty as a short cut, so I don’t have to spend time agonizing over the differences between products. Honda, Whole Foods and DemocracyNow, you’ve really got a hold on me!