Research in Motion (RIM), which had entered India in 2004, has certainly taken the Indian market by storm. RIM claims to have sold more units in India than in any other country. Research claims that Apple, one of the biggest smart phone distributors, have sold fewer handsets compared to Blackberry and Nokia. RIM's Blackberry messenger's popularity in India can be attributed to the fact that it was the first free messaging service. Bloomberg suggests that most Indians have difficulties using 3G on an iPhone, whereas it works hassle-free on Wi-Fi.
Blackberry's substantial marketing and advertising strategies may be the reason for its triumph over Apple in India. Apple depends solely on word of mouth, while it hasn't done much advertising in India. Apple has shipped 62,043 iPhones to our shores in the quarter ending June 30. According to estimates by Framingham, a Massachusetts-based researcher, this number is or fewer than low volume markets such as Norway, Belgium, and Israel.
Moreover, Apple products are not easily accessible in India, and consumers often have to seek out third-party or licensed retailers. Viren Razdan, Managing Director of consulting firm Interbrand, explains, "Apple is waiting for consumer maturity and infrastructure". Therefore Apple needs something more than just marketing and advertising might to improve their consumer base. In light of Viren Razdan's words, that something happens to be the willingness to invest in the India.
No comments:
Post a Comment