So what’s up BlackBerry users?  Still hanging on? The Wall Street Journal reports “Research in Motion Ltd. lost another marketing manager, the latest in a series of defections as the BlackBerry maker struggles to refresh its product line.”  Is this a case of too little too late? Reports indicate next-generation BlackBerrys and PlayBooks are coming soon, but will it be enough to save this brand?

It’s certainly not a huge surprise, but this example once again illustrates how quickly the brand life cycle can be in the world of technology and communications. It wasn’t that long ago that having a BlackBerry was the rage. The company I worked for at the time supplied all employees with the gadgets – a great business tool, especially for e-mail! Enter the iphone. The thing flat out works. I made the switch from BlackBerry to the iphone and so did the company I mentioned above.

Assuming BlackBerry moves quickly, I personally think they have a good chance of surviving. They have a good base of “business” users. Hopefully, they are talking with those users and listening to what they want and can renovate their offerings to meet those needs.

Yes, I’m a hypocrite as an iphone user, but I still love healthy competition and want to see this once healthy, almost dominant brand, keep the “crackberry” culture alive. What are your thoughts? Will BlackBerry survive? What would you do if you were their CEO?

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