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We’re used to politicians talking a heck of a lot, but not actually saying anything of substance at all, and definitely not answering the damn question. But RIM’s EU MD, Stephen Bates, has just put them all to shame. Here’s how to stick to a pre-written PR script no matter what the hell happens. Or in other words, how not to do an interview. Just listen to this cringe-fest.
Fair enough, don’t answer all the questions, but come on. At least make it sound like you’re attempting to, or might, eventually, after oodles of spin, get to the damn answer. I almost feel sorry for the poor man — he’s obviously been given the company line and told that in no uncertain terms should he deviate from it on pain of death. Oh dear RIM, I really hope this afternoon goes better than this morning’s series of interviews. [BBC via Twitter]
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He should have told the interviewer to politely get fucked.
If I was trying to launch a new phone & someone kept asking me about a rival being ignored is the best the ignorant pig can hope for.
The problem is, he went into an interview and behaved like it was a broadcast or written press release.
Fair enough the interviewer was clearly trying to stoke him with the admittedly irritating and childish iPhone barrage, but Bates’ response to ALL of the questioning was wank script.
Oh aye, that’s fair enough, he really didn’t seem as clued up as he should have been.
He could have just said “I’m not going to comment on any specific products but I like to think we learn from all our competitors mistakes”.
Nicky Campbell trying to be Jeremy Kyle and failing miserably.
I say kudos to Stephen Bates. (Though I’m still not gonna buy a BB)
Bit of a stupid question really isn’t it! Obviously Campbell doesn’t really know the subject, hence why he keeps banding on about the iPhone. I wouldn’t have answered it either.
That dude is the European marketing director? God help them.
All he needed to do was answer with a spin, ‘many have gone on to make better devices than the iPhone, we don’t intend to curb just the iPhone but the devices that have curbed the iPhone. The question isn’t what does the iPhone do, but what does the iPhone not do. Do customers want yesterdays news?’
Better yet, ‘Nicky, shut the fuck up about the fucking iPhone, ya jock cunt. Hello, BB ‘fucking’ 10, HELLO! No wonder you have been demoted to marginalised talk radio shows. I hear you were once a contender – what have learnt from Graham Norton?’
Blackberry is fundamentally about faulty OS, bad hardware and central services which fail.
BB10 will not be any different and this interview proves they are scared about being up against the iPhone and the Samsung S3
I thought it was going to be the BBC1 Breakfast interview where it was all
“Why-aye, what went wrong with yez losing 90% of yer market share, like, pet?”
RIM guy waffles.
“But what went wrong like?”
RIM guy waffles
“Yeah, but what went wrong for yez to lose 90% of your market share?”
RIM guy waffles
“Fog on the Tyne is all mine all mine…”
RIM Guy continues to waffle.
Here we go:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p014f3p9
Great clip. At least as opposed to Nicky, she was asking various different BB related questions he was choosing just to ignore and do his spiel… Man up Dude, acknowledge something had gone ‘Not Right’ (if you don’t want to say ‘Wrong’) and THEN put you’re marketing spin on it.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1104396/986786.jpeg
He shouldn’t be allowed out on his own should he?
That clip annoyed the hell out of me, I’ve now decided not to buy a Blackberry
This made me laugh out loud in the office.
“Yez been down the Toon like!? Coz ya sound like ya absolutely mortale”
I don’t know why anyone here is giving the RIM guy credit. His job is to promote their new product, and the only story is “RIM guy fails on Auntie”.
He must have seen this coming. A simple “we have always provided a great business / comms service, now we’re moving on” would have batted these questions into the long grass. But no.
If RIM thinks this is good enough, and that their products are good enough, then their descent into oblivion will continue and we will carry on using and buying new phones from other companies.
Unfortunately this is what counts for journalism now in the UK.
Nicky Campbell was just trying to embarrass RIM for some reason. There is nothing to learn from Apple and Apple do not lead the market. Each OS has similar features and apps, ones which either replicate a desktop app on mobile or expand non-smartphone apps. There really is nothing more to it. A few different sized icons and gestures is all that really separate them from a users point of view.
In terms of hardware, given all the chips, screens, speakers, capacitors are supplied by other companies there is nothing to really ‘learn’ there.
The only other thing is design, and while Apple’s phones may look good, they are no longer designed to be used in the real world.
Maybe he should have said they have learned from Apple not to release a glass phone, with a dodgy arial or one which is made from such a soft Aluminium is scratches and dents in the box.
@shadowmatt
If this was a rape victim or a charity campaigner, that would be true. But this is someone being given airtime to sell us their product.
Even your nan knows about those “Apple phones”. They are a barometer for quality, reliability and ease of use.
Nicky Campbell’s show is not a tech blog – it’s public service broadcasting. The complete failure of RIM guy to answer the sort of basic question anyone might ask – “er… your market share is pish, what have you learned from a successful competitor?” – does not bode well for their marketing campaign.
I agree. If you go on a current affairs show, you should come prepared to discuss. Nicky knows he’s just going to try and sell his phone, the PR guy knows that Nicky is going to ask him awkward questions, because otherwise, he has just allocated 5 minutes of his show for a Blackberry advert.
If he let people come on his show and read press releases, he wouldn’t have a show for very long.
£500!
The interviewer comes across as unnecessarily agressive I give him that, but even so as a spokesperson he should have been prepared with a deflection comment. By merely ignoring a fair question repeatedly, he comes across as poorly prepared, not surely an impressing RIM want to project?
Ridonkulous! If the EU MD can’t tell me what the differentiator is between BB10 and the rest of the market, how is some sales guy in a phone shop? Or maybe the truth is that currently, apart from a slightly different UI, there is no great difference. The BB loyalists will go back to BB but for me, I don’t see a single reason to jump ship.
Reminds me of this kind of absolute wank…
http://agencywank.tumblr.com/
MMMMMMMMMMMM BUZZWORDS!!!!!!!!
Havent listened to the radio one bu the BBC news one was amusing!
Master Bates, I mean Stephen Bates should be a politician!
That is painful. I just want to punch him in the fucking face, he just sounds like a politician.
what a vile question to ask anybody.