RIM Behind Flash Mobs Against Apple

What happens when your company is on the ropes? You can initiate a flash mob against a competitor. This is what RIM did against Apple and failed, according to The Next Web. Last month, someone in Australia began organizing a “Wake Up” campaign against Apple. During these “spontaneous” protests, people assembled outside Apple retail stores chanting, “wake up.” Some, in fact, dressed as sheep, suggesting that Apple customers follow each other in lockstep. While initial reports suggested Samsung was behind the campaign, it has now leaked that it was the BlackBerry maker, RIM. As confirmed by Macworld Australia, quoting the Canadian mobile maker:

We can confirm that the Australian ‘Wake Up’ campaign, which involves a series of experiential activities taking place across Sydney and Melbourne, was created by RIM Australia. A reveal will take place on May 7th that will aim to provoke conversation on what ‘being in business’ means to Australians.

Once the most popular provider of smart phones, RIM in recent years has struggled against the iPhone and products that use Google’s Android OS. While RIM’s campaign was unique, it does suggest just how low the company has gone. After all, these flash mobs included paid participants, not real customers suddenly against Apple. Therefore, the end result could be a backlash. As for what RIM has cooked up for May 7, we haven't a clue. Did you "wake up" to RIM's campaign, or did you tune out?

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