Something I Didn't Know

Q:
Where does the name BlackBerry come from?

A:
Why "BlackBerry"?

"Conventional marketing wisdom dictates that a good brand name is distinctive, memorable and flexible. A great brand name is more. It goes beyond features and benefits. It breaks the rules. It offers something new." - Source: LEXICON

When choosing a name for its wireless email solution, RIM's prime goal was to select a brand name that would stand out from the crowd of competitive offerings and standard product category naming conventions. The decision to choose "BlackBerry" as the brand name met this requirement on three key levels:

1. BlackBerry is a connotative name, not a descriptive name

A descriptive brand name is a trade name for which the underlying product features and functionality are implied within the brand name. A connotative brand name is usually chosen for the reason that it does not have any specific meaning associated with product features or functionality. This gives a product freedom to grow without having to change the name of the brand as product functionality changes. As a connotative name, BlackBerry is also a memorable name that stands out from the crowd of descriptive names, such as Pocket PC, PageFinder, PageWriter, AccessLink, SkyWriter, SkyWord, PeopleLink and PageNet.
2. BlackBerry is an empty vessel

As a connotative name with no specific meaning in its product category, RIM was able to create its own relevant definition for BlackBerry. As a result, BlackBerry served as an empty vessel that RIM was able to fill with messages of "wireless email", "immediate connectivity" and "competitive advantage".
3. BlackBerry is defendable

Because of its uniqueness, BlackBerry is a highly defendable name that competitors cannot credibly copy or imitate.

When selecting a connotative brand name, RIM specifically chose BlackBerry as it was a playful, friendly and approachable name that helped demystify the complex wireless technology for the end user. The BlackBerry brand name continues to intrigue people while being more accessible than the majority of high tech brands on the market. In the end, BlackBerry serves as a friendly, distinctive and memorable name for the wireless email solution.