[corry]

If he had said "we're aiming to be #1 in 2 years", he'd look completely out-of-touch with reality - employees deflate due to a clearly unattainable goal, investors get concerned about an unrealistic strategy, etc etc.

Picking an achievable goal vs. promising an unachievable one is better for morale of everyone involved IMO.

[Zenst]

Problem is were are they now and I take it he means globaly. It is not about volume but more so about margins, both is nice. Over the years RIM's margins have got smaller and smaller and it is that which has help maintain its overall market share with regards to number of devices sold. So when a CEO makes a albeit pragmatic statement about acheiving a goal of being number 3, then you have to look at were they are now and that is 3rd from what I can tell. Though it does vary survey to survey and which market you look at as well, so not that easy to get a true picture. Also the margins in profit per device is a bigger issue that tends not to factor in alot of surveys and then RIM's margin is not just on the device but the onrunning use of its services indirectly via a telco on way or another.

But just keeping the footing they have now, is not a bad plan of attack. But as you say, he is being realistic and that is something refreshing and reasuring for a CEO and in that I wish them well.

[msabalau]

Agreed. Still, it might have been stronger to frame the conversation in terms of resegementation. "For users who want X we will have the best phone, and this will mean that we can grow and build as the third largest platform."

[corry]

Good point about re-segmentation. They have to define the category in which they compete such that they are #1 (classic '22 Immutable Laws of Marketing').

Part of the problem in the "we're aiming for #3" statement is that it's not clear what is being measured. Profits/margin? Product leadership? Handsets shipped?

[chawco]

He needed to reframe the discussion -- he was controlling the discussion, and was completely at liberty to define success however he pleased. He could've said, as others have pointed out, we're going to be #1 at X, where X is some subset of the market.

When you can't win the game, change the game to one you can win. The trick is making sure it's still one worth playing.

[loceng]

He should have worded it better - "aiming to provide the best, trying hard for a comeback, want #1 though in this competitive market may have to settle for #2 or #3 in sales"

[calinet6]

Or phrased it differently to take into account their target market: "We want to be #1 in the business smartphone market and provide the best integrated mobile solution for enterprise customers."

Realistic, ambitious, and entirely positive.

[loceng]

Indeed. :)