Blackberry Messenger as Marketing Tool

Following my last post about the riot started by social media from Blackberry Messenger, I wanted to discover more about the use of BBM (Blackberry Messenger) as a marketing tool. Some says that BBM is only a messenger like MSN and the other messenger application, but this is more likely a social media. People who uses BBM often change their picture, and also their personal message which some often checking each other picture and personal message even though it is not that important.

In this BBM, the users also can create and or join groups of people with same interest or the 'in-group'. Users can meet new people in this so called group and can extend their networks. This is where the marketing playing parts; if this certain user have lots of contact, they can do a free marketing by broadcasting the message to every contacts. This is very effective in Indonesia, because most of the Indonesian use Blackberry device, and they do business by contacting each other from the BBM.

(Example of BBM marketer with 4000 contacts!)

In my own opinion, this is one of the best social media marketing tool because its FREE, what we need to do is just having lots of contacts and join lots of groups to get the audience for the marketing. Sometimes it might be annoying having someone send broadcast marketing message that we don't interest in, but some other time it might be useful if they sells what we need.

London Riots From Social Media

Interestingly, London riot that happened last year was fueled by Social Media. By social media, we mostly think of Twitter and Facebook, however it took place on a more covert social network, BBM (Blackberry Messenger). Blackberry Messenger is a messaging program created by RIM (Research in Motion) that only available exclusively in Blackberry devices. 

This Blackberry handphones or devices are the choice of 37% of British teens according to Ofcom study. The BBM allows users to send one to many messages to their networks of contacts by the unique 'BBM Pins'. Unfortunately, unlike the other social media networking, BBM messages are untraceable by the authorities in Britain. 

The message was: "Everyone from all sides of London meet up at the heart of London (central) OXFORD CIRCUS!!, Bare SHOPS are gonna get smashed up so come get some (free stuff!!!) fuck the feds we will send them back with OUR riot! >:O Dead the ends and colour war for now so if you see a brother... SALUT! if you see a fed... SHOOT!"

Another message sent shortly in the afternoon: "Everyone in edmonton enfield wood green everywhere in north link up at enfield town station at 4 o clock sharp!".

Even though Social Media is a great tool for marketing and other stuff, but it is also can be dangerous as if it is used by criminals. It is not just BBM, but Facebook and Twitter can also be the media to spread chaos, but the BBM is more effective because currently the message is untraceable by the authorities. 

What do you guys think, should all Social Media controlled by the authorities to reduce the chaos started by this?