Just when we thought the Blackberry brand couldn’t redeem themselves in the ever changing and fast-paced smartphone market, the Blackberry Passport is born! The company’s introduction of their new product was initially brought to my attention after watching a news report on Global BC. My further inquiries on this business briefing were encountered after discussing the company’s new position and implementation plan in our following class.
Image: Blackberry CEO John Chen shows off the new Passport
Although low cost was evident in their launch, I believe Blackberry’s latest attempt to regain its declining consumer base was effective due to a focus strategy of differentiation and the emphasis on targeting a specific market segment. In my opinion, this crucial business approach can be supported with the company’s sole effort to appeal to business professionals as it amplifies and strengthens the Passport’s new key features and services in the workforce. Compared to their previous attempts, I think this will provide Blackberry with opportunities to acquire new customer loyalty platforms and allow the company to possibly gain more leadership amongst its many competitors. By identifying new innovation to differentiate themselves from other smartphones and emphasizing the Passport’s 30 hour battery life, this can lead to an increased expansion and re-branding for Blackberry. However, the Passport is still only one stage in establishing a new position for Blackberry and they will have to continue to explore and discover new methods to identify their brand in the global market.
