With the announce of the release of the brand new “ BlackBerry Passport,” the company is affirmative that this product will bring BlackBerry up in the market.
BBRY NASDAQ Chart (2010-Present)
With competitors like IOS and Android phones, BlackBerry has been demolished falling from nearly $80 a share to nearly $9. With the company struggling to revive for the last three years, this could be their big break.
Looking at Porter’s Generic Strategies, Blackberry is clearly adopting a strategy that is in the middle of the Cost Leadership and Differentiation Strategy. The BlackBerry Passport is priced at $599, which is below the Apple iPhone or most flagship Android devices. The company has implemented differentiation strategies to set its phone apart. The new phone features a physical keyboard, a 1 to 1 ratio screen and better battery life than most phones, combined with increased security features. The company is going back to its roots on this one by designing a phone fit for individuals who want a simple business phone that simply works well for its target market.
References
BABAD, M. (2014, September 22). BlackBerry’s John Chen on new Passport: Big screen, lower cost than iPhone. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
BlackBerry Passport Review. (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2014, from http://crackberry.com/blackberry-passport-review
Sen, A. (2014, October 5). BlackBerry Passport: One for the corporate set. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
Great read — your analysis of BlackBerry’s reboot with the Passport really highlights the balancing act between cost and differentiation.
The insight that the company “is going back to its roots” while trying something bold feels especially timely.
Thanks for sharing this from AimGrip and sparking such a thoughtful look at devils-in-the-details strategy.