Displacing the iPhone

Combining groundbreaking features, iconic and unparalleled branding with easy to use functionality, Apple having been leading the field in this category since the iPod sent the discman to an early grave.

From iPod, to iTouch, to iPhone, to iPad. As a recently migrated Melbournian, it didn’t take me long to realise the role an iPhone plays in your daily life. Whether I’m running late for a tram, lost in the city or just bored on the train, myself and tens of thousands of others are sitting with the iPhone at the ready for information in a heartbeat.

So how do you compete? With a range of products so ingrained into a culture as the leader in its field, how do other mobile companies step up and grab their piece of the incredibly profitable pie. Blackberry has taken their shot by teaming up with AT&T in the US to attempt to reinvent the brand perception of their phones.

Traditionally the serious business phone in the market, four years ago Blackberry was a must have for upper management on the go. But today it’s about the mass market. The new campaign is a massive breakaway from the traditional Blackberry branding. Incorporating business and fun, the advertising certainly cuts through with its creativity. It engages its audience and at the very least places the new product is in the same ballpark as the iPhone.

Will it be good enough to displace the tried and true. Certainly not today and probably not tomorrow. No matter what your business, building a brand takes time. It comes through communication yes, but also through experiences, engagement and overwhelmingly a connection with your customers.

When you’re looking at building your brand, be patient. Be clear in what you want to achieve and make sure everything you do builds towards it. And who knows. In five years time I may just me using a Blackberry to track my Tram and check my Facebook.

Dean Hegarty

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