Text 100 and APCO Worldwide handled the global launch of Blackberry's Passport smartphone this week, a bid to recapture the enterprise mobile phone business it has lost over the past decade.
The Waterloo, Ontario, company said the new phone, which debuted Sept. 24, was inspired by actual passports ("the universal symbol of mobility") and provides the "durability business professionals require in a smartphone."
It held concurrent events in Toronto, London and Dubai for the launch of the device, which includes a touchscreen and a physical keyboard in a nod to its mobile device roots. Hockey star Wayne Gretzky was on hand in Toronto to debut the phone, which will be sold through carrier AT&T in the US.
Blackberry CEO John Chen sought to distance the new phone from its rivals. “The BlackBerry Passport was created to drive productivity and to break through the sea of rectangular —screen, all-touch devices,” he said.
Blackberry, which also debuted a new mobile device management system with enhanced security, consolidated its global PR last year with APCO and Text.
Reviews for the square-screened Passport have been mixed. The New York Times praised several features but wasn't convinced consumers will drop their existing devices. "Ultimately, the BlackBerry Passport feels different, daring and promising, but not enough to entice most people away from better-known devices if they have the option," wrote Molly Wood.
The Wall Street Journal tended more negative, noting the "bulky, awkward design and the unfamiliar keyboard make it hard to justify finding space for it in a pocket or bag."
Tech news portal CNET lauded the Passport's keyboard and "powerful" hardware, but added that its design makes one-hand use difficult. "With the Passport, BlackBerry has created a device for the physical keyboard fanatic who is willing to sacrifice comfort on the altar of productivity," wrote CNET associate editor Nate Ralph.
One potential problem on the PR front involves Blackberry’s most high-profile user: President Obama. ABC News reported this week that the commander-in-chief has shown an interest in Apple’s iPhone 6.
Laura Anderson, who rose to VP/GM of global communications and events in a nearly 20 year stint at Intel, will take on the Americas technology chair at Burson following the completion of the BCW and H+K merger on July 1.
WE Communications has partnered with ROKK Solutions to form the WE ROKK AI service.
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