The company is best known today as the parent and developer of the BlackBerry brand, the enormously successful wireless solutions platform and handheld communication device.

Through the late 1990s and into 2001, BlackBerry was predominantly a wireless email solution, marketed directly to large- and medium-sized businesses and mobile professionals in these corporate enterprises. BlackBerry's brand positioning at the time was to be "the best wireless email solution for business," a proposition reinforced in part by the brand's core signature and mark.

Challenge

The RIM corporate marketing team recognized that the BlackBerry brand faced a number of challenges and opportunities as it headed into the new decade. Many of these, such as brand control and identity consistency, were simply the result of the brand's successful growth and rapid expansion. Others were tied to ever-changing and advancing technologies, and the effect these were having on the evolution of the overall mobile communication marketplace and the impact on end-user wants, needs, and behaviors.

RIM knew that its flagship brand would quickly become irrelevant if it stood for nothing more than the cool technology du jour and email functionality—both being highly transient.

BlackBerry needed a clear definition, a new positioning for an expanding user base, and new tools to help manage its identity (often in hard-to-control third-party situations).

In July 2001, RIM and its BlackBerry brand team turned to Landor for assistance with a number of these issues.

Solutions

Landor's first task was to conduct a comprehensive global audit of how the BlackBerry brand was being used and deployed, including the types of branding situations it faced in the market at the time and its anticipated future needs. This analysis ultimately led to practical, real-world recommendations that would apply to the identity system to be developed.

The RIM/BlackBerry team led the brand's repositioning—an initiative already under way prior to Landor's engagement. Two major strategic shifts were made: (1) broadening the brand’s range of authority beyond email functionality to a promise of real-time, instant access, and connectivity; and (2) defining a true brand personality to better enable an emotional connection between brand and user.

With this new brand strategy in place, there was no doubt that BlackBerry needed to change its entire identity. The decision to change was further reinforced by research revealing that even current users didn't believe the mark facilitated recognition or recall of the brand.

In addition to communication liabilities, the core signature presented a number of graphic and reproduction challenges—the signature lacked visual strength, particularly when coupled with a logo, and reproduced poorly at small sizes.

With strategy in hand, the Landor team began a broad and rigorous exploration of new potential signatures for BlackBerry. Criteria for the new design was clear. It needed to transcend technology and communication type, convey energy, feel approachable, and be highly flexible to accommodate the constantly changing world (and mediums) in which it would live.

Similar to the hidden arrow in the FedEx logo, the data packet graphic to the left of the BlackBerry name is actually counter forms (inside shapes) of the letter B—there are two Bs joined in this solution. The graphic symbolizes connectivity, an active network (or group), movement, flexibility, speed, and immediacy.

The identity builds on the suggestion of movement and speed. It is precise, bold, and direct while conveying approachability in a timeless, contemporary way. The counter-form shapes are also visually evident in the name itself, reinforcing their origin.

A bright and dynamic color palette was defined to bring further energy to the identity. And importantly, photographic imagery would no longer focus exclusively on product shots—it would better reflect the end-user's lifestyle both professionally and personally.

A packaging system for BlackBerry accessories was also designed to accommodate the brand's move into the consumer market and retail channels (predominantly mobile carrier retail stores).

Finally, to complete the system, Landor developed comprehensive brand identity guidelines building on the knowledge acquired from the brand audit. This tool not only enables BlackBerry to effectively manage its brand consistently among internal stakeholders and external partners, but also serves as a touchstone, continually reminding all audiences of the brand's strategic intent.

Landor remains an active partner with RIM, continuing to serve this important and long-standing client.

Results

• BlackBerry was named one of Landor's Top 10 Breakaway Brands for 2007 by Fortune magazine.
• BlackBerry was named one of the Best Brands of 2007 by BtoB magazine.
• Since 2004, Research In Motion Limited (behind its BlackBerry brand) has been one of the outstanding performers on Wall Street, with a 2-for-1 stock split in 2004 and 3-for-1 split in 2007; it has become the "must-have" business tool for the twenty-first century.
• BlackBerry is the fourteenth most valuable global brand according to the 2010 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study by Millward Brown, posting a 12% increase in value over 2009. It was not even listed in the Top 100 five years ago.
• Again, in 2010, BlackBerry was named one of Landor's Top 10 Breakaway Brands, showing a 57% increase in brand strength between 2006 and 2009.