No Brand is Above a Pivot...

Take a look at the two logos seen above. One is highly recognizable and the other is a far enough throwback that it could be a jeopardy question. Blackberry has made a phenomenal pivot into Security Software.

Yes, THAT Blackberry. The one-time leader of the mobile smartphone market has recently enjoyed a rally on Wall Street after announcing a partnership with Amazon Web Services. Proof of concept that pivoting your core business can pay off in the long run.

Take a look at companies like Blockbuster, MySpace, and Kodak. What these companies all have in common is that they stared into the face of changing technology and decided to do...nothing.

The companies saw a fashionable fad when the world embraced a new trend. So they stuck to their guns and stayed within their core competencies, probably assuring themselves that their brand is strong enough to survive this "fad."

Blackberry is showing the world how to take a loss gracefully and pivot in a new direction. Who would have ever thought the first leader in smartphone technology would switch to Security Systems?

This is obviously easier said than done as I watch many of our Chamber members grapple with how to pivot during the pandemic. It's something I think about quite often and wonder how we can be doing it better.