Skip to main content

BlackBerry wants you to do its advertising by joining its fan league

You may not have owned a BlackBerry since you were a teenager, but don’t be fooled — there are still die-hard fans of this seemingly vintage handset to be found around the world. Now, in order to bring this seemingly dwindling group together, BlackBerry launched a new BlackBerry Smartphone Fan League. Because what better way to show your support for your mobile phone than by joining its fan club?

Calling its loyal supporters some of the “most loyal and passionate in the world,” BlackBerry Mobile from TCL Communication (which purchased the rights to BlackBerry back in December 2016), hopes that its new Fan League might find “new and creative ways to engage with BlackBerry smartphone fans.” After all, when there aren’t many of your kind, there’s plenty of camaraderie to be found simply in identifying your compatriots.

Recommended Videos

The goal will be to improve awareness of new Android-powered BlackBerry smartphones like the BlackBerry Keyone, and also help fans “feel more connected” to the smartphone brand. Should you choose to join the Fan League, you have the opportunity to win both weekly and monthly prizes, including the ultimate prize — a new BlackBerry device. Moreover, they will also be called upon to participate in special user surveys and various beta testing programs, which should give them more sway over what comes next from the BlackBerry Mobile team.

“Launching the BlackBerry Smartphone Fan League is our way of better engaging with our customers, rewarding their loyalty and passion for BlackBerry smartphones, but also giving them a voice that will shape the future of BlackBerry smartphones from TCL Communication,” said Alain Lejeune, Global General Manager for TCL Communication’s BlackBerry Mobile Division.

So how exactly will the Fan League work? The points-based so-called social engagement platform will encourage participants to re-share BlackBerry Mobile social media content, create their own content about their BlackBerry smartphone, and recruit new Fan League members. Really, it’s as though the Fan League will be an extension of BlackBerry’s advertising business. Each of these activities will garner participants points, and these points will help them earn entries in order to win various prizes. To begin, the Fan League will be made available only to BlackBerry Mobile customers in Canada, the U.S., and U.K.

Lulu Chang
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: the upgrade we’ve been waiting for?
Thre Flip 7 models next to each other

I never really thought that I'd want to go down the route of owning a flip phone, ever since I swore off my Nokia in the early 2000s (you know, the one with the weird felt covering and tiny notification window).

Fast forward two decades, and I'm considering rejoining the race, thanks to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7. Coming in at $1,100, it's not cheap, but it's definitely something different compared to the world of black rectangles, and it it feels like Samsung’s Flip family has finally come of age.

Read more
I used the Galaxy Z Fold 7, here’s why I’m completely smitten
The back of the Galaxy Z Fold 7

We’ve waited several years for Samsung to join the party, but it’s finally here: Samsung has followed rivals like Oppo, OnePlus, and Honor in building a thinner, lighter, and sleeker Galaxy Z Fold 7. It’s an impressive feat of engineering and a major upgrade over previous years.

It’s easy to consider the Fold 7 nothing more than an update to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, but in many ways, it feels like a huge step forward, not just for Samsung but for all folding phones. I spent a few hours with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 in an exclusive preview, and here’s why I absolutely love what Samsung has done this year.

Read more
I tried the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 series – they’re sleek, but with a lot to prove
Watch 8 on a wrist

Trying out the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic is a tough gig - not in terms of it being a hardship to try out two high-end models, but that it's impossible to assess them with only 30 minutes’ use.

I can easily talk about the improved design and the fit of the straps etc, but the real changes are within the health ecosystem, and they'll need sustained testing to really understand if they're any good.

Read more