Motorola jump-starts efforts for iTunes-equipped mobile phone

by Andrew Gordon, PR Week USA 12-Sep-05, 19:52

SCHAUMBURG, IL: Motorola unveiled its iTunes-equipped mobile phone last week, kicking off a massive campaign to tout the highly anticipated device.

The new Motorola ROKR was launched jointly by Apple, Cingular, and Motorola. The phone will be sold exclusively at Cingular retail locations and online.

Motorola PR manager Monica Rohleder described the ROKR as "the next act in mobile phones."

The three companies will each promote the phone separately, but Motorola will focus on its place in the evolution of mobile-phone technology. The company also plans to highlight the demand for such converged devices among consumers, said Rohleder.

Motorola will work with its AOR, Hill & Knowlton, and its brand PR firm, The Fish Can Sing (TFCS), on the effort.

Brand PR will focus on distinct media segments, including music, design, technology, and lifestyle, said TFCS founder Dan Holliday via e-mail.

The London-based agency, which has worked as the global buzz marketing and brand PR agency for Motorola's mobile-phone division for more than five years, recently opened a New York office.

Much of the media outreach will tout Motorola "continuing to blur boundaries" in technology, said Holliday.

The company also will produce exclusive podcasts with musicians featured in the advertising for the ROKR.

Apple and Cingular did not return calls seeking comment. The partnership will allow each company to reach beyond their usual audiences to tap the other companies' market reach.