Sony is “here to stay”, doubles down on Xperia Z3 marketing with global campaign starting today

Sony’s faith in its mobile business seemed to be severely shaken, as the storied Japanese company announced in February that it doesn’t see mobile as a growth area in the following years. But even if all options are on the table (including a sale or spinoff), Sony is not giving up on mobile just yet.

“Sony Mobile is here to say, we are absolutely going to focus on delivering profitable growth,” said this week Catherine Cherry, Sony Mobile director for the UK. In order to drive profitability, Sony is doubling down on marketing, with a new global ad campaign for the Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact. The new “#iCan” campaign starts today and focuses on key selling points of the two devices, like water resistance and great low light photo performance.

The campaign, running on TV, billboards, and online, creates an “intentional sense of ambiguity” by alluding that Sony devices give users super powers like “I can see in the dark” or “I can stay awake for days.”

Without disclosing figures, Cherry said that Sony is investing heavily in this new campaign, with total spending matching the Xperia Z3 launch campaign from last autumn.

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While marketing is not the miracle drug that will heal Sony’s mobile ailment, it’s encouraging to see the company sending out a signal of stability and confidence. Above all, it’s good to see Sony actually trying to sell its excellent Xperia devices, which can hold their own against any flagship, but are invariably outshone by competitors when it comes to marketing and buzz.

Focusing on upscale devices like the Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact is part of Sony’s strategy to shift focus towards the high end of the market in order to increase profits. Another step is to move back to longer release cycles; initially expected at MWC last month, the Xperia Z4’s launch seems to have been pushed back towards autumn.

Released at IFA in September 2014, the Xperia Z3 remains a prime choice, while the Xperia Z3 Compact is still included on our list of best unlocked Android smartphones.