Samsung looks to replicate Apple's advertising thunder [u]
A report published on Monday outlines a recent interview with Samsung's marketing chief who explains the impetus behind the South Korean electronic's maker's Apple-bashing commercials, and details the company's plan to win over the hearts and minds of consumers worldwide.
During the Consumer Electronics Show in January, All Things D sat down with Samsung's head of marketing Younghee Lee, and found that the company is looking to create a brand status similar to Apple's in order to boost sales.
Lee, a former employee of cosmetics brands L'Oreal and Lancome, said customers should be obsessed not only with Samsung's products, which include the Galaxy line of Android smartphones and tablets, but with the company itself. Much like Apple, the Korean company wants to build a base of repeat customers who make purchases based not only on features alone, but on brand loyalty as well.
Striving to gain Apple's level of success is not surprising given the Cupertino, Calif., company's record-setting performance last quarter.
"Especially in [the] U.S., people are obsessed with Apple," Lee said. "It's time to change people's attention."
The most recent Samsung TV ads are crafted to do just that, making overtly aggressive statements as to the lack of certain features from what is clearly an iPhone. The commercials also take tongue-in-cheek jabs at Apple customers themselves, who are usually depicted as "campers" waiting in line at a product launch.
Lee, however, made no mention of an outright attack against Apple, and instead focused on how she saw a huge potential to invoke emotion from her company's devices by interpreting "difficult technology" into "consumer languages," or non-technical terminology.
Apparently her way of thinking was accepted, and instead of running ads that rattle off tech specs and laundry lists of features, Samsung is now focusing on the relationship customers have with its mobile products.
An upcoming Super Bowl spot, which is a first for Samsung's cellphone division, will reportedly up the stakes with a new product unveiling, though Lee refused to comment on what exactly will be announced.
"Mobile can be a symbol of who you are," Lee said. "A lot of people believe 'what I have in my hands is me.'"
Apple users also identify strongly with their devices, and it is unclear as to why Samsung would belittle their loyalty if it aims to accomplish the same with the new ad campaign.
Update: Samsung in a press release on Tuesday has confirmed that the Galaxy Note will be the mystery product announced in its first-ever Super Bowl spot. The company notes that they "handpicked" Bobby Farrelly to direct the commercial. Farrelly is one half of the "Farrelly brothers" who, along with his brother Peter, have directed a number of winning box-office movies including "There's Something About Mary," "Dumb and Dumber" and "Kingpin." The Galaxy Note ad will air during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLVI on February 5th.
Comments
It's time to change people's attention.
No, you don't want us looking at you more closely. This is a "from 200 yards away, everyone's gorgeous" scenario.
And now someone will say, "It can be ten feet away if you're a Samsung lawyer! HI-YO!"
An upcoming Super Bowl spot, which is a first for Samsung's cellphone division, will reportedly up the stakes with a new product unveiling, though Lee refused to comment on what exactly will be announced.
"On February 24, Samsung will release "Granny Smith", and you'll see why 2012 won't be… like… 2012?"
"Mobile can be a symbol of who you are," Lee said. "A lot of people believe 'what I have in my hands is me.'"
"Hey, guys, I have a great idea for a marketing campaign!"
"What's that, Lee?"
"First, let's mock and demean a caricature of our competitor's customers to show how stupid they are for caring so much about a cell phone…"
"Okay, I like it, sounds good, can't possibly see where that could be misinterpreted, please go on…"
"…then we build advertisements of our own around how our phones should define who our customers are!"
"… um…"
Samsung is through-and-through a case in point.
To samsung, that should be another phrase for "to rip off".
"First, let's mock and demean a caricature of our competitor's customers to show how stupid they are for caring so much about a cell phone?"
"?then we build advertisements of our own around how our phones should define who our customers are!"
In a nutshell.
In Samsung's eagerness to get under the skin of Apple, their ad agency has lost the way of the message. To me, it's a waste of ad money.
Samsung could actually start by building products with constant update?
Wait, you want them to be MORE like Apple? I thought the fact that the software that comes with your Samsung phone is the software you'll have three years from now was one of their defining features.
Their intent of wanting to be like "Mike" and then their subsequent attacks on "Mike" confuses me as a consumer. Apple product owners are very product and brand loyal. The Samsung message of negativity should only be targeting Android OS or RIM users for conversion. The Apple message for people in line (or buying online) is not one of 4G speed. It's about the user experience.
In Samsung's eagerness to get under the skin of Apple, their ad agency has lost the way of the message. To me, it's a waste of ad money.
That's the funniest thing about it. Samsung is obviously going out of their way to make the products look as much like Apple's products as possible. And now they're going to try to convince us that Apple's products are bad.
I don't think they've thought this one through....
For me Samsung is dead. I hate my Samsung stuff at home and tell my friends who have Samsung phones that Samsung is an unethical company.
2005: Apple give Samsung 1 billion to build NAND Flash factories. Apple is Samsung's largest customer. Apple orders SoC, touchscreen, memory, flash and other components from Samsung.
Samsung have Apples roadmaps for the coming years.
"why not make phones/tablets that look exactly like Apple?"
=
Samsung is awarded with billions on sales.
Wonder what Samsung's battle cry will be.
Apple:
Here's to the crazy ones...
Samsung:
Here's to the intelligent ones that don't buy Apple.
Gnusmas = 악마 = Devil in Korea
Samsung is not a brand name. No image comes to mind when thinking about Samsung.
Samsung is not creative. They can only copy. Consumers have no loyalty to a copyist.
Even worse: why would any consumer align with the Devil?
Lee, a former employee of cosmetics brands L'Oreal and Lancome, said customers should be obsessed not only with Samsung's products, which include the Galaxy line of Android smartphones and tablets, but with the company itself. Much like Apple, the Korean company wants to build a base of repeat customers who make purchases based not only on features alone, but on brand loyalty as well.
Branding is very important, and it's never going to happen with a name and logo like "Samsung"...
"Hey, guys, I have a great idea for a marketing campaign!"
"What's that, Lee?"
"First, let's mock and demean a caricature of our competitor's customers to show how stupid they are for caring so much about a cell phone…"
"Okay, I like it, sounds good, can't possibly see where that could be misinterpreted, please go on…"
"…then we build advertisements of our own around how our phones should define who our customers are!"
"… um…"
Subtle... Kinda' like:
if you grab them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow!