SAMSUNG CASE STUDY
At the end of 2003, Samsung’s CMO Eric Kim had to present his plan on how to become a blockbuster brand by 2005 to top management. After 5 years of marketing his brand in the Global market, Samsung had achieved a good positioning from awareness prospective. In order to move to the next level (to be “loved”), Kim had to take a decision based on data and comments he collected from his line managers and from the FCB partner agency during the last year. He had to decide if he wanted to embrace complex customer segmentation (targeting specific “vanguard clients”) or keeping focus just on the DigitAll campaign.
Kim’s dilemma arose as a consequence of the analysis on brand development by countries and products, carried on by the FCB Advertising Agency. In some countries, to move customers from a priced base brand to a “delights me” category, the communications strategy is probably needed to be reevaluated. A trend analysis survey with industry expert, reports that consumer trends are going to change in the next future. More tailored services and digital technology more involved in the common life are going to shape a change in the consumer habits that needs to be addressed by Kim’s future strategy.
Samsung’s 1997-2003 marketing strategy has been successful because they have been able to read the needs of their customers creating a Global Logo, and launching new products in half the time of the competition. They marketed their brand strongly and globally in the most important media events as for the Olympic Games and the movie Matrix. Samsung powerfully communicated that “Digital makes everybody equal”. Their campaign was based on developing the perception of a Brand that continuously innovates. The created a unique powerful device capable to connect and makes life easier.
In my opinion, in order to be competitive in their brand growths, they