Samsung's iPhone problem

The electronics giant and it's image problems.

After the South Korean car manufacturer KIA, I want to talk about the electronics giant Samsung located in the same country this time.
Do you have an iPhone? NO? Since apple has about 50% of the smartphone market share there would have been a fair chance you own one. But since you don't there is a fair chance you own a Samsung smartphone running on the Android operating system.

Either way you own a highly sophisticated piece of technology. The only difference might be in the image of your handheld device. But how come?

There's no question that apple and especially the iPhone changed our society. Not because the Cupertino based company is necessarily more innovative than it's competitors, but because Steve Jobs and his workers managed to pack all that existing technology in a pretty phone that is easy to use. Something the world seemed to be missing.

But I want to take a look on the other side. Apple's competitors such as Samsung trying to get more market share themselves.

And whether you're aware of it or not, Samsung is working on that through all available marketing channels. Their advertising gig at the Oscar's through Ellen Degeneres' "selfie" caught a lot of attention. So does the cooperation with NBA super star Lebron James. And so did the use of soccer star David Beckham during the Olympics in London 2012.

Unfortunately there's always a bitter taste to Samsung's marketing efforts.

The fact that no matter which star they use for their advertising and promotion efforts, those celebrities are almost always spotted using a apple product before or after they promote the Samsung product, Lebron James excluded. Unfortunately he just recently tweeted about how upset he is with his Samsung device instead.

So what are the South Korean's doing wrong?

Maybe they don't do nothing wrong at all!

After the recent release of their new Galaxy smartphone I believe that Samsung does not want to "overtake" apple's market share. They do not necessarily want to drive apple users to Samsung devices. Simply because their audience is different. Samsung devices are undoubtedly more advanced from a technological perspective or, more specifically they have better processors, displays, cameras etc. than the apple devices. They might not look as exclusive in some cases and they certainly miss the "bitten apple", but provide a great experience for everyone that wants the technologically most advanced phone at a fair price and without following the hype of society.

Unfortunately they can't do anything about their cooperating celebrities using other devices. But maybe those celebrities are just part of a trend as well.

Samsung's marketing efforts are innovative, spontaneous and successful. Maybe the company's only "problem" is the current trend for apple smartphones. No one knows how much longer the hype will last. But in contrast to apple, Samsung has more than a single feature to rely on. Only the future will tell who of those two smartphone giants will take the upper hand in the longterm.

If Samsung should keep up their successful marketing efforts chances are good they will at least be in the race for the top spot.