Case study of Samsung Galaxy S9 – Latest smartphone launching analysis
Marcella Khoshneviss
Instructor: Tokunbo Osinubi, Ph.D., MBA
BU 530: Globalization of Business
Southern States University – Campus Fashion Valley
03/25/2018
Abstract
This Case Study will talk about launching the latest Samsung smartphone in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. We will talk about business communication, marketing, product marketing, the best strategy that should be used in order to have a successful launching and the recommendations given to our consumers.
Samsung have many devices, but this one is renovated, something never seen in the market before. Our customers will be thrilled about the product and our approach will be tempting and innovative. In another word, it will be epic!
Keywords: Samsung Galaxy S9, latest smartphone model, marketing.
Case study of Samsung Galaxy S9 – Latest smartphone launching analysis
In this paper, we will introduce the latest smartphone of Samsung – Samsung Galaxy S9, by providing specifications, business plan for this product, challenges we might face social and globally speaking and provide our major opportunities.
Samsung Company
Samsung Electronics was founded in 1969 and in a very fast time manner it became a major manufacturer in the Korean market. During the beginning period of growth, the company came from burgeoning home electronics business and the company started to export its products for the very first moment. Samsung Electronics also achieved a 50% stake in Korea Semiconductor; Afterwards solidifying Samsung Electronics’ position as a leader in semiconductor manufacturing.
Samsung Electronics’ core technology business started to vary and evolve globally in the late period of 1970s and early of 1980s. Samsung Electronics started to develop their focus on technology directing to the designing of 2 research and development (R&D) institutes that helped to spread out its range beyond into electronics, semiconductor, optical telecommunications and new fields of technology innovation that goes from nanotechnology to developed network architectures. In 1980s, a great milestone was the merger between Samsung Electronics and Samsung Semiconductor. In 1987, the founding Chairman of Samsung Electronics, Byung-chull Lee passed away. Hi son, Kun-hee Lee, replaced his dad in the position and was named as a Chairman of Samsung Electronics. It was a challenge to the company during this period of adaptation and restructure from old business and entering a new one with the goal of becoming one of the world’s top 5 electronics companies.
The beginning of 1990s it was super challenging to the company because of the high-tech businesses. Mergers, coalitions and buy-outs were super common back then because of the competition and flourished have been risen. Companies were feeling the pressure as the time was passing and that made them rethink about their technology and services that were being offered. Businesses started to spread out across borders between countries and companies. That moment was important for Samsung Electronics because it created opportunities to refocus their own business strategies in order to be better in the market demands’ response.
In the mid-1990s, Samsung Electronics turned around their own business in the matter of dedication in order to make a “world-class products”, by offering a great customer satisfaction and being a company that cares about people under any quality specification existent. In this period, 17 distinct products that goes from semiconductors to computer monitors, TFT-LCD screens to color picture raised into the top-five products for global market share in the matter of their related areas and 12 other reached as top market ranking in their respective areas. Being the first one also fulfilled the corporation’ goal and social obligation. Till then, Samsung Electronics was constantly participating in sports marketing and as a consequence of their strong effort made, the chairman Kun-hee Lee was chosen as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in July 1996. Being named as a member increased the company’s name and image, making the as a key subscriber to world athletics.
Even though with 1997s financial crisis that reached approximately every Korean business, Samsung Electronics was one of some little companies that still maintained developing, regards the leadership in digital and network technologies and their solid focus on electronics, finances and other services.
The digital era has caused a revolutionary change and created a global business opportunity so that Samsung Technologies’ response was developed technologies, competitive products and frequent newness.
Because of the successful electronics business, Samsung has been known globally as an industry leader in the matter of technology and being ranked as a top 10 global brands.
Samsung Electronics has a wide-open list of products provided such as Mobile Phones, Tablets, Wearables, Virtual Reality (Gear VR, Gear 360 and 360 Round), Security (Server options and cloud provided), Laptops, Chromebooks, Monitors, Computing Acessories, window and outdoor digital displays, LCD Videowalls, 4K UHD, Signane Acessories, Standalone signane, Direct-view LED Videowalls, TVs, Printers & copiers, Networking & Voice (Wireless Lan, Enterprise, SMB and Networks), Air conditioning and Medical Devices (Ultrasound System, Digital Radiography, In-vitro Diagnostics and Portable CT).
Samsung Galaxy S phones
Samsung company have many different types of smartphones or devices, such as Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Galaxy Note and Samsung J series. Over the years and with the technology advance, they have been able to develop new phones and make new improvements in their smartphones. Each phone has their own personality, shape, size, color, characteristics, specifications and own personality. Each one it is designed in order to provide the best and specific phone to different public.
Samsung Galaxy Note is a series that was created with large devices screens, with note-taking and digital scrapbooking apps, split-screen multitasking and something that was primarily oriented towards a pen computing style. Over the years started to develop according with the technology, such as the pen touching, but initially it was a large phone, wide screen that could provide a similar feeling of having a small computer in your hands. It is also known as “phablets” – a type of smartphone that has a large screen with the same tablet function in a phone. Because of the popularity, Samsung sold over 50 million devices between 09/2011 and 10/2013. The Samsung Galaxy note series started with “Samsung Galaxy Note” and the latest released in May 2017 was the “Samsung Galaxy Note8”.
Samsung Galaxy J series is a simpler model and more affordable released by Samsung company. The first model was presented in 12/2013, having essentially smartphone’s feature, different sizes and equipment. The letter “J” stands for joy and the series started with “J”, with the latest released “Samsung Galaxy J7”. Normally, they release new J phones every year, essentially with new improvements, a few specifications and differentiations like “Pro, Duos and Prime”.
Samsung Galaxy S phones was released in 06/2010 and it paired also with Samsung Galaxy Note, that was released near to the same moment, “Samsung Galaxy S” also expanded to the Tablet line, releasing “Samsung Galaxy Tab S”. The Samsung Galaxy S series started with the “S” and the latest is “Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+”.
Over the years, the phone has been getting improvements each time a new series was released. The latest Samsung Galaxy S9 version features are:
• Dual Aperture – Camera that adapts similar to a human eye, being able to vary according to the light conditions, bright or dark light
• Low light photos – F1.5 aperture that finds the light even if it is dark
• Super slow-motion – Camera that slow down while recording
• Add music to a video
• Turn video recorded into a GIFs
• AR Emoji – Turn yourself into an emoji
• AR Emoji Stickers – Turn the emoji with emotions
• Live Translation – Real-time translation
• Intelligent Scan – Face recognition and Iris scan in order to unlock the phone. Also unlock options: Fingerprint, pattern, password and pin
• Multiple Device sharing – Share the same screen in your phone into your other devices by syncing them
• Infinity Display – Edge-to-edge display
• Surround Sound Speakers – Dolby Atmos sound tuned by AKG
• New phone design – Back panel remodeled
• New phone colors – Midnight black, Lilac Purple and Coral Blue
• Water and Dust resistance
• Wireless Charging
• Expandable memory – Up to 400GB extra space
As listed above, Samsung Galaxy S9 has many specifications that tempt the customers in the matter of providing so many features that makes easy to customers to adapt the phone according to their own needs.
Business Product Plan Strategy
When it comes to defining a business strategy, we need to consider all the business factors that are related to the product, company and customers. First, it is necessary to analyze customers, competitors and communication used in this process and then, do the product implementation.
Customer. In the matter of customer, our objective is always to provide the best service to our customers in order to achieve the customer’s satisfaction and expectations. Customer’s evaluation helps us to understand our current customer’s needs, what, why, when, where and how they think and evaluate us as a company and product provided.
Competitors. Analyze our competitor’s strategies it is important because we need approach innovation and we don’t want to be recognized as someone that is doing what others do. We seek to be different and unique. By analyzing our competitor’s strategies, we will be able to scope down their attitudes and come up with something unique.
Communications. Analyzing our company’s communication in every level makes it easier to know and understand what we will be able to apply in the new location and of course, according to the local culture and customer’s need. Each place, country and culture has their own particularities and in order to be able to achieve our goal – have a successful product implementation – it is necessary to understand and communicate according to what people are looking for.
Distinctly from US, in Brazil it is not allowed to provoke the other companies. A good example is the advertisement. In US, Samsung advertisement makes an explicit comparison with one of their greatest competitors – Apple. In Brazil, if we follow the same line of advertisement, Samsung would be sued by Apple because of the “brand threat”. So, that is why it is important to learn about the culture, customs and rules in the country you are dealing with.
So, the steps to an effective product plan integration/implementation in Sao Paulo, Brazil would be, product positioning. The product positioning helps the customer to wrap up their mind about the company and product that they have already known before. A great approach would be providing product attributes, product show in-store, price-quality relationship, product user by distinguishing a product by specifications.
Another important integration is developing product awareness, by providing products highlights in store, social media, website and advertisements. Change customer beliefs or attitudes, enhance purchase actions, encourage repeat purchases, build customer traffic, provide enough and clear product information in order to the customer fully understand and know the product. Advertise the product in social media, given that nowadays people are using more electronic devices than other things. For the social media I would increase awareness, create customer engagement by contest, games and customer’s satisfaction analysis. Build Twitter, Instagram and Facebook product platform in order to increase online advertisements and create keywords so when people use the online research they can link to our Samsung Galaxy S9.
Major Challenges and Opportunities. When it comes to challenges nowadays, it is quite important to think overall. Business each day more have difficulties to immerse in a market or even more, to satisfy the customer’s expectations. Expectations are each day higher. So, a few challenges are needed to be considered. The first one is integrity, given that doing the right thing is always something that we know we should do, but it is also tempting to “slip” and do something in the easiest way. Business integrity it is super important and challenging in the matter of staying put and being 100% correct. Second challenge would be competition. Technology are advancing, so are the products and customers’ expectations. Each time and new product’s release the company need to come up with something new and that customers will want to buy. Competitors in the other hand can and will copy your idea. Keeping up and making sure that your customers understand that was your primarily idea it is important as well. Third, marketing and customers’ loyalty. We know that it is hard to supply all the customer’s expectation, but building a device that can adapt and adjust according to the customer’s needs, that is a huge thing. Samsung Galaxy S9 was made for that. To make up with customers’ expectations, needs and necessities. Samsung Galaxy S9 was built to attend different public and has an easier software. They provide a wide-open option so then the customer can adjust according to whatever they want or need. Apple in the other hand, is more central and closed circle, not providing a wide-open option to the customers. A good example would be phone charger. Apple has design an exclusive charger and phone so people would have the only option to buy from them. In the other hand, Samsung is more worldwide. They offer different options and let the customer decide what they want and prefer. That creates a bond between customer and brand because the customer feels free to do whatever they want and not obligated, like Apple does.
Conclusion
After this case study analysis, we were able to conclude that the company builds a product thinking only and exclusively in the customers. They are basically the center of everything that we make for. It is necessary to fully know and understand the customers’ needs in order to make a successful product.
Samsung Galaxy S9, when using the right tools, will have a high volume sales because we care about our customers and when fully explaining the product and using the persuasion, we will be able to achieve our goal.
References
About Samsung Electronics (2018)
Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung
Samsung website, About Samsung (2018)
Retrieved from https://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/home/
Samsung Website, Products provided list (2018)
Retrieved from https://www.samsunghealthcare.com/en/products
Samsung Website, Galaxy S9 product highlight
Retrieved from http://www.samsung.com/in/smartphones/galaxy-s9/augmented-reality/
Tactic, tools and strategies: The five steps to implementation (2018)
Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/1664302/tactics-tools-strategies-five-steps-to-implementation
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