Samsung Marketing Blitz Outpaced Apple in 2012

[MacRumors]

Samsung's lead over Apple last year in the smartphone race was helped by a massive marketing blitz, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Figures published by Kantar Media showed that in 2011, Apple was outspending Samsung three-to-one in mobile phone advertising (red graphics). Samsung massively increased its phone advertising spending from $78 million in 2011 to $401 million in 2012, 20% higher than Apple's $333 million.

The willingness to spend heavily could prove even more important as the technology gap between rivals narrows.

"They understand how to build a strong product...and have been willing to invest to drive their success," said Michael Sievert, chief marketing officer of T-Mobile USA Inc., a unit of Deutsche Telekom DTE.

To be sure, Apple remains a powerful brand that benefits from its own advertising and ubiquitous references in popular culture. Apple's iPhone is America's most effective mobile phone brand, advertising analytics firm Ace Metrix said in January. But Samsung finished second in phones and was the top technology brand of 2012, said Ace.

Samsung has been running a high-profile teaser campaign for its Galaxy S IV phone due to be launched tomorrow at Radio City Music Hall, and will undoubtedly continue that push with even more advertising to drive sales of the new flagship device.

Just weeks ago, Ken Segall, the creative director behind several of Apple's ad campaigns including the iconic "Think Different" effort, highlighted the effectiveness of Samsung's people-based ads, arguing that Apple needs to step up its game in order to counter Samsung's marketing successes.

Article Link: Samsung Marketing Blitz Outpaced Apple in 2012

[JaySoul]

Whilst the quality of Samsung's marketing has been variable, the length and breadth of it has been astonishing - and has certainly played a vital role in their recent success.

[Popeye206]

Yeah, it's obvious to see they've been dumping tons of cash to get in front of everyone that's for sure. Will be interesting to see how sustainable it is. Apple really should step up the marketing as well... the competition is getting fierce and I'm sure Blackberry, HTC or one of them will be stepping it up too to compete.

[Mad Mac Maniac]

I'm surprised that Samsungs marketing budget wasn't more... I would have expected it to be about double Apple's

[deavy]

So The Wall Street Journal wants to say that Samsung spend on smartphone advertising only 400 million from 12 billion? What about another 11,5 billion? Marketing of refrigerators and vacuum cleaners?

[notjustjay]

Lesson learned: the more you spend on advertising, the more your product sells.

[Crzyrio]

Originally Posted by notjustjay

Lesson learned: the more you spend on advertising, the more your product sells.

Yes but the challenge is finding the right balance.

Got to find just the right amaount

[KieranDotW]

Originally Posted by notjustjay

Lesson learned: the more you spend on advertising, the more your product sells.

If you ask me, putting ads in the MIDDLE of YouTube videos (yes that happens now) makes me want to purposefully avoid buying your product. Maybe that's just me, because apparently it's working.

[Unspeaked]

Originally Posted by notjustjay

Lesson learned: the more you spend on advertising, the more your product sells.

Yeah, just ask Microsoft with their Zune! And Surface!

Oh, wait...

[LorPGDL]

the samsung s 4 teaser apps are easily the worst ads ive seen for a long long time.

[MonkeySee....]

Apple mainly sell stuff on reputation, not fooling the masses to buy knock off's.

[iPusch]

Where do Apples 333'000'000$ go to?
Barely see any Apple advertisement on TV nor YouTube...
(Don't really watch much of that stuff tho)

Okk sometimes on the back of the Time magazine, but c'mon


haha but this weird Discover Card ad -.- yay

[OllyW]

Originally Posted by deavy

So The Wall Street Journal wants to say that Samsung spend on smartphone advertising only 400 million from 12 billion? What about another 11,5 billion? Marketing of refrigerators and vacuum cleaners?

Have you considered the advertising they have placed in other countries?

[deavy]

Originally Posted by OllyW

Have you considered the advertising they have placed in other countries?

Oh, well, you're right

[Astroexe]

Apple now needs to start working on Singular effective product-specific apps over multiple forgettable ones.

The trend of theme-centric ads (Movies, Productivity, Science etc.) are ok to tell an audience about what that thing can do.. but what about what it's even like? I think Apple missed a trick by giving those short, introduction, three second videos that are used in keynotes. No additional spending, introduces a market in a simple and effective way.

[Squilly]

Not surprised. Most of Sammy's ads were berating Apple anyways.

[TallManNY]

Considering the size of these markets and the profit both company is making from its devices, these are fairly small advertising budgets. Apple could easily increase its ad budget to $2 billion and if that increased sales across its lines by only 5% (some that is a 600% increase in ads for a 5% increase in sales) it would be a wash.

[realeric]

Apple spent money on shareholders. Samsung spent money on technology, development, and marketing.

[johncrab]

There will always be a market for cheap, plastic, unsupported crap.

[shivaiyar]

According to many other sources, Samsung spent over $11 billion on marketing in 2012.

Source: http://www.androidauthority.com/sams...t-2012-165560/

[bbeagle]

Originally Posted by iPusch

Barely see any Apple advertisement on TV nor YouTube...
(Don't really watch much of that stuff tho)

It all depends on WHAT you watch. I watch mostly Netflix and recorded network TV where I zip through commercials on my Tivo. I don't get any commercials there.

The only places I watch commercials are sporting events, or big events such as the Oscars. I've noticed both Apple and Samsung in those genres.

[rdlink]

"Samsung has been running a high-profile teaser campaign for its Galaxy S IV phone.."


But it has Android on it.... No thanks.

[thekev]

Originally Posted by deavy

So The Wall Street Journal wants to say that Samsung spend on smartphone advertising only 400 million from 12 billion? What about another 11,5 billion? Marketing of refrigerators and vacuum cleaners?

Did you even read the article? It mentions phone advertising within the US. The figure wasn't limited to smartphones, but it was specific to the US market.

[HenryDJP]

Originally Posted by Astroexe

Apple now needs to start working on Singular effective product-specific apps over multiple forgettable ones.

The Developers have to pay Apple for that type of frontline publicity. It's not always financially feasible. Some of the most useful apps may be from the smallest developers that are still trying to "make it".

[Rogifan]

Originally Posted by realeric

Apple spent money on shareholders. Samsung spent money on technology, development, and marketing.

Source?