I apologize since it has been awhile since my last post. Traveling for work has taken me to New York where I’m loving the city, but I am getting rocked late night in the office. Rest assured, more is on the way!
A good number of people have asked me recently why Samsung is the only Android handset maker making a dent in the mobile market, and just as importantly, the overall public mind share of consumers. Well there are many reasons Samsung is the Android top dog:
- They are one of the few companies to have a completely vertically integrated supply chain. Heck, the processor and memory modules in the Iphone 5 are made by Samsung.
- They spend billions of dollars in R&D that dwarf any of their competitors.
- They have a presence in every consumer electronic and home appliance category you can think of… Yes I will make a call with my Galaxy S3 while reheating my lunch in my Samsung microwave while doing laundry in my Samsung Washer/Dryer
- They are even gangster status as a state backed “Chaebol” in South Korea which has given them the inside track and support independent companies only dream of.
Now all the above allows Samsung to design and manufacture high quality products at an insanely quick pace, but that’s only part of the reason they are Apple’s biggest headache… Put simply they have the marketing budget and marbles to take Apple head on. They aren’t afraid to sucker punch Apple in the face with direct ads. Case in point this new GS3 ad that satirizes the notorious people waiting in line for the new Iphone5 (I’ve been one):
It’s effective because it deconstructs the Steve Jobs “Reality Distortion Field” using pure logic and easy to understand features. They are also not afraid to bombard your eyeballs at huge events, for example, being the official mobile sponsor of Chelsea and the 2012 Olympics.
You cannot look away and Samsung knows that
This brute force approach coupling a D-Day sized army of R&D resources with a massive well executed marketing agenda is a one-two punch that has Apple nervous. That can be seen in the PR drama that is the Apple v.s. Samsung court battles playing out all over the globe. Don’t get me wrong, Apple makes an incredible product and they are THE marketing geniuses, but Apple’s Federer has finally found his Nadal. Muhammad Ali discovering his Joe Frazier. Quasi applicable sports analogies aside, it is going to be a fun battle to watch.
Do you agree? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments!
