Samsung is one of many technology companies that is ridiculing Apple’s new iPhone 6 bending controversy. Samsung is taking advantage of this opportunity and is avidly using social media to post viral campaigns jabbing at Apple’s new product and their overall brand image. On September 25, 2014, Samsung posted an image that went viral on social media; this Twitter post had an image of the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge Phone with the slogan text “Curved. Not Bent. #GALAXYNoteEdge”.
When I saw this image, I immediately thought of the Pepsi vs. Coke campaign that Professor Paul Cubbon discussed in Class 8. To restate Paul Cubbon’s lecture, he showed the class how Pepsi is diminishing Coke’s position through viral marketing campaigns such as the Pepsi Taste Challenge and humorous commercials to emphasize Pepsi stepping over Coke. To apply the Pepsi vs. Coke scenario to the Samsung vs. Apple situation, we can see that Samsung is doing the exact same repositioning of the iPhone through social media. The point of difference that Samsung has is that their products are very technologically advanced while Apple has a point of difference of brand innovativeness and a simple cool factor. Although it is usually extremely difficult for a company to compete against a leading company in the same industry, Samsung is definitely catching up to Apple in the cellphone category.
Article Source:
http://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-jabs-at-bendgate-to-tout-its-galaxy-note-edge/
Photo Source:
http://www.ibtimes.com/new-samsung-ad-capitalizes-apples-iphone-6-plus-bending-problem-1694861