With the launch of the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge mobile phones, Samsung drew on consumers' love of celebrity and love stories to engage young adults in Vietnam. The brand created a film that consumers could interact with in Samsung stores while also learning more about the new products. The campaign led to an increase in in-store product interaction and helped build brand awareness in the important high-end smartphone segment.
Objective and Context:
In 2014, the mobile phone market in Vietnam grew exponentially, with high-premium segment growth driven by Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launch. Samsung was squeezed on both sides: by Apple on the top and Oppo in the entry level.
With the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge's breakthrough design and functions, the brand aimed to drive product engagement that would lead to sales and competitive conversion. This launch was expected to revitalize the brand, gain points on brand equity and brand love, and drive volume sales to gain market share. The brand used this chance to strengthen local campaigns with a direct link to product trial leading to potential sales uplift.
Target Audience:
The campaign targeted Vietnamese young adults, aged 18 to 35, who belonged to middle-to-high social classes. Their lives are driven by modern fashion and trends; among them is a fascination for celebrities and love stories. Connectivity is an integral part of their lives. The phone they use defines who they are and expresses how they want to be treated and perceived by others. Most of them consider the iPhone a preferable choice to Samsung.
Overall Campaign Execution:
Samsung went beyond awareness-oriented communication by generating brand engagement through an innovative film. With 500,000 people experiencing the platform in four weeks, the "Love Story in Paris" campaign generated a strong impact for the Galaxy S6 launch. The audience needed to use the new Samsung Galaxy S6 to discover additional content from the film, leading 700 non-S6 users to visit Samsung stores nationwide every day.
Mobile Execution:
Bringing the campaign to mobile played a crucial role in the Galaxy S6 launch, from generating awareness to driving consumer engagement and, most importantly, product trial. Through a dual-screen video experience, viewers used their smartphones to interact with a short film. By entering a code into their mobile phone, a connection was made with a desktop or tablet. During the synchronization process, the user's smartphone brand and model were recognized by the system automatically. This enabled the platform to stream the full film for S6 users or an incomplete film for non-S6 users.
To drive trials, customized messages were inserted into the content for non-S6 users prompting them to unveil the full film by using an S6 phone in a Samsung store. While watching, users placed their phones over the main screen to discover several interactive features between the main screen and the mobile screen. This enabled the brand to interact with non-S6 smartphone users who got to experience the S6 features and interface on their non-S6 mobile screens.
Apple owns a powerful and consistent proposition in Vietnamese consumers’ minds, standing for high class, premium, and innovation. Samsung was perceived as the follower with a brand image that lacked an emotional and lifestyle connection with consumers, causing the business shares to shrink versus high- and low-end competitors. The Galaxy S6 and S6 edge campaign contributed to significant growth in the high-end smartphone segment in Vietnam.
The Galaxy S6 and S6 edge launch brought impressive results:
The campaign introduced dual-screen technology for the first time in Vietnam, and for the category, it generated excitement and positive reactions in the market. It pioneered the connection between online, mobile, and offline experiences to drive in-store traffic.
