Samsung Marketing Blitz Outpaced Apple in 2012
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.
Popular Stories
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive.
If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device.
Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors.
Rumors
Faster Wi-Fi Support
The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026.
Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors.
The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models.
Latest Rumors
These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Production of foldable OLED displays for Apple's first foldable iPhone have begun ahead of its expected launch next year, Korea's ETNews reports.
The first foldable iPhone's displays are being produced by Samsung Display, who are establishing a production line dedicated to the upcoming Apple device its A3 factory in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do. The production line will make displays exclusively...
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year.
In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
