The smartphone era, which has been said to have begun with the iPhone’s introduction in 2007, has delivered so much hype to consumer electronics.
Each release cycle has been met with anticipation by fans and industry observers and the likes.
To live up to this hype, smartphone manufacturers like Samsung and Apple have spent years trying to one-up each other in their respective product launches.
Most of the attention for these launches have revolved around catchy promotional commercials, lavish launch events, and attention-grabbing marketing campaigns and stunts.
However, there’s an aspect to product launches and the resulting buying experience that tends to fly under the radar.
We’re referring to the unboxing experience.
Sure, the unboxing experience may be the least of a buyer’s worries, but it plays a crucial role in forming a mental connection and positive association with a brand.
With product cycles becoming tighter and launches turning into more extravagant affairs, the unboxing experience has grown stale, and even downright ignored.
In a hyper competitive smartphone landscape, every advantage a brand can get over its competitors is worth pursuing, even if that involves the often-ignored unboxing experience.
That’s why in 2024, Samsung decided to put a unique spin on the unboxing experience for one of its flagship offerings.
How?
You’ll have to keep reading below to find out …
Photo from Unsplash
An Unboxing “Packed” Full of History
2024 was an important year for Samsung. The smartphone maker was in the midst of a product launch cycle for its Galaxy flagship offerings and its midrange and budget product lines.
The Galaxy product line, by virtue of its flagship positioning, received the most attention and effort from Samsung as it sought to outdo Apple’s formidable iPhone.
One of the ways that Samsung sought to outdo its competitor was in the realm of unboxing. To do this, the smartphone maker partnered with creative agency Clemenger BBDO.
So, what did these collaborators come up with?
As part of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s product launch, Clemenger BBDO and Samsung launched a campaign that put Samsung’s history front and center in the unboxing experience.
A special edition of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (which includes the phone and other peripherals) was sent to influencers and smartphone reviewers.
The box containing the smartphone was inspired by Samsung’s roots as a grocery store that first opened in Daegu, South Korea in 1938.
Photo from Clemenger BBDO
The special edition product box contained a catalogue detailing Samsung’s history. The company’s original logo and other iconography related to its history adorned the catalogue. Recipients were also given a personalized receipt.
Aside from these things, included in this box was a personalized receipt,the Galaxy S24 Ultra wrapped in a carton of milk, a fast charging cable inside a package of instant noodles, and a Galaxy SmartTag2 found inside a can of mackerel.
Photo from D&AD
Everything included in the package was written in Korean to stay true to Samsung’s roots. However, this presented a problem to recipients: What if they weren’t familiar with the language?
To make everything written understandable even to non-Koreans, recipients of the special edition of the Galaxy S24 Ultra were encouraged to use its AI-powered translator.
All they had to do was point the phone’s camera at the package and its inclusions to understand everything written in Korean.
Photo from D&AD
So, was all the effort worth it?
The campaign delivered the following results:
- A 10x increase in unprompted posts
- Overall reach of 13.8 million people
- 4.4x higher engagement rate than average
On top of these strong results, the campaign won awards from prestigious awards-giving bodies like D&AD and The One Show.
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Samsung Australia’s attempt at putting another spin on the unboxing experience clearly succeeded.
By putting an unconventional spin on an often-ignored aspect of the smartphone experience, Samsung was able to generate hype for its brand and its fans, all while putting the brand’s rich history front and center.
So, if you’re looking for ways to capture eyeballs and generate buzz for your brand, Samsung’s campaign is definitely something you can take inspiration from!
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Fridays: Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing”
Jay Conrad Levinson (1984) said that Guerrilla Marketing “works because it’s simple to appreciate, easy to execute, and inexpensive.”
Guerrilla Marketing is unconventional.
Looking beyond the traditional ways of advertising, marketers and advertisers need to spice things up in order for their brand to have campaigns that not only make an impact but also stick to their target market’s mind.
Guerrilla Marketing usually aims to have direct contact with consumers.
This type of direct contact should spark an emotional reaction that leads to consumers effectively remembering the brand.
It’s about making a big impression and making that impression last a long time (if not forever).
Guerrilla Marketing can be inexpensive.
The effect of this is being able to create a buzz around the brand, and the strategy used to market it. Almost everything is passed around through word-of-mouth.
Word-of-mouth is one of the greatest outcomes and it usually doesn’t cost anything.
This is every business’ or brand’s dream!
Every Friday, we publish tips, examples, and other useful content on unconventional ways of marketing and promotion.
Learn more about how to grab your target market’s attention and make an amazing first and lasting impression without having to spend a lot of money.
Businesses don’t really need to spend much for a guerrilla campaign. You do not need a big budget to be successful. You just need creativity and a good imagination.
Hope you find this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Friday’s “Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing!”
Cheers,
Dyane Diasanta
Senior Content Writer
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
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