When it comes to the Android ecosystem, no one has the muscle like Samsung. The South Korean manufacturer has become practically synonymous with the mobile operating system at this point. Devices like the Galaxy S II, the Galaxy S III, the Galaxy Note II and now more recently the Galaxy S 4 are ridiculously popular around the world, and it doesn't look like anything --not even a trial with Apple-- is slowing the company's momentum.
Depending on who you ask, you're likely to get all kinds of reasons as to why this is. Maybe it's the pricing of the phone, or the varieties of AMOLED displays. The thin (plastic?) profile, microSD card slots, or maybe even TouchWiz UI. Whatever the case, there's no denying that Samsung has indeed found the sweet spot when it comes to Android, and they know exactly what to do to sell a lot of phones.
Maybe that's part of their success, too. The fact that Samsung isn't afraid to release a lot of phones. Even phones that are iterations to devices that they've recently released. Because Samsung's figured out that one phone won't make everyone happy, so release more than one. Sure, it'd be nice if they announced all those phones at the same time so people could have a better chance at making a choice, but that's ultimately the curse of the early adopter.
Another source of Samsung's success is pretty obvious to anyone who's seen the company's marketing, especially after a product has launched. Before the Galaxy S III launched, I didn't see much other than, "This phone exists, it's from Samsung, so be excited!" But as soon as the device was available, I saw so many different commercials showing off the phone, making fun of Apple fans, and showing specific features. And while those commercials made a dent in potential buyer's brainpan, I don't think any of them were all that fantastic. That's just me, personally. I think they were good, but none of them really blew me away.
That's changed with this round of marketing from Samsung, which is focused on the Galaxy S 4. Before I saw these commercials, I would have told you that the older Apple commercials for their products were the best around. But I think Samsung has taken the crown in this department, at least for now.
Why? Because Samsung puts the phone into a situation that could actually happen, and has the perfect feature to compliment it. No, the feature doesn't make the situation happen. The phone has an answer for a particular moment, and considering we're talking about a device that's supposed to help you get through your day, I don't think it gets much better than that.
The first commercial that really made an impact for me focuses on an older gentleman, which I presume is the younger guy's father, talking about the Galaxy S 4's "Easy Mode." I think the dialogue is a little weird (did we just jump into the conversation?), but other than that, that's a situation that I've been in with my own dad. That mode is made for him. And, truth is, it would probably sell him on the device, too.
The best commercial, though, includes a couple of features that I didn't think would be all that interesting. But, again, put in this situation they obviously helped more than anything else. In this particular case, which is far more realistic than some might expect, they aren't just a gimmick. The features shown in Samsung's "Swaddle Master" commercial are Air Gesture, Smart Pause and S Voice, and when you watch them in action as this father tries to swaddle his infant, it all just makes sense.
That commercial would have sold me on the Galaxy S 4 when I was trying to swaddle either one of my daughters.
These commercials, this targeted marketing, is just so good. It makes perfect sense to me why I'm already starting to see the Galaxy S 4 everywhere. What's more, I expect the marketing campaign to just get better from here, so I'm almost a little excited to see what else the Galaxy S 4 can do for the general consumer out there in the "real world."
Am I going to buy one? No, probably not. As I've said in the past, I just don't like AMOLED displays, nor am I a fan of TouchWiz on anything that isn't a Galaxy Note II. However, I can admit that Samsung's marketing for the device, based on its features and toolset, make it a very compelling device. That counts for a lot.
Have you seen any of Samsung's Galaxy S 4 commercials? Do any of them stand out for you? Have any of them made you actually consider buying a Galaxy S 4, or made you feel even better about the purchase you've already made? Or do you think they're not all that good at all? Let me know!
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