The Korea Times close
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Entertainment
& Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
Sports
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
Video
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
Thu, May 19, 2022 | 17:28
Tech
[Exclusive] Samsung aims at top five gobal brand value
<단독> 삼성, `브랜드 지향점 찾겠다'
Posted : 2012-11-01 17:21
Updated : 2012-11-01 17:21
Print Preview
Font Size Up
Font Size Down
Sue ShimSamsung Electronics Chief Marketing Officer

Sue Shim
Samsung Electronics Chief Marketing Officer


By Kim Yoo-chul

SUWON, Gyeonggi Province ― Over the past few years, Samsung Electronics has been in fierce patent battle with Apple. It still remains to be seen which company will claim victory but the dispute has brought mixed results to the Korean technology giant so far.

A U.S. jury gave a $1.05 billion victory to the California-based firm, while courts outside of Apple's home turf have generally ruled in favor of Samsung, thwarting the U.S. firm's claims.

However, looking at the broader picture, it seems that things are turning more in favor of the Korean firm. Ever since the dispute began, Samsung has widened its market gap with Apple in the smartphones market. More importantly, its brand value globally has improved remarkably, while its rival's has been stuck in a status quo.

''I'm positive our brand equity is going to see a steep increase over the next few years. Samsung Electronics aims to become the top five in brand value by 2020,'' said Samsung Electronics Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Sue Shim in an exclusive interview with The Korea Times at her office in Suwon, Thursday.

This is the first time that the CMO has unveiled the firm's internal brand ranking plan. Among a total of 34 executive vice presidents inside Samsung Electronics, Shim is the only female.

''As CMO, I am so proud of seeing Samsung's steady but large rise in brand value. Brand is crucial in reflecting a company's representation and consumer awareness,'' said the executive, who was a former Proctor & Gamble marketing specialist.

Shim handles all Samsung marketing and branding strategies. The company recently renewed its jersey partnership with Chelsea through 2015 and the company is also an official sponsor of the Olympic Games.

This year was truly a milestone for the Suwon-headquartered Samsung Electronics as the firm's brand value grew a stunning 40 percent from the previous year. It jumped to 9th from 17th, according to the latest study from Interbrand ― the world's leading brand consultancy.

Shim attributed the progress to an impressive performance in the mobile business, enhanced leadership in TVs and improved brand consistency, along with other brand strengths across many categories. The company is also ranked fifth in the global information technology (IT) industry.

Samsung Electronics' brand value has showed a phenomenal increase helped by a stellar business and an improved brand performance, as the figure went up 92 percent from $12.4 billion to $23.9 billion, according to Interbrand .

The contribution of the mobile business increased from 53 percent to 73 percent. The brand value of Samsung televisions also showed continued growth, while IT, monitor and domestic appliances showed a healthy 10 percent growth increasing the brand value from $1.8 billion to $2 billion. The semiconductor brand also showed a stable performance.

''Another hidden point is Samsung has improved skills for communications and I can say that's also why we saw a large jump in brand understanding,'' the executive said.

The average brand value of ''Top 100 companies'' grew by 10 percent this year, while Samsung Electronics' average growth among consumer electronics and IT industries was 16 percent.

Referring to the company's passionate efforts towards brand, the CMO said she is seeing a consistent bearing of fruit even in once-untouched territories such as Africa.

''I visited 33 countries across the globe to check out our real status. But I was impressed to see everybody acknowledged Samsung. Regardless of region or country, our brand recognition is now near 100 percent,'' Shim said.

''We must consider why we do it and why we exist as a company. This evolution in thinking will guide our brand strategy and set a new direction,'' she stressed.

Some say the ongoing global legal patent war with Apple has made a significant contribution to Samsung's corporate value.

''I have something to say. But sorry, in this issue, I am not authorized to officially speak about the Samsung-Apple patent litigation issue," the CMO said.

Sue ShimSamsung Electronics Chief Marketing Officer
Samsung Electronics ranks 9th in brand value by global brand research agency Interbrand for 2012. / Korea Times file

Brand consistency

When asked about strategies to achieve the ''top 5'' goal in terms of brand value by 202, Shim said: ''Samsung will maintain consistency in branding. Consumer value is our top phrase.'' According to Shim, consumers value the rich and diverse experiences offered by products rather than focusing simply on the device itself.

''We've seen some improvement in brand consistency. But we are being asked to maintain that path. This is the pre-condition for us to enter the global top five,'' she said.

To better handle Samsung's brand campaign, Shim's team began identifying everyday consumer requests related to values.

The team saw that by addressing familiar weak points, Samsung products could offer more satisfaction. To illustrate this connection, brand experts invented various new tools in which all weak areas pointed out by consumers were personified.

Referring to the bullish sales of its Galaxy S III smartphone and other Web-connected devices, the CMO stressed the so-called aspirational brand campaign that a good example of Samsung's search for consistency in brand value.

''That's why Samsung put 'designed for humans' phrase in our strategic Galaxy S III smartphone advertisements, as we want to create a human-centered brand campaign that illustrates how Samsung products provide people with more efficiency, more time and a more enjoyable experience,'' Shim said.

''The campaign will continue next year. We have plans and we've been making profits as our products are selling well. What I have to do is to execute very fine-tuned strategies according to markets,'' she said.

In line with the plans, Samsung plans to invest more to strengthen its ability for marketing management. ''This is about our management philosophy. We have competitive products, however, we were rather passive in letting consumers know our philosophy. Brand needs to be equalized with corporate philosophy. As the company is stable in terms of businesses, I will be more active in marketing-related campaigns,'' the senior executive said.

''Messages should be clear by sticking to one point in advertisements, shops, on-line and other retailers.''

When asked about companies that Samsung wants to benchmark, she didn't specify any particular one, though the CMO admitted she is spending more time studying best practices at Western companies.

''In terms of brand strategies, Samsung should learn from many cases; and so I am studying some brands that saw a large and effective rise in value,'' she said.

''It's very tough to set up detailed marketing plans. Implementation and execution are different issues. Consumer preferences are varied and they are getting smarter in an era of smart devices. It's nonsense that a single company is perfect in everything. That's what we saw decades ago. That's why we are open to learn more from other companies,'' Shim emphasized.

''The critical question is finding out from a brand what we are trying to achieve. Different brands surely have different objectives depending on what market segment they are trying to address,'' she continued.

Pointing to steep rises of tech companies such as Google, Apple, IBM and Intel in brand value, Shim said this trend is more than a surprise as it shows how aggressively technology has invaded the top of Interbrand's charts.

Among the top 10, Apple clinched second place in the list only behind Coca-Cola, followed by IBM, Google, Microsoft and Intel. But not everyone in technology came out a winner this year ― Microsoft, Nokia and RIM were among those that took a bruising ― but Interbrand's rankings hint that it's far better to be making tablets and smartphones than designer handbags.

''That's why Samsung Electronics is offering a wide variety of products across all parts of the world. We enable new and enhanced possibilities for all,'' the CMO said.

Sue ShimSamsung Electronics Chief Marketing Officer
Samsung flags and a poster promoting its OLED TVs are displayed at Messe Berlin during the IFA tradeshow in August. The global awareness of world's largest electronics maker by revenue has been soaring in recent years.
/ Korea Times file

Sports marketing

The CMO didn't give any details on Samsung's sports marketing, though the company considers this another vital communication strategy enabling it to create a stronger emotional bond with consumers.

Through its global sports sponsorship over the last two decades, Samsung has increased its brand value, quite considerably, according to Shim.

For some major multinational companies such as Samsung, major sporting events are about business and marketing. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is expected to rake in around $1 billion this year through corporate sponsorship.

Shim was also positive about returns that Samsung got via these sports marketing campaigns, saying they are the right platform to expand Samsung's global reach and to further develop relations with its consumer base.

''Samsung believes sponsorships with Chelsea and the Olympics brought excellent returns so far,'' she said during the interview.

''As a good corporate citizen and responsible company with respect and dignity, Samsung is dedicated to expanding our sponsorship programs and we will keep a greater consistency because I believe sporting values truly help to strengthen Samsung as a global brand.''

''Irrespective of the industry, I think the critical question for a brand is who are they trying to talk to, and therefore what event or sporting athlete should they sponsor?''

With the 40 minutes given time gone, Shim hurried out of the interview room located at the bottom of the R4 building as she had business meetings with overseas clients scheduled.



<단독> 삼성, `브랜드 지향점 찾겠다'
*2020년, `글로벌 5대 브랜드로 도약 *마케팅 역량 강화 *일관된 메시지 전달 *가치 창출 활동 강화 삼성전자가 2020년에 글로벌 5대 브랜드로 도약하겠다는 목표를 세웠다. 회사는 이를 위해 마케팅 활동을 강화하고, 제품에 대한 일관된 메시지를 전달할 수 있는 구체적인 전략을 마련해 실행키로 했다. 1일 삼성전자 최고마케팅책임자(CMO)인 심수옥 부사장은 경기도 수원 소재 집무실에서 코리아타임스와 단독으로 인터뷰를 갖고 ``2020년에 글로벌 5대 브랜드로 도약하겠다’’는 포부를 밝혔다. 삼성전자의 브랜드 및 마케팅을 총괄하는 책임자가 구체적인 목표를 제시하는 것은 이번이 처음이다. 심 부사장은 34명의 삼성전자 부사장 중 (미래전략실 제외) 유일한 여성 부사장이다. 심 부사장은 ``그동안 삼성전자는 브랜드가 지향하는 바를 적극적으로 알리지 않았지만 이제는 이러한 부분들을 소비자들에 적극적으로 알려서 시너지를 내야 할 때가 왔다’’며 ``소비자들은 제품을 만들어내는 것도 중요하지만 제품을 통해서 전달하는 경험을 더 중요시 하기 때문’’이라고 설명했다. 그는 또 ``결국 브랜드라는 것은 그 회사가 어떤 가치를 가지고 있는지, 어떤 지향점을 가지고 있는지를 판단하는 기준’’이라며 ``기술이 발전할수록 제품의 차이는 줄어들기 때문에 적극적인 마케팅 활동을 전개하겠다’’고 강조했다. 삼성전자의 뛰어난 제품 경쟁력을 바탕으로 브랜드 가치가 들어가 있는 활동을 보다 조직적으로 전개하겠다는 뜻이다. 최근 브랜드 컨설팅업체 인터브랜드 (Interbrand)에 따르면 삼성전자는 올해 `전 세계 100대 브랜드’ 조사에서 9위에 올랐다. 17위에 그쳤던 지난해 보다 무려 8계단 상승했다. 심 부사장이 밝힌 대로 삼성전자가 2020년에 글로벌 5위의 브랜드 가치를 가진 회사로 성장하게 되면 구글, 마이크로소프트, IBM, 애플 등과 ``진정한 의미’’에서 어깨를 나란히 하게 되는 셈이다. 그는 ``예전에는 소비자들과 커뮤니케이션을 할 때 우리 제품이 얼마나 좋은지에 대해 많은 비중을 쏟았다면 이제는 왜 만들었는지에 대한 가치를 적극적으로 알려야 한다''고 강조하며 ``소비자들은 제품을 선택하는 이유를 사회적인 가치에서 많이 찾고 이는 결국 제품이 어떻게 더 좋은 세상을 만드는데 기여하는지의 문제이기 때문’’이라고 부연했다. 내년에 실행할 중점 사항에 대해서는 ``삼성 브랜드를 정말 소비자가 가지고 싶어서 열망하는 브랜드로 만드는 것’’이라며 ``제품, 광고, 샵, 온라인 등 소비자들에게 전달하는 커뮤니케이션의 접점들을 한데로 묶어 메시지를 일관되게 전달되게 하는 일이 매우 중요하다’’고 답했다. 스마트폰 1위 제조업체로 등극한 이후 삼성 브랜드의 위상에 대한 질문에 심 부사장은 웃으며 ``이제는 삼성 이라는 이름을 알리는 게 중요하지 않게 됐다’’며 ``지역 및 나라에 상관없이 삼성 브랜드가 일정 수준에 올라왔다는 데 매우 뿌듯함을 느낀다'고 답했다. 애플과의 소송이 브랜드 위상에 미치는 영향에 대해서는 ``내가 말할 수 있는 입장이 아니다’’라며 즉답을 피했다. 벤치 마킹 대상이 있느냐에 대한 질문에 심 부사장은 ``물론 배울 곳은 많기 때문에 공부하고 들여다보는 브랜드는 많이 있다’’면서도 ``매체의 환경이 다양하고 복잡해졌고 또 최근 몇 년 사이에 마케팅이 20년전과 비교도 안 될 정도로 어려워졌기 때문에 어느 누구 하나가 완벽하게 모든 것을 잘한다고는 할 수 없어 각 분야별로 배우는 것이 다르다’’고 덧붙였다. 심 부사장은 지난해 전무에서 승진했다. 다국적 기업인 P&G에서 소비재 마케팅을 담당하다가 지난 2006년 8월 삼성전자로 옮겼다. 2008년 삼성전자 글로벌마케팅 브랜드전략팀장, 2009년 삼성전자 영상디스플레이사업부 마케팅 전무를 맡아왔다. 이화여대 영문학과를 졸업하고 미국 하버드대학교에서 최고 경영자 과정을 거쳤다.
Emailyckim@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
  • People in North Korea trapped in famine and pandemic [PHOTOS]
  • Kim says Chinese permanent residents should be stripped of right to vote in Korea
  • Anti-LGBTQ sentiment widespread in Korea: survey
  • South Korea to join US-led Indo-Pacific economic initiative
  • Protecting Korea's semiconductor leadership
  • CJ, Ottogi uneasy about Harim's tactics to sell new cooked rice
  • [INTERVIEW] Yoon's efforts to bolster Korea-US alliance will inevitably disturb China
  • North Korea asks China, Russia for help amid COVID crisis: reports
  • Luna debacle casts ripple effect over Korean stocks
  • Fear of deadliest famine in 1990s haunts North Korea amid national lockdown
  • Le Sserafim member Kim Ga-ram's bullying allegations resurface Le Sserafim member Kim Ga-ram's bullying allegations resurface
  • PSY's first boy group TNX makes much-anticipated debut with EP 'Way Up' PSY's first boy group TNX makes much-anticipated debut with EP 'Way Up'
  • Girls' Generation to make comeback in August after five years Girls' Generation to make comeback in August after five years
  • Musical 'Beethoven' to hit stage next year Musical 'Beethoven' to hit stage next year
  • 'Doctor Strange 2' tops 5 million admissions 'Doctor Strange 2' tops 5 million admissions
DARKROOM
  • People in North Korea trapped in famine and pandemic [PHOTOS]

    People in North Korea trapped in famine and pandemic [PHOTOS]

  • 2022 Pulitzer Prize: Bearing witness to history

    2022 Pulitzer Prize: Bearing witness to history

  • Worsening drought puts millions at risk

    Worsening drought puts millions at risk

  • Our children deserve the best

    Our children deserve the best

  • End of mask mandates

    End of mask mandates

The Korea Times
CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Location
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Service
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • Mobile Service
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • 고충처리인
  • Youth Protection Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group