Samsung 837 blends marketing with cultural experiences

Visitors to Samsung 837 look around Black Egg, an immersive, digital storytelling art work that combines a tunnel of display panels and images from Instagram, in this file photo. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

By Yoon Sung-won

NEW YORK ― Samsung Electronics is enhancing its brand value through its marketing center, “Samsung 837,” here in Manhattan, introducing its latest technologies and gadgets in the form of digital and cultural experiences.

Breaking from the old concept of device galleries that just showcase products, Samsung 837 differentiates itself by providing visitors with hands-on testing opportunities of the company’s mobile, network and virtual reality (VR) technologies as well as technological support for its devices and services, a Samsung Electronics official said.

“Aiming at delivering a sense of coolness, we have established Samsung 837 as a place to show our brand value, not just to showcase our products,” Samsung Electronics America North America Headquarters Corporate Marketing Director Kristine Shin said on Aug. 1. “At Samsung 837, we offer unprecedented marketing experiences. For instance, we host launching ceremonies for new products by combining VR technology and actual events. We also provide cultural events here by inviting popular DJs in this region.”

In June, the company unveiled its two new wearable fitness devices ― a smart band Gear Fit 2 and cordless fitness earbuds Gear IconX ― at Samsung 837.

Opened in February, Samsung 837 is in New York City’s old meatpacking district. Before being renovated into the four-story structure, the building once was one of the many meat lockers, Shin said.

From the 2000s, young artists flocked to the district seeking cheap shelter and consequently diverse galleries, art centers and fashion stores followed, making the district one of the hottest places for young people.

“We set out to build a marketing center of excellence,” Samsung Electronics America President and CEO Gregory Lee said. “We immediately thought of New York City, where the best marketing happens and where people have a finger on the pulse of culture. As a result, we have and will continue to attract top talent from around the world.”

Samsung 837 features facilities such as a living lab and digital playground with digital screens, auditorium seating for performances and special events, a content gallery and a broadcast studio. To mark the opening of the center in February, ABC’s Good Morning America broadcast live at Samsung 837.

Stepping into the building, the first thing visitors will see is a giant digital screen, which Samsung Electronics claims is the world’s largest multimedia display. It is made from 96 55-inch visual displays and is controlled by video artists to display content ranging from live streams and demos to showcases.

Next to the digital screen is a VR tunnel. In this corner, visitors can take a seat and put on Samsung Electronics’ head-mounted VR device “Gear VR” for an immersive visual and audio experience of dynamic activities such as roller-coaster riding. The experience will feature ongoing curated content around themes like travel, sports and family, or special events like festivals, sports and music and demonstrations including a four-dimensional VR experience.

Samsung 837 also provides an opportunity for the public to experience Samsung technology, signature services and culture through special events. The company said it is partnering with its neighbors in the meatpacking district, such as the Whitney Museum of American Art.

“At Samsung, we have a proven track record of innovation, and with Samsung 837, we are creating the flagship of the future,” Samsung 837 Vice President and General Manager Zach Overton said. “Reimagining the traditional store experience, 837 is a fully immersive cultural center, featuring programming which will tap into people’s passions such as art, music, entertainment, sports, wellness, culinary, technology and fashion, all powered and enriched by technology.”

As a flagship Samsung marketing center, it has an executive briefing center and new customer care center that offers a one-on-one service to consumers. Technology specialists help new and existing users learn how to utilize functions of Samsung products and services, the company said. With Samsung+, the free mobile app exclusive to Galaxy owners, users have faster access to technology support.

“As electronic devices became more complicated, consumers have asked for more extensive services, not just repairs but also instructions on how to use the gadgets,” Samsung 837’s tech support manager, Kim Jin-ho, said. “Such a concierge-like customer care center has first opened in Manhattan and we are seeing more than a thousand visitors every month since the opening. Most of the visitors to the customer-care corner seek instructions for their device.”