Social Media SWOT Analysis

MAR4233: RVC & RPC- Fall 2015Group 16

By:

Ashley PouyaChristopher Gawrych

Cintia EspinozaMariel LoraMax Ferro

Company Background• Samsung Electronics is a South Korean company, which mainly operates as a

global consumer electronics manufacturer with three main divisions: Consumer Electronics, Information Technology & Mobile Communications, and Device Solutions (The Wall Street Journal, 2015).

• Samsung is currently ranked as #7 on Forbes’ list of the “World’s Most Valuable Brands,” and is a global market leader in consumer electronics (Forbes, 2015).

• Samsung is heavily focused on the smartphone industry where it maintains a market leader position and currently controls a 21.4% share of the global market (IDC, 2015).

• Founded: January 13, 1969 (The Wall Street Journal, 2015)• Industry: Technology hardware, storage and peripherals, and semiconductors• Headquarters: Suwon, South Korea (The Wall Street Journal, 2015)• Current Employees: 235,999 (Forbes, 2015)• Performance: 2014 FY Net Sales: $305 billion, 2014 FY Net Income: $22.1

billion (Samsung, 2015).

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Company Culture• Vision: “Samsung is dedicated to developing innovative technologies and

efficient processes that create new markets, enrich people's lives and continue to make Samsung a digital leader” (Samsung Group, 2015, para. 4).

• Philosophy: to devote Samsung’s “talent and technology to creating superior products and services that contribute to a better global society” (Samsung Group, 2015, para. 7).

• Corporate Values: People, Excellence, Change, Integrity, Co-Prosperity (Samsung Group, 2015, para. 10-14).

• Vision 2020: “Inspire the World, Create the Future” (Samsung Group, 2015, para. 15).

• Vision 2020 Goals: reach $400 billion in revenue and become a top 5 global brand by 2020 (Samsung Group, 2015, para. 16).

Strengths• Samsung has strong global brand recognition, which it has leveraged on social

media to reach and engage with a large consumer audience (Walgrove, 2015).• Samsung uses event sponsorships, social influencers, and celebrity endorsers to

promote its social content and increase consumer engagement (Walgrove, 2015).

• Samsung utilizes unique, entertaining, and sharable content across its social media accounts and encourages consumer conversations centered around its posts (Walgrove, 2015).

• Samsung has a major presence on all of the most popular social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram (Walgrove, 2015).

• Samsung’s social media managers operate like humans, rather than strictly corporate business entities.

• Samsung has highly-responsive, dedicated customer support teams available through its dedicated social media accounts (Kohler, 2015).

Weaknesses • Samsung has to invest more time and resources into its social media presence

than its top competitor Apple, in order to build and maintain top-of-mind awareness among the consumer audience (Walgrove, 2015).

• Samsung does not focus on a specific niche, which can make it difficult to define its target social media audience.

• Samsung does not consistently emphasize an active presence across all of its social media accounts, usually focusing on a certain product line, event, or campaign through an integrated content approach that may not utilize certain accounts or platforms (Walgrove, 2015).

• Samsung is often perceived as a fast follower by many consumers, which can decrease the effectiveness of its social media messaging, particularly when it compares itself to Apple (Walgrove, 2015).

• Samsung does not charge prices as high as some of its primary competitors like Apple and Sony. As a result, consumers can perceive a link between its comparatively low prices and assume low product quality.

Opportunities • Samsung can continue to expand its social media presence and visibility

to meet increased American adult social media usage, as nearly 65% of American adults use social media in 2015 (Perrin, 2015, p. 1).

• Younger Americans are becoming increasingly dependent on social media as part of their everyday lives, which is an opportunity for Samsung to target and engage younger consumers through social media to strengthen its brand.

• Samsung can drive its consumer engagement through the increased use of social media sweepstakes and contests, particularly on Twitter and Facebook.

• Samsung can continue to target influential followers on different social media platforms to encourage more consumer awareness and sharing of its social media content.

• Samsung can continue to utilize social media metrics and consumer feedback to respond to shifting consumer preferences and directly message its core consumer groups in real-time (Ungerleider, 2014, p. 1).

Threats• Samsung’s marketing focus is very broad, targeted at capturing the

largest consumer audience possible due to the scope of the global consumer electronics market (Walgrove, 2015).

• Samsung has a variety of product lines, businesses, and geographic markets, which can lead to difficulties in consumer discovery of its social media content due to the large number of accounts it operates (Walgrove, 2015).

• A saturated smartphone market in developed countries and new, low-cost competitors, like Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi, are increasing the amount of competing brands present on social media (Kovach, 2014).

• Encouraging open, two-way communication with consumers could damage Samsung’s brand image if it receives a strongly negative response to its products or campaigns.

• Apple has not prioritized social media marketing to reach consumers in the past, but it may begin to do so in the future (Campbell, 2015).

• Likes: 1,256,578• Facebook usage: 72% of US adult Internet users (Duggan,

2015).• 82% of online adults aged 18-29 use Facebook in 2015.• Samsung often promotes its brand by running integrated

social campaigns and contests, which encourage users to participate, share, like and contribute, which creates excitement around its products (Sheehan, 2014).

• 23% of US adult Internet users use Twitter (Duggan, 2015).

• Samsung USA (@Samsungtweets) is Samsung’s main US Twitter account.

• Followers: 523,000• Following: 32,500• Tweets: 34,300• Favorites: 6,095• Joined: April, 2009

• Samsung operates several dedicated Twitter accounts for different purposes such as geographic regions, brands, customer service, product support, etc.

• For example, Samsung utilizes Twitter sub-division channel @Samsungsupport to tackle consumer issues immediately.

@SAMSUNGUSA• 26% of US adult Internet users

use Instagram (Duggan, 2015).• Followers: 73,000 • Posts: 447• Average of 20 comments per

photo• Average of 1,000 likes per photo• Samsung engages Instagram

users with visual content storytelling and utilizes promotional hashtags to integrate content from its other social media accounts.

• 63% of adult Internet users use YouTube (Anderson, 2015).• Subscribers: 35,360• Views: 4,741,383• Joined: Sept 16, 2009• Samsung posts original video content, designed to entertain consumers,

and encourage sharing, while promoting its brand to a large audience.• Samsung’s use of social video has been effective in increasing consumer

engagement, as it ranked second on Unruly’s “Most Shared Social Video Brands of 2014” list (Waterhouse, 2014).

• 28% of US adult Internet users use Pinterest (Duggan, 2015).• Likes: 183• Followers: 21,200• Pins: 224• Samsung posts and encourages consumer sharing of its Pin-

terest content to promote its brand, products, campaigns, and events.

• 28% of US adult Internet users use LinkedIn (Duggan, 2015).• Samsung (corporate) LinkedIn followers: 330,608• Samsung Electronics LinkedIn followers: 647,427• Samsung’s LinkedIn pages have sections for consumers to view

its related product pages, visit its website, view career oppor-tunities, and view regular posts or updates concerning Sam-sung’s brand.

Social Media Strategy AnalysisPurpose and Objectives:

• “We’re focused on growing reach and engagement by creating high quality local or localized content. As a company that needs to sell a lot, we’re also helping to sell products via social media. However, what’s even more important is to be accepted by the community and be an active & helpful part of the community. We’re trying our best to be as human as possible in the corporate world” (Chrzanowska, 2015, para. 3).

• Samsung utilizes a content-focused approach to its social media marketing, delivering unique, entertaining and sharable content to a broad social media audience (Walgrove, 2015).

• The purpose behind Samsung’s use pf social media is to drive consumer engagement, interest, and awareness of its brand.

• Samsung’s primary goal is to promote its brand, build a social community around its brand, and encourage consumer communication.

• Users/followers of Samsung can see prior customers' comments on previously purchased items, enabling customers to become social media advocates for the Samsung brand.

Target Groups• Samsung is a global company, with many different audiences all

over the world, therefore it has localized content based on target audiences in different regions. (i.e.: @SamsungUSA VS. @SamsungRD)

• Throughout its different social media platforms and account types, Samsung looks to engage digital savvy individuals, influential followers, and young adults.

• Samsung’s core target segment demographic is primarily younger adults from ages 18-34.

• Samsung’s baseline target socioeconomic segment in the US is middle-class consumers.

• Samsung uses social video and event sponsorships to encourage consumer sharing and discovery of its social media content, even among non-core consumer groups.

Social Media ToolsAppropriate Tools:

• Consumers can access the most recent Samsung product catalog through its website links and product sub-accounts on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.

• Samsung’s most appropriate tools to communicate and connect with its target audience are Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

• Samsung specifically makes excellent use of its social media presence on Twitter and Facebook for both promotion and for customer service.

• YouTube is important to its strategy as Samsung is one of the most viewed social video brands in the world (Waterhouse, 2014).

Advantages:- Customer service reps can quickly see

what is being said about Samsung on social media.

- Customers can stay updated with Samsung’s new product offerings and technologies while at home on their computers.

- Samsung can more directly message and target specific consumer groups through its vast social media presence.

Disadvantages:- Customer service may receive very

negative and vulgar feedback.- Customers can view the comments

of others, which may or may not be positive.

- Consumers may have difficulty connecting directly to a customer service representative for their specific need due to Samsung’s use of multiple sub-accounts.

What Samsung is Doing Right on Social Media • Samsung uses all of the most popular social media platforms.• Samsung utilizes social media to communicate with consumers and immediately

solve any issues they face by having dedicated customer support accounts available.

• Samsung shows features of products in everyday life with clever captions to capture consumers’ attention. Example : using the phone for music while exercising, taking photos of children playing, or using Samsung appliances for thanksgiving dinner.

• #SamsungGives is used throughout all platforms showing real, hands-on content of employees serving the community, promoting Samsung’s social responsibility initiatives to consumers.

• Samsung focuses on creating sharable, engaging content, and encourages social media conversations about its brand through social video, influencer marketing, contests, and events.

• Samsung uses hashtags to its advantage by creating campaigns, such as #SamsungSolves and #SamsungCooks, which create real-time engagement opportunities with consumers and bring more traffic to its sites.

• Samsung encourages consumers to use its promotional hashtags for a chance to be published on Samsung’s social media sites.

Examples:

Improvements to Samsung’s Social Media

Strategy Samsung has experienced a tremendous amount of success on social media. However, there is always room for improvement. Here are a few tips:• Post at the right times: research the most active periods for target groups on

different social media platforms to ensure posts have the best chance to be viewed and shared by the target audience.

• Create more contests/giveaways so there can be an increase in the two-way interaction between Samsung and its consumers.

• Generate buzz with infographics on channels such as Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook.

• Make sure customer support accounts are not only responding to complaints, but also recognizing positive feedback.

• Use planning and scheduling to ensure that branded accounts are maintaining a consistently active social media presence

• Provide more social video posts and integrate them with posts on other social media accounts more often.

• Consider consolidating accounts on some platforms like Twitter, without confusing current followers to increase discovery opportunities.

ReferencesAnderson, M. (2015, February 12). 5 facts about online video, for YouTube’s 10th birthday. Retrieved October 25, 2015, from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/02/12/5-facts-about-online-video-for-youtubes-10th-birthday/

Campbell, M. (2015, September 16). New Apple hire suggests upcoming shift in social media marketing strategy. Retrieved October 25, 2015, from http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/09/16/new-apple-hire-suggests-upcoming-shift-in-social-media-marketing-strategy

Chrzanowska, Natalia. (2015, May 26). Social media strategy by Samsung Electronics. Retrieved from http://blog.brand24.net/social-media-strategy-by-samsung-electronics/

Duggan, M. (2015, August 19). The demographics of social media users. Retrieved October 20, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/08/19/the-demographics-of-social-media-users/

Forbes. (2015). The world's most value brands: #7 Samsung Electronics. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/companies/samsung-electronics/

IDC. (2015, August). Smartphone vendor market share, 2015 Q2. Retrieved from http://www.idc.com/prodserv/smartphone-market-share.jsp

Kohler, N. (2015, March 14). 4 consumer electronics brands with amazing social strategies. Retrieved October 26, 2015, from http://www.woothemes.com/2015/05/social-media-consumer-electronics/

Kovach, S. (2014, July 22). The 'Apple of China' is eating Samsung's lunch. Retrieved October 20, 2015, from http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-versus-xiaomi-2014-7

ReferencesPerrin, A. (2015, October 8). Social media usage: 2005-2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/10/08/social-networking-usage-2005-2015/

Samsung. (2015). Samsung: Our performance. Retrieved from http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/samsung_group/our_performance/

Samsung Group. (2015). Samsung Group: Values and philosophy. Retrieved from http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/samsung_group/values_and_philosophy/

Sheehan, A. (2014, January 23). Top Tech Companies Find Success Through Social Media. Retrieved October 25, 2015, from http://www.paceco.com/top-tech-companies-find-success-through-social-media/

The Wall Street Journal. (2015, October 19). Company profile & executives - Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://quotes.wsj.com/KR/XKRX/005930/company-people

Ungerleider, N. (2014, May 19). Networked Insights reveals how Samsung used social media to hack the iPhone. Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/3030772/how-samsung-used-social-media-to-hack-the-iphone

Walgrove, A. (2015, April 28). Content marketing showdown: Apple vs. Samsung. Retrieved October 24, 2015, from https://contently.com/strategist/2015/04/28/content-marketing-showdown-apple-vs-samsung/

Waterhouse, D. (2014, March 12). Activia, Samsung And Nike top list Of Unruly’s most shared social video brands of 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2015, from https://unruly.co/news/article/2014/12/03/activia-samsung-nike-top-list-unrulys-shared-social-video-brands-2014/