SAMSUNG BRAND ANALYSIS

In the era of globalization causes a change in the landscape of the company (Christopher, 2011).
Global brands mushroomed in the global market so that consumers are given more options in
choosing a product to their needs (Ferrinadewi, 2008). However, these changes not only from the
proliferation of global brands but changes also occur on the behavior of every consumer who is
becoming ever smarter and more critical in any purchase decision process toward a brand
(Kartajaya, 2016). So that the consumer interaction with a brand marketing strategy cannot be
avoided (Ferrinadewi, 2008). Therefore, a brand required to be able to know and influence the
input processing of information from consumers in the process of purchasing decision toward a
brand such as perception, motivation and attitude, because basically the decision of a consumer
in determining the choice toward a brand based on the psychological impact that the emerged
from himself (Solomon, Bamossy, Askegaard, & Hogg, 2013).
Still related to the impact of globalization, one of the things that are so visible change is the rapid
development of technology so that increased use of smart devices today. As a result, so many
global brands that develop smart devices to meet demand in large amount for this product.
Samsung as a technology company from South Korea has managed to become the market leader
in Indonesia smartphone market in 2015 with percentage 24.8% according to International Data
Corporation (2016). Samsung realized that the increasingly intense competitive landscape of the
smart device market encouraging them to innovate and differentiate while comprehensively
studying the psychological aspects of consumers. In this paper, the author tries to analyze why
Samsung could reach a market leader in Indonesia in 2015, by analyzing the brand and consumer
psychology.
As has been the author alluded to earlier, that in this globalization era, a brand needs a different
approach, in the era of sophisticated as it is today a brand must be horizontal, inclusive and do
not forget to approach emotionally with consumers (Kotler, Kartajaya, & Setiawan, 2010)
because at this time the brand not only as logo, symbol or identity, more than the brand should be
able to deliver value that has characteristic human and emotional self-concept so that it can
reflect consumers (Aaker & Joachimsthaler, 2000). Thus the authors will analyze Samsung with
approach consumer psychology of emotions brand, brand trust, brand personality and brand
attitude because that psychological aspect of consumer or internal factors influence and play an
1

important role in how they are making purchasing decisions of a brand, in addition to of external
factors such as marketing mix and others.
1. Brand Emotions
In an era full of competition as it is today, a brand required to create an emotional bond between
the brand and consumers due to changes in consumer behavior today that once a consumer
receives only what brand sales, but currently consumers tend to be demanding that the need for
an intelligent approach to meet the expectations of consumers who tend not implied (Kotler et
al., 2010). This emotional bond is inseparable from the process of the motivation of consumers
where consumers are likely to feel tense if their expectations / desires are not met by the brand
(Suhartanto, 2008). Samsung here has been able to analyze the expectations and desires of
consumers toward a smartphone, Samsung realized that desire a more futuristic smartphone has
emerged in the minds of consumers, or in other words, consumers are motivated to have a
smartphone that is not just as a communication tool. Therefore Samsung formulated the slogan
"Rethink what a phone can do," in the event Samsung tries to provide the other benefits and
advantages of smartphone functions on a series of Samsung Galaxy is not just as a tool of
communication, more than that Samsung provides the smartphone can be connected to various
Samsungs smart devices, such as TVs, smart home appliances as well as its means of payment
such as credit cards. This causes an emotional bond that exists between brands and consumers.
Here Samsung helps consumers reduce the tension and translate their desire for the functionality
of a smartphone.
2. Brand Trust
It is difficult to achieve by a global brand is strong trust of its customers (Ferrinadewi, 2008).
This belief is not the one that can be built from a short time but requires a fairly long time
because trust is a product of experience and learning that consumers consume a product (Bennet
& Gabriel, 2001). Indicator of consumer trust that is built based on how brands deliver on its
promises and how the brand shows its attention to the consumer when the time of need
(Walzuch, Rita, Seelen, & Lungden, 2001). Samsung has managed to build trust with consumers
because it managed to maintain a commitment to continue to innovate and inspire the world with
its products based on technology. In addition to continuing to innovate in the field of smart
2

devices for the needs of communication technology, Samsung is also really keeping persistent in
seeking the manufacturing technology that helps human survival, as was recently done by
making a smart watch that can measure the health condition of a person who wears it accurate. In
addition to having been committed, trust Samsung gained from the effort in closer to every
customer when needed, there are two points for this, the first Samsung has provided on the web
page of its special place where consumers can interact virtually with the experts solving
problems occur, there is via email and even live chat 24 hours. And the second is that Samsung
made a special application that allows consumers to search for the position of its smartphone is
lost via an internal component in the smartphone. Two these points reinforce consumer
confidence in Samsung awareness to consumers that foster strong faith for them.
3. Brand Personality
The current brand is not only seen as a logo and identity for a product alone, the brand is now
more associated with the function of emotional and also on the concept of self-reflection does the
consumer that the difference between competitors (Ferrinadewi, 2008; Neumeier, 2003). So the
brand should be able to communicate value to consumers as a human who has the personality
and self-concept represents consumers (Kapferer, 2008). The personality of a brand can be seen
from the way they communicate in the ad (Ferrinadewi, 2008). Samsung here considered strong
in expressing personal branding through its advertising. The first, Samsung issued ad Galaxy S7
using jargon "more than a phone", this is an attempt by the establishment of the status of self,
which means that the users of this product are the high-tech and make the smartphone is not just
a means of communication but more, because they are more involved smartphones in their daily
lives. Second, Samsung issued advertisements in Indonesia for its products Samsung Galaxy A8,
in the ad described the activities of young people full of joy and flexibility with Samsung A8
engage in any activities. It is an attempt by Samsung to create the ideal self that this Samsung
product to the consumer-targeted to Millennial (young middle aged).
4. Brand Attitude
Attitude Brand is a comprehensive evaluation of a consumer regarding the performance of a
brand that is based on the ability of the brand to meet the decision and how the brand could
reflect the concept of self-consumers, which will eventually produce two different results if the
3

brand in addition to providing a fulfillment of desire it could also reflect the concept itself, the
attitudes of the brand will be positive, and vice versa, although the performance of a brand that is
already good, but does not reflect the personality of its customers, its attitude will be negative
(Suhartanto, 2008). Samsung in relation to the brand attitude has produced a good attitude for
consumers because it managed to build his personality expression in addition to the provision of
tangible benefits of the usefulness of a smartphone. One of them is to build social effects of
visibility for its products Samsung Galaxy S7 categories renewable technologies with cuttingedge features that are causing consumers deemed up-to-date and high-tech in front of the public
and the attitude here as an expression of value.
CONCLUSION
From the analysis above concerning Samsung, authors could conclude that Samsung has
managed to follow the wave of globalization that requires them to continue to innovate and
differentiate the products in an increasingly competitive era at this time so that it can become the
market leader in Indonesia although the number of competitors with similar products. Points of
equal importance that Samsung has done is to understand the aspects that influence the buying
process is the psychological aspect of consumer or internal factor, such as emotional, be trusted,
personality and attitude, thus helping Samsung to formulate strategies and the best approach to
reach consumers as much as possible.

REFERENCES
Aaker, D. A., & Joachimsthaler, E. (2000). Brand Leadership. New York: The Free Press.
Bennet, R., & Gabriel, H. (2001). Reputation, trust and supplierr commitment: the case of
shipping company/seaport relations. The Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 16,
424-439.
Christopher, M. (2011). Logistics & Supply Chain Management (4th ed.). Great Britain: Prentice
Hall.
Corporation, I. D. (2016). Indonesia Smartphone Market Ends the Year on a High Note in
2015Q4. Retrieved from idc.com
Ferrinadewi, E. (2008). Merek & Psikologi Konsumen. Yogyakarta: Graha Ilmu.
Kapferer, J. N. (2008). The New Strategic Brand Management (4 ed.). Great Britain: Kogan Page
Limited.
Kartajaya, H. (2016). WOW Brand - Brand-X is Human. Marketeers, 3.
Kotler, P., Kartajaya, H., & Setiawan, I. (2010). Marketing 3.0 : From Product to Costumer to
Human Spirit. Jakarta: Erlangga.
Neumeier, M. (2003). The Brand Gap. San Fransisco: Neutron LLC.
Solomon, M. R., Bamossy, G. J., Askegaard, S. T., & Hogg, M. K. (2013). Consumer Behaviour
A European Perspective (5 ed.). England: Pearson.
Suhartanto, D. (2008). Perilaku Konsumen Tinjauan Aplikasi di Indonesia. Bandung: CV.
Guadarya Intimarta.
Walzuch, Rita, Seelen, J., & Lungden, H. (2001). Psychological Determinants for Consumer
Trust
in
E-Retailing.
Retrieved
from
www-i5.informatika.rwthaachen.de/comf/rseem2001