Internal Samsung documents show that it has struggled to market its Galaxy Tab as something distinct from Apple’s market leading iPad. Apparently, over half of the viewers watching its TV commercials assumed the ad was related to the iPad.
Only 16 percent of viewers observing Samsung’s TV commercials realized it was a Samsung product, according to an internal report the company commissioned, and which has been submitted as evidence in its trial with Apple.
The report showed that only 11 percent of customers are aware of, and can link the Tab back to Samsung. A whopping 65 percent can link the iPad back to Apple.
“Given Apple’s already strong position in the tablet category,” Samsung’s report stated, “it is critical that attribution of [Galaxy] Tab communications improve and that communication works to differentiate Tab from iPad.”
Samsung’s survey found that the primary reason consumers weren’t considering the Galaxy Tab when purchasing a tablet was “lack of awareness of the product,” and noted that “TV advertising has had minimal impact primarily because of mis-attribution.”
Apple’s marketing guru, Phil Schiller had testified earlier in the trial that it was difficult to reach customers with memorable messages in TV and billboard ads because of viewers limited attention spans.
“The advertisement has to give you a sense of how it might work, and what it might do for you before you have a chance to head to the store and try it yourself,” Schiller said. The ads “create a reason that you might want a tablet in your life.”
Schiller also said that when a competitor comes up with a product that copies both the design and marketing of an Apple product that it is “stealing all the value we’ve created.”
