University of Technology, Mauritius

BSC (Hons) Management with Marketing

Marketing communication

Evaluating the effectiveness of

Samsung Galaxy S8s advert

Table of Contents

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 Introduction 2
1.1 Advertising 2
1.2 Measuring advertising Effectiveness 2
1.3 The new Samsung Galaxy S8 3
1.4 Unbox your phone 3

2. Objective of the study 4

3. Methodology 4
3.1 Sample 4
3.2 Questionnaire Design 4

4.Questionnaire 5
4.1 Demographic 5
4.2 Perception and attitude 5

5. Findings 6
5.1 Demographics 6
5.2 Perceptions and Attitudes 6

6. Recommendations 7

References 7

1.Introduction

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1.1 Advertising

Advertising is very common in our daily lives nowadays. In Mauritius, advertising

abounds across all aspects of today's interactive marketplace; it could be found
almost everywhere such as in mass media, buses, handrails of escalators,
billboards, and wallpapers. However, given this ubiquity, it is strange that most of
us do not realize that advertising is a form of discourse by the means of language
that would consciously or unconsciously influence our behaviors and thoughts in our
daily lives. The use of wordplay, puns, rhymes, pictures, colors and other elements
in advertising somehow has its own role in order to catch our attention towards it.

1.2 Measuring advertising Effectiveness

The advertising industry, as a whole, has the poorest quality-assurance systems and
turns out the most inconsistent product of any industry in the world. Only about half
of all commercials actually work; that is, have any positive effects on consumers
purchasing behavior or brand choice. Moreover, a small share of ads actually appear
to have negative effects on sales. How could these assertions possibly be true?
Dont advertising agencies want to produce great ads? Dont clients want great
advertising? Yes, yes, they do, but they face formidable barriers.
Measuring advertising effectiveness helps understand through which medium
consumers like to receive ads, what kinds of ads they like, which ad(s) they like best
and why, and so on. Equipped with this information, businesses can devise effective
ad campaigns and pocket handsome returns.
Communication Effect Research and Sales Effect Research are two major traditional
methods of evaluating advertising effectiveness. On the other hand, modern
approaches include Analysis Tool and Integrated Direct Marketing.

1.3 The new Samsung Galaxy S8

From its inception as a small export business in Taegu, Korea, Samsung has grown
to become one of the worlds leading electronics companies, specializing in digital

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appliances and media, semiconductors, memory, and system integration. Today
Samsung's innovative and top quality products and processes are world recognized.
The Samsungs Galaxy S8 is the Korean giant's latest attempt to take on the iPhone.
The launch of the device is seen as a crucial moment for Samsung coming after the
scandal that saw it forced to recall and cease production of the Galaxy Note 7, its
previous top-end phone. The new device comes in two sizes, the 5.8-inch S8 and
the 6.2-inch S8+. They feature a new design in which the "infinity display" wraps
around the device, meaning that the large screen takes up almost all the front of
the phone. The new Galaxy smartphones also feature Bixby, Samsungs new
artificial intelligence assistant tool and something it claims is far more advanced
than the likes of Apples Siri or Microsofts Cortana. Bixby will deeply integrate itself
within everyday functions such as recommending restaurants and possesses a
contextual understanding of the world.

1.4 Unbox your phone

Samsung officially unveiled its new smartphone on March 29 with its series of
Unbox your phone adverts. The main focus of these ads is the gorgeous Infinity
display, but the screen is only used as a prop to enumerate some of the notable
features of the phone, including iris recognition, camera performance, the Bixby
assistant, smart home integration, and virtual reality.
Over the years, Samsungs ads for its mobile phones have resonated well with
consumers for providing appropriate and relevant information. This new series of
ads are far more than a one-off campaign. Instead, it is the crystallization of a brand
philosophy two years in the making. Samsungs management had started to
recognize that really great brands have a point-of-view and expressing this
viewpoint involves trading in emotion, not just information.

2. Objective of the study

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 This study aims to measure the effectiveness of the Galaxy S8 Advert.
As a base for the study, we will be using the print advert featuring an astronaut in
front of Earth background and a glass screen that has been advertised in Mauritius
since March through various printed media and billboards.

3.Methodology

3.1 Sample

A sample of 7 people has been chosen randomly for this study.

3.2 Questionnaire Design

The nature of the study is exploratory and provides qualitative data. A two-part
questionnaire was given to respondents. The first part of the questionnaire
consisted of closed-ended questions to isolate demographics. The second part of
the questionnaire was open-ended to allow the respondents to write either positive
or negative responses based on the type of questions. This section was used to
measure perceptions and attitudes towards the ads. The questionnaire has been
administered online, through mail and google form. All respondents answered the
questionnaire.

4.Questionnaire

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 4.1 Demographic

1. What is your age?

o Below 20 years
o Between 20 and 30 years
o Between 30 and 40 years
o Between 40 and 50 years
o Between 50 and 60 years
o Above 60 years

2. What is your occupation?

o Student
o Employed
o Unemployed
o Retired

3. Have you seen this advertisement?

4.2 Perception and attitude

1. How well do you remember this advert?

2. What ideas or impressions has this advert transmitted to you?
3. Other than trying to get you to buy the Galaxy S8, what is the main
message of this the advert?
4. What did you like most about this ad? Please be specific.
5. What did you like least about this ad? Please be specific.
6. If you were to describe this ad to a friend, would you say the ad is? (E.g.
Funny, Emotional, Informative, Creative, Irritating, Boring etc.)
7. What type of person do you believe would use the Galaxy S8?
8. Would the Galaxy S8 ad influence your purchase decision?

5.Findings

5.1 Demographics

Most respondents were between 20 and 30 years old, most of which were either
students or in active employment. Out of seven respondents, only three never saw

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the ad prior to the study. Those that saw the advert, saw it previously on billboards,
Facebook and newspapers, and could clearly recall it when answering the
questionnaire.

5.2 Perceptions and Attitudes

What ideas or impressions has this advert transmitted to you?

The advert conveyed an overall good impression on all respondents, most of which
revolved around the screen and camera. For some respondent, the advert conveyed
the impression of having a good camera, that Samsung can take display
technology further. However, one respondent thought that the Galaxy S8 might
have an actual transparent/see-through screen.

Other than trying to get you to buy the Galaxy S8, what is the main
message of this the advert?
The opinions varied throughout each respondents on the main message of the
advert. Some derived that the main message was for the consumer to be
innovative, think outside of the box and be on top of the world as portrayed
graphically in the advert. For one respondent, the main message of the advert was
that the display resolution of the screen was higher than previous phones.

What did you like most about this ad?

Most respondents praised the general presentation, aesthetics and minimalistic
nature of the advert. According to them, the beautiful earth background and
transparency of the phone in front made the advert very pleasant and attractive.
Only one respondent did not like the ad and thought that they could do better.

What did you like least about this ad?

Opinions were varied among all respondents. But the general feeling was that the
ad was not informative and detailed about the phone specifications. Since it is a
flagship device, it is what they expected the most in the first place. Some others
did not like the quote unbox or phone and found it either too short or
irrelevant. Due to personal preferences, one respondent did not like the picture of
the astronaut in the advert.

If you were to describe this ad to a friend, would you say the ad is?
Most respondents found the advert creative and intriguing. Only one respondent
thought it was boring, due to being vague and the lack of information.

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 What type of person do you believe would use the Galaxy S8?
Opinions here was unanimous. Most respondents did not believe that the advert
was targeting their demographic as they knew the price of the phone. The general
sentiment was that a phone costing Rs 40,000 was being marketing toward
business persons and the new generation, especially the wealthy.

Would the Galaxy S8 ad influence your purchase decision?

Four of the respondent revealed that they might consider purchasing the phone
because of the advert. The other three respondents admitted that the advert was
not impactful enough to influence their purchase decision but that it could be worth
a visit at the store to check out the phones features.

6.Recommendations

According to the answers from the questionnaire, it can be deduced that the advert
accomplished its main goal of triggering an emotional response from the consumer
as the marketer intended. However, the question remain whether this is enough to
influence their final purchase decision as many found the ad intriguing, but not
informative enough. Furthermore, the vagueness of the quote on the advert, as well
as the graphics can misguide the consumer from the intended message. Each
interpreted the content of the advert differently and some people can sometime
come to completely false conclusions about the product, like the respondent who
thought that the Galaxy S8 has a transparent screen. Samsung should consider,
even if minimal, including informative quotes on their ads for more conversion. On
the broader side, the Galaxy S8 advert seemed to have achieve a viral effect as it
has marked the minds of many upon first sight, even among clueless consumers,
and achieve most of Samsung goals despite recovering from the Galaxy Note 7
fiasco and consequent loss in reputation.

References

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+: Portail Orange Mauritius

http://www.orange.mu/shop/devices/samsungs8/

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Samsung underscores brand strategy with new global ad for S8 Galaxy
http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/samsung-underscores-dowhatyoucant-brand-
strategy-new-global-ad-s8-galaxy/1429949

Evaluation of Advertising Effectiveness

http://www.drypen.in/advertising/evaluation-of-advertising-effectiveness.html