Why is this work relevant for PR?

The world of technology thrives on PR-able ideas. A small portion of the world love being first to discover new tech and race to share it with as many people as possible. So, by harnessing the power of the Apple vs Samsung "war" in a way that was fun but also highly informative, we were able to use a small group of passionate tech fans to reach a broad spectrum of everyday people.

Background

The Apple ecosystem is a fortress. It’s hard for brands to get in... and even harder to get users out. One of the biggest barriers to getting people to even consider switching to Samsung is that they’re worried they won’t know how to use the android operating system. They fear it’s too foreign and they’ll be lost. We needed to create an idea that would help people discover the truth.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

Hijack our biggest competitor’s devices and let people test drive a Samsung from the comfort of their iPhone. The so called "phone wars" have been raging for years, so we knew we'd be able to touch a nerve with the right idea. But we had to make sure it wasn't malicious, rather something that would earn attention because it was just a little bit cheeky. Ultimately wouldn't just allow us to prove that Samsung phones are simple and smart, but also help to lift the perception of the overall brand.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

Most people, regardless of their tech experience, turn to online reviews and videos when researching phones. And a huge portion of these searchers end up watching Youtube reviews. It's also well established that tech bloggers and sites love sharing new discoveries and making thorough demonstration videos of new technology, so we wanted to harness their influence to amplify our message.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

A handful of these vloggers were recruited via direct invites (eg. Unbox Therapy), but most (over 90%) were completely organic. And these videos are still popping up almost a year later as people continue to discover Samsung iTest, which is an unusually long tail for a tech based story.

List the results (30% of vote)

iTest was in the sweet spot of being something fun, cheeky and entertaining, but also deep enough for vloggers to create in-depth content. On average, each Youtuber demonstration was 6.5 minutes devoted to showcasing Samsung's OS via iTest. This has resulted in over 10 million iPhone users test driving a Samsung via iTest. Switching numbers have increased but unfortunately the specific numbers have to remain confidential.