Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

When you want to prove a point about tech and also build a relationship with potential users, there’s no better way than letting people experience it for themselves. So we invited iPhone users to test drive a Samsung without having to put down their current device.

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.

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.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

For years android has had the reputation of being more complicated than iOS. People have always talked about android giving users a lot of freedom to customise their phone, but this has come at a cost, because now people assume they need technical expertise to use it. In reality, it’s very intuitive. And there’s actually a lot of similarities to iOS, so it’s very easy to switch. But we knew people needed to experience that for themselves to believe it. We also knew that trying it in a store when there’s a salesperson hovering over your shoulder isn’t a good way to be convinced. So we wanted put it in people’s hands where they feel most comfortable: on their current device.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

Samsung iTest is designed to be fun, informational, and of course, just a little cheeky. Our approach to iTest’s UX was to treat it like an open world exploration. After all, a phone isn’t a linear journey, so no matter what you tap, you’ll discover a myriad of features - and be entertained. Everything from messages to themes, and even a fully playable game, can be explored. A guided tour also shows off some of Samsung’s best features. This tour is done via text messages that give helpful suggestions. Naturally, all this had to be built as a web app to avoid the App Store. The experience is advertised through a mix of channels, with particular focus on reaching people who are considering a new phone. These include ads in and around phone stores, and online messages that talk to iPhone users who are searching for information about new devices.

List the results (30% of vote)

Over 10 million iPhone users have test driven a Samsung through the experience. Switching numbers have increased but unfortunately the specific numbers have to remain confidential.