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MARKETING

 

 

McCombs Marketing Case Challenge
 

10 / 19 / 2022

Background

The 2022 McCombs Marketing Case Competition, was sponsored by Samsung. My team and I had the opportunity to compete against other MSM and MBA students in The McCombs School of Business. 

Project Duration: 1 Week

The Challenge

We were tasked with developing a strategic plan to increase consideration of the Samsung Galaxy portfolio to Gen Z women aged 12 - 25.

Research

We began by gathering information on the brand, challenge, and target market through primary research methods such as informal interviews and a qualitative survey. We interviewed 60 Gen Z women aged 18-25 to learn about their technology purchasing habits, and surveyed 54 Gen Z girls and women aged 12-25 to gather information on their perceptions of technology brands, the value they see in tech products, and more.

Findings

Our primary research yielded several important findings, including:

  1. Emotional Product Attachment: A majority of Apple users (55%) have a strong emotional attachment to their technology products, while only a small percentage (15%) of Samsung users feel similarly connected to their products.

  2. Connection to Brand: Many Gen Z women do not envision themselves as Samsung users because they have little to no experience with the brand. Additionally, even those who currently own Samsung products do not feel a strong connection to the brand.

  3. Awareness of Features: Nearly all interview and survey respondents generally agreed that Samsung products have better features than Apple products.

Strategy

To address these three key findings, we advised Samsung to use a consumer-centric approach. To accomplish this, Samsung must:

  1. Create a brand narrative that aligns with the values of Gen Z women,

  2. Build a strong digital presence to engage with Gen Z women through social media and influencer marketing, and

  3. Develop a personalized customer experience through targeted advertising campaigns, experiential marketing, and influencer marketing.

Audience

We proposed that Samsung should segment their Gen Z women target market based on factors such as their motivations, aspirations, limitations and message considerations, and further divide it into two groups:

  1. Gen Z girls aged 12-17 

  2. Gen Z women aged 18-25

Additionally, to reach younger Gen Z girls more effectively, we suggested targeting their parents as well. This recommendation is based on research that shows that this age group may not have the buying power for technology purchases, as they are not the primary decision-makers in the household and they are not spending their own disposable income.

Activations

To increase consideration amongst the three consumer segments identified, we recommended using three marketing strategies that are built on specific insights and tailored to each segment.

*Note that these three strategies are only a piece of the puzzle required to effectively increase consideration amongst Gen Z women.

Insight #1: Touch Psychology 

We recommended that Samsung organize experiential events such as:

  • Pop-Up Stores: Consumers can physically interact with Samsung products

  • Product Feature Showcases: Consumers can discover the advanced features of products in an interactive and entertaining way

  • Brand Awareness Experiences: Consumers can interact and connect with the brand

Insight #2: Decision Makers

We recommended that Samsung use programmatic advertising to reach decision makers, the parents, where they are.

Insight #3: Product Mix Focus 

Given that Gen Z trust influencers for product recommendations more than any other group of people. we recommended that influencer marketing be used to increase consideration of GalaxyBuds, SmartWatch, Tablets, and PCs.

Strategic Implementation

It is suggested that Samsung focus the majority of their short-term marketing efforts during the months of November to January, as the Google Trends Analysis has shown that there is a high volume of online searches for new tech products during the holiday season. Additionally, it is recommended that Samsung begin with a budget of $2,010,000 for testing these strategies on three user segments over a period of 5 months.

The Point, 2022

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