Samsung Malaysia established its presence in 2003 officially, but we were already enjoying the products even before that when local distributors were appointed to stock SyncMaster monitors for retailers who were finding strong demand for them. Fast forward today, Samsung is omnipresent conquering both visual and mind space as the a prominent electronics brand.
LiveatPC.com, managed to reach out to the person responsible in making the brand a household name Ms Elaine Soh, Chief Marketing Officer at Samsung and found out what goes behind each campaign idea.
PC.com: So, what are your aspirations for Samsung as a globally recognised brand in Malaysia?
Elaine Soh: Our vision and aspiration for our brand is to inspire Malaysians and to create the future by transforming ideas and technology into innovations and designs that enrich lives and contribute to social prosperity in Malaysia. We hope for our Malaysian consumers to gain new experiences and discover new possibilities through our products.
PC.com: In other parts like Korea and Europe, the brand is almost everywhere, but not so here despite being established since 2003. What’s your opinion on this?
Soh: I believe that the brand is very prevalent in the country and speaks to all levels of societies in Malaysia. This has been proven every year as we receive great support from our customers who continuously purchase our new innovations and from all the brand awards which we receive yearly. A mark of a brand’s success also correlates with how much our customers trust us, and receiving those awards like the Putra Brand Awards and Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand Awards is a testament to their trust in us.
PC.com: Most of your advertising concept is adoption, why doesn’t Samsung come up with localised version for home markets?
Soh: We do both adoption and localisation for our marketing campaigns. However, we will evaluate the content beforehand to ensure that it is relevant to our local markets. If content and ideas are not in-line with how our costumers think and feel, we will develop a more localised campaign to suit the local flavour.
PC.com: We don’t hear much on CSR or community projects; can you share some of your on-going and long-term activities?
Soh: Here at Samsung, we believe in giving back to the communities in which we operate in to create a better world. We deploy our technologies and expertise to address social issues. For example, Samsung operates 167 Smart Schools/Libraries in the Southeast Asia and Oceania region, partnering with schools and libraries to create immersive learning opportunities for students through tailored education programs, with enrichment and infotainment contents`.
We have also created The Samsung Tech Institute in partnership with vocational institutions that makes use of Samsung’s technological resources in the provision of vocational training. Its aim is to enhance its students’ employability, and equip them with skills that prepare them for life in real-world industries. Samsung Tech Institutes also provide expert training, helping young people learn fundamental IT and engineering skills. Samsung operates 20 such institutes in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore.
PC.com: You have received many awards from brand perspective to marketing concepts, how much does this mean to you and your team?
Soh: Awards to us are an honour as it is a testimony of our hard work. However, the most important thing for us is creating an impact through our work. The fruits of our labour are the smiles on our customers face and their great feedback after using our products and services and how it has changed and enhanced their lives for the better.
PC.com: There are multiple platforms to choose from nowadays when it comes to A&P, how do you strike a balance in effectiveness?
Soh: At Samsung, we are very mindful at choosing the best A&P platforms out there. This is also highly dependent on the campaigns, products and stories we are trying to introduce to the public. With that in mind, we also have our own internal best practices for our marketing campaigns which are developed after many trials and errors to create what we feel is the best balance and A&P mix.
PC.com: What do you see as a challenge in your line of work?
Soh: Being in an industry that moves fast does have its challenges. We must ensure and strive to be better and faster than our competitors. On top of that, we also have to consistently challenge ourselves to continuously innovate to be better than we were before ensuring our customers receive the best innovations and services.
PC.com: As a busy CMO of a large MNC and constantly in touch with tech, how do you spend your free time?
Soh: Family comes first to me. If I have free time, I spend it with my family and our favourite thing to do is bonding over our favourite movies or TV series at home, using the Samsung TV of course. Besides that, I also practice yoga, which teaches the same values that I subscribe to such as discipline and mindfulness. Practicing yoga has improved my overall well-being which reflects positively in my work as well.
