“Electronics giant Samsung said Apple will feel the heat this year,” Michael Kanellos reports for CNET News. “South Korea-based Samsung last year publicly vowed to take away Apple’s top spot in music players by 2007. This year it will kick off that effort with a bevy of products and large ad campaigns, according to Peter Weedfald, senior vice president of consumer electronics for Samsung’s North American division, during an interview last week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Macworld, Apple’s opportunity to be in the spotlight, begins this week.”
“‘What’s the difference between how they have gone to market and how we have gone to market? It’s real simple. They spent $165 million last year to advertise Apple MP3 products. We spent $1 million,’ Samsung’s Weedfald said. ‘We are going to break the code. In 2006, we are going to over-invest in advertising and marketing around these really hot new digital video and digital audio products, and we will spend tens of millions of dollars,'” Kanellos reports. “Apple has maintained a distant lead in the MP3 market. So to gain market share, Samsung said it will issue a broad array of products, some of which it expects to become breakaway hits. That’s how the company became a top player globally in cell phones… Many of the company’s music players will sport dual functionality. The Helix and Nexus MP3 players, unfurled at CES, come with an integrated XM satellite radio receiver.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews reader “macnut222” for the link.]
It’s good to have goals. We’ve marked our iCal and we’ll revisit the issue on December 31, 2006.
[UPDATE: 4:55pm ET: revised deadline to the even more ludicrous date of Dec. 31, 2006. Thanks, hammer.]
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It’s never been *if* a company could bring a competitive product to market against Apple… but *when*.
Being an American, I’m rooting for Apple. I hope they’ll be able to stem the tide of challengers. Being a consumer, I say welcome to the market and may the best company win.
It’s never been *if* a company could bring a competitive product to market against Apple… but *when*.
Being an American, I’m rooting for Apple. I hope they’ll be able to stem the tide of challengers. Being a consumer, I say welcome to the market and may the best company win.
It’s never been *if* a company could bring a competitive product to market against Apple… but *when*.
Being an American, I’m rooting for Apple. I hope they’ll be able to stem the tide of challengers. Being a consumer, I say welcome to the market and may the best company win.
by 2007 music won’t be the big thing.
Never owned a Samsung phone
Don’t know anybody who owns a Samsung phone
Most people outside of the US of A don’t have access to or don;t know about satellite radio. We have DAB for that.
Where is the Samsung Tunes Store (sTunes)?
Does Samsung have a clone of Mr Ives?
Samsung makes too much stuff – Jack of all trades, master of none.
Samsung make Dishwashers and Vacuum Cleaners.
Jeez, get real Mr Weedfald, sorry is that WEEDFALD for WEEDFELD or WEEDFOLD or FEELWEEDY
Let me know when auto manufacturers are clamoring to get Samsung MP3 compatibility built into their vehicles.
MW: distance. The distance between Apple and their competitors grows wider by the second.
“My only worry about this is that Samsung supplies Apple with the Flash memory they use in the nanos and shuffles. Hopefully they won’t pull any nasty business.”
“Doesn’t sound too good, Apple’s flash memory supplier going into competition with their own customer.”
Yeah, that’s why Apple got a little thing called a contract. You might’ve heard of these things. They’re pretty handy.
Hah! I needed a laugh tonight – thanks Samsung!
That was pretty funny.
I chuckled.
hahahaha to road to the iPod killer is littered with the bodies of Sim Wong Hoo and Buy.com founder.. whats-his-name…
“That’s how the company became a top player globally in cell phones…”
Samsung phones are crud, let’s face it.
But they’re cheap and they’re universally compatible…unlike their MP3 players…MUHAHAHAHAHAHA
“Yeah, that’s why Apple got a little thing called a contract. You might’ve heard of these things. They’re pretty handy.”
Contracts often have these things called time limits, meaning they expire after a certain amount of time. Whatever contract Apple has with Samsung won’t last forever. That’s not necessarily going to protect them
Too many brands had declared war on iPod. All end up defeated, n humiliated.
This one will also be one of them.
How many times have we heard this before. They’ll have one major problem. Apple makes the whole widget and they don’t. Apple makes the hardware,OS it runs on, the software, and the online store that you get your music from. That’s the only way they are going to get close to the iPod experience. I think your missing a few pieces Samsung.
Lazy European:
there’s no reason why a simple interface as iTunes couldn’t be copied, or surpassed.
Well, yes there is. They’re called patents. Apple is already in court in the US, both suing and being sued over elements of the iTunes interface. Since the US is the biggest market for consumer electronics, it will ahve a big impact on what is introduced world wide.
Now I’m no fan of half of the crap pulled concerning patents, but it is a mechanism to prevent Samsung-come-lately and others from copying what the originator did.
“Contracts often have these things called time limits, meaning they expire after a certain amount of time. Whatever contract Apple has with Samsung won’t last forever.”
It will last until 2010. That’s enough. If Samsung is competitive with Apple by then, great. I seriously doubt Apple will be hurting for other potential suppliers wanting their business.
Apple will continue Singing, and Sam has already Sung. My bet is Apple will continue with the reference, idiots attempt to emulate… (usually associates of the one hit wonder crowd)
I smell future blood on the scroll wheel.
Winston I wish you luck in your quest to marry ms knightly. Let us know if it works out so I can implement a similar plan.
“Whatever contract Apple has with Samsung won’t last forever. That’s not necessarily going to protect them”
Yeah but Samsung has this thing called shareholders, and if they deliberately refuse to sell product to Apple it cuts into their bottom line.
BOYCOTT SAMSUNG…
Which is like saying ‘breath air’ cuz we are all doing for obvious reasons anyways…..
Sam sung blue- ev’rybody needs one.
Could make a song out of that.
This is funny.
They “broke the code” and it’s advertising!?!
Give me a break – all the advertising in the world can’t make a product “cool”.
It’s the product first and the fact “Apple” is considered cool. I don’t think Samsung is considered a “cool” company.
I guess they feel they can buy “cool” with advertising.
Samsung might be on to something….if Apple’s advertising had anything to do with iPod sales.
Unfortunately (for Samsung), it’s extremely unlikely iPod ads compel anyone to actually buy an iPod.
Well OK, maybe one or two people.
There’s always a few idiots out there.
I fear Samsung way more than Sony.
i agree with the above comments, in my experience samsung are not that great quality wise. they tend to feel a bit cheap and nasty. is advertising going to change that? and they intend to spend tens of millions on advertising, apple spends hundreds of millions.with core brand recognition.
piss-off samsung.