Samsung Flips the High Street Narrative with a £500k Selfie Competition

When Samsung first launched its distinctive smartphones with foldable screens, it was February 2020. Thanks to the covid-19 lockdown, it was understandably difficult for people in the market for a new phone to inspect the bendy new designs up close. For its newest model, the Galaxy Z Flip 5, Annika Bizon, Samsung’s marketing and omnichannel director for UK and Ireland, is determined to make sure she can get as many people’s hands on it as possible.

“The more people touch it, the more likely they are to say, ‘Actually I’ll give it a go’. There’s a fear factor that you have with a new category,” she says. Questions arise such as “How does the hinge work?” which require innovative ways to deliver an answer. “I could do that the boring way, but I wanted to do something different - let’s do something that gets people into stores and have a bit of fun.”

Annika has just got off the stage at London’s Samsung KX flagship store, where the team has been live streaming the Unpacked 2023 event from Seoul, South Korea for an audience of influencers, journalists and partners. After the global Samsung team launches the latest models of its Flip and Fold phones, tablets and smartwatches, Annika has just revealed how she and her team plan to roll these out across the UK and Ireland. And for Annika, the twin priorities are to encourage as many people as possible to have a physical interaction with the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and to make sure that it’s fun.

“I really think that if someone is choosing to spend money on a new phone, I want them to feel really good,” says Annika. “Everything’s so depressing right now, so how do we bring engagement, fun and energy into it because otherwise it just becomes another product on the market. So for me, everything through the partnerships we do, how we bring it to life, how we make it relevant to our audience, are more playful than we’ve ever been.”

The core of the launch is a colossal selfie competition, where visitors to Samsung stores and retail partners can take a photo on the flip phone for a chance to win £500,000. It’s part of a massive omnichannel campaign, supported by influencers and celebs like Fearne Cotton, Rylan Clark and Flo West, and there’s also a giant foldable billboard in London’s Shoreditch. 

The focus on retail is driven by some key consumer insights. For one, Annika says people are more likely to consider the product if they get a chance to use it. For another, Samsung’s own consumer research found that people in the UK have a real hunger for a better experience in the high street - and that’s somewhere that Annika believes Samsung can play a role. 

“Consumer data said a few things. One is that 45% of people want to be on the high street, they want to go to the cinema, they want to have food, they want to go shopping, and 80% come away saying, ‘I was really disappointed with the experience,” says Annika. “The reasons for that were: lack of immersion, poor stock control, poor customer service and, actually, the stores are in the wrong place. So, we asked, ‘how do we flip that narrative?’ Okay - we’ll do something immersive, we’re going to make sure that we’ve got all our trainers out there working with our partner stores to really bring this to life, we’re going to make sure that we’ve got stock controls and we’re going to amplify that across the market to make sure everyone knows about it - and then let’s see.”

Annika herself is going to spend the next few days out and about in Samsung’s own retail spaces to see how it all plays out. This experience isn’t just limited to Samsung’s own retail footprint, which Annika says is somewhat smaller than its competitors (while Annika is a big believer in retail, she believes that too rapid an expansion risks the quality of experience). Third party retailers like those of mobile networks EE, Vodafone and O2 will also have Galaxy Flip selfie photo booths. It’s been a mutually beneficial partnership as the majority of Samsung’s partner retailers are relishing the idea of something creative and novel to drive foot traffic into their stores.

But while there’s undoubtedly a clever functionality to the shape of the campaign and the behaviours it’s intended to drive, that shouldn’t overshadow the sense of fun and silliness. Over the past few years, Samsung globally has been showing its playful side and, in the UK and Ireland, that’s manifested in the self aware comedy of its #JointheFlipSide platform, which sees skeptics haunted by an inescapable obsession with all things foldable.

“We are trying to be more playful as a brand and, actually, we have to be if we want to reach a younger audience. They’re not serious all the time and they expect ‘playful’,” says Annika. “I think our ‘Join the Flip Side’ campaign last year was our first step into that and it was nerve-wracking to launch something and do something taking the mickey out of ourselves… but actually it landed so well.”

Annika says that there’s more fun to come with the selfie campaign - after the competition, she thinks that if people are willing to let Samsung use their images, there’s potential for a real feel-good celebration.

Beyond this launch, Annika’s team has plenty of other things to be cheerful about too. There’s the support of Glamour magazine’s ‘Woman of the Year’ award, which is helping the brand connect with and support female consumers. But for now, the team’s focus is on breathing a bit of life back into Britain and Ireland’s high streets. After all, marketers who neglect it would miss it if it were to go. Annika gestures to the impressive Samsung X flagship store and its vibrant location, Coal Drop Yards in London’s King’s Cross, packed with visitors enjoying the outdoor cinema, cute cafes and mix of indie shops and big brands.

“I want as many touchpoints in as many places as possible,” says Annika. “I, as a consumer, love - love! - good shopping environments. And there’s a reason for it. If I go online, I’m not delving into products. If I go out to buy a dress, I want to feel really good shopping. I want to feel like someone understands what I’m trying to get to. I’m deeply passionate about it.”