Samsung Marketing + Omnichannel Director: Revealing An Inherent Truth Can Surprise, Delight + Cause Action

19 May, 2023

Annika Bizon, Marketing and Omnichannel Director at Samsung Electronics UK unpacks how marketers have the power to bring joy and light relief to consumers, how you need to surprise and inspire the customers that you already have and Samsung’s support for advancing the careers of young women in tech. 

1. What inspired you to pursue a career that embraces marketing?

I studied business studies & commerce at Aberystwyth University because I was fascinated about the retail industry and how businesses connect with their target customer. I’ve always been interested in how global companies interact, and add that personal connection to their brand and I felt I had the drive and passion to be successful in this space. Marketing to me is a field I love because it involves promoting and selling products to consumers. I am passionate by the mix of creativity and analytical skills, blended with a core understanding of consumer behaviour. Simplistically marketing is about understanding what motivates people and finding ways to communicate the value of a product or service to them

2. What are the biggest challenges currently facing your marketing team?

The current cost-of-living crisis presents challenges for all businesses and their teams, including marketing. At Samsung, we are aware of the issues people are facing and we have to be more considered with our marketing when connecting with our users during this time. We are continuing to make strides to truly understand our customer base, and this gives us the vital information we need when engaging with consumers. We are seeing strong demand for premium products as customers prioritise purchases from brands that they trust to be high quality. Consumers are shopping around more and looking for the best solution for their individual wants and needs. There’s a Samsung device for everyone – and we have to talk specifically to those shopping for premium devices all the way through to more budget options. 

3. Science vs Art: With scientific data-driven marketing at one end of the spectrum and genius creative ideas at the other - which side do you lean towards?

Would it be too irritating to say I’m right down the middle? The power of data in my view leads to the very best creative ideas, as I feel that through an analytical approach you are understanding your customer and target audience on a level that can really make them sit up and take notice through a campaign. That’s because you’re revealing an inherent truth that both surprises, delights and causes action. 

4. The Metaverse: are you ‘in’, ‘out’ or ‘not sure’? And please tell us why. 

As a marketer I am always ready to welcome those who want to take a look, so of course we’re exploring the Metaverse. It does inspire new possibilities in retail, whether the brand has made it there or not. Gamification will become more important for encouraging consumers to learn about your products including its features and benefits. Partnerships and collaborations will also only grow. Where fashion brands have led the way, we will see other companies double up and talk as partners to appeal to a cross-section of their audience. This can be online, in each other’s stores or the Metaverse. 

5. How are you riding the storm of economic turbulence and increased cost of living?

We are experiencing challenging times, but we must be alert to what the public is thinking and feeling. We need to look at trends, and not just for the short term, but trends that last and have a significant impact on people’s day-to-day lives. What is important to remember, especially when times are harder, is that marketers also have the power to bring joy and light relief to consumers. Many of our wider ecosystem products – such as our wearable and hearables – are designed exactly for this purpose, so where we can tap into more fun elements, it’s imperative for us to do so.   

6. How do you adapt a business and marketing strategy to embrace the latest trends and keep ahead of the competition?

Looking ahead, we cannot think about marketing trends without considering the wider economic backdrop. We know that brands like ours will need to work harder than ever before throughout this year. Supported by even more sophisticated data insights – brands will be looking to get even more specific when it comes to segmentation. This will help create more personalised experiences for consumers – all the way through from awareness to demand capture and conversion. Our partnership with Disney+ is an example of an authentic brand partnership, where two businesses can come together to create something special for their customers. 

7. What role does your company’s purpose and environmental strategy play within your marketing strategy? 

At Samsung, we all contribute to creating a workplace environment that is inclusive to everyone. I firmly believe that you need to see people like you, doing the job you want to do. Without this there are blind spots within an organisation that will be difficult to overcome, stunting talent and making you more removed from your target audience. Then amplifying those in the businesses with this more inclusive mindset can create an authentic culture. That’s why my team has diversity and inclusion targets written into their objectives. 

We are constantly looking at ways of how to inspire the next generation, too. On March 6th, we hosted a career accelerator event at our Samsung KX space in London. I was part of a panel that offered advice, support and recommendations to inspire more young women to break into tech. It’s something I’m particularly passionate about and it’s a key part of our company’s purpose. 

8. How important is storytelling when maximising your customers’ engagement with a campaign?

Storytelling is key to our marketing strategy at Samsung. We need to be authentic in our collaborations with influencers, not only do they need to really enjoy our brand and see its merits, but we need to build stories with them that talk to their own unique audiences. Otherwise, we’re only going to fail at building an emotional connection. We have created an entire Samsung ecosystem, so we need those people speaking on behalf of our brand to really embody its advantages and values. 

9. From a marketing perspective, what’s coming up for your brand or business in 2023?

This year is another opportunity for us to drive the momentum behind a rapidly transforming retail experience.Customer loyalty is never far away from a marketer’s mind – and this will only accelerate in 2023. It’s important to not overly focus on the consumers you have to convert, but surprise and inspire the customers that you already have. Earlier this year, for our Galaxy S series launch, we opened an immersive experience at the Galaxy Unpacked space in Westfield White City. People don’t just want to buy, but touch, feel and get to know the brand. This month we have also launched our new A series device.  Our aim was to make the launch more accessible to people and to let them know about the standout benefits, including the camera, which captures some of the brightest and clearest photos at night.  

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