Apparently, Samsung has a reputation problem that has only just been revealed.

According to management their premium Galaxy smartphones are appealing to ‘Middle-aged older males, uncles, older sister’s and husbands” and not the younger audience that are in love with all things Apple.

In South Korean this consumer is described as the “ajeossi” audience by teens and users in their 20s to mid-30’s who Samsung is desperate to attract to their brand.

As a result, Samsung is investing in short films and video’s starring celebrities to change the perception with the younger audience the smartphone maker is trying to attract away from buying Apple phones.

There are even discussions internally as to whether Samsung should drop the Galaxy name from future devices due to the perceptions associated with the brand.

According to researchers ‘ajeossi’ implies an “older” or “out of style.” audience.

Samsung Australia who collects a vast amount of data on their premium Galaxy users has not said who is the actual audience buying their devices.

According to the Korean Herald, the world’s largest smartphone maker by shipment said its short film series, “S24 Hours Movie Series,” starring actor Go Min-si and the League of Legends esports champion Faker, reached 10 million views on YouTube on Sunday.

This was a month after being released in South Korea.

Including the number of views from other social media platforms like Instagram and streaming services, the total surpasses 50 million views, the company said.

According to Samsung sources the business is currently losing ground to its archrival Apple with the business keen to turn this problem around in several markets including in the USA where Apple dominate.

In South Korean the brand accounts for 7 out of 10 adult smartphone users, according to a recent Gallup survey.

Similar to the Australian market Apple’s iPhone is more with users aged between 18 to 29.
Their lifestyles are driven by heavy consumption of TV and digital media, and they are especially engaged in local TV series, as well as celebrities and their aspirational lifestyles.

Now Samsung is moving to try and attract a younger user through the short film series by advertising the latest artificial intelligence features in its Galaxy S24 series in a “more fun and friendlier” form.

“The short film advertisement is an effective marketing strategy to target the young,” an industry official said.

The key AI features of the Galaxy S24 series, including Live Translate, Nightography and Circle to Search, these features are playing crucial roles in the drama’s unfolding in the Samsung short films.

Last year, Samsung also presented a short film to promote its Galaxy S23 series. The short film, titled “Faith,” was shot using the smartphone and directed by Na Hong-jin, an award-winning director and screenwriter, widely known for his movie “The Wailing” (2016).

The South Korean Herald claims that Apple also employs the short film marketing strategy to increase its popularity among young consumers.

In 2023 Apple collaborated with K-pop girl group NewJeans to advertise its iPhone 14 Pro, shooting a music video with the device.

The music video for the song “ETA,” is 3 minutes and 30 seconds long.

It’s also tipped that Samsung is looking to eliminate the brand name Galaxy as the global smartphone brand tries to win over more young users.

Apparently, R&D teams are working on a possible new name for Samsung smartphones according to sources.

Lee Young-hee, the Samsung Electronics president leading the Global Marketing Centre, admitted at CES 2024 that “There are so many lineups in the Galaxy brand, and I am aware that some expect to see a new name when we introduce an innovative change,” Lee had said.

He admitted that this could take some time.