(Editorial)
The Samsung vs. Apple wars have intensified over the last year as a lawsuit pitted both companies against one another. The release of their latest mobile devices in anticipation of the holiday season has only made the tensions rise to the point that Samsung has essentially declared and all out war on Apple that has the feel and look of the current presidential campaign.
It is not uncommon for President Barack Obama to attack Mitt Romney as they vie to become the next "leader of the free world" but for a company to use nasty ads in a battle for consumer attention seems a bit out of the ordinary.
Samsung's latest attack was an ad which showed off the two phones (the iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S3) side by side and compared their technical specs. However, Samsung was not content to show how many more features their phone had but to add a slug line that really crossed the line. "It doesn't take a genius" was a direct attack on Apple's "Genius" Customer Representatives and an insinuation to customers that you would essentially be stupid to purchase anything but the Samsung Galaxy S3.
Of course, the Apple fans were livid and took to the internet to present their counterattack and really intensified the hate toward Samsung. While Samsung got the attention and reaction they probably wanted, it comes at a cost. They are the instigators and if you will, the "bullies" in town. More importantly, it tells us one major thing about Samsung: they are scared of Apple and the iPhone 5. The Galaxy S3 has been selling well and has garnered strong reviews. The Galaxy Note 2 sems highly anticipated and should also sell well. Plus it gives, Samsung a one two punch with a wider range of different consumers, something Apple currently cannot do. You would think that Samsung is confident of their chances. Except the attack ad demonstrates the complete opposite. Only a desperate person who thinks they might lose would resort to a vicious attack on their opponent rather than a calm and seemingly collected attitude that would give them the air of maturity. Which then makes consumers bring up questions such as these: If a company feels the need to point out the rival's misgivings, are they simply trying to cover up their own shortcomings? Or the more important question: Why doesn't Samsung worry about their own products? Do they really lack the confidence in their own products that they need to devote ads to attack the competition?
Apple has made no advertisements blasting Samsung's products; their position has been to focus on their products and their customer base. Samsung got a reaction, but it wasn't from Apple; it was from their fans. Apple can turn around and use that attack and demonstrate how Samsung has been aggressive and pays more attention battling the competition through advertisements than through creating the best product possible. they can essentially spin this as they see fit and Samsung must deal with it. They can pretend that they know nothing about the fan's counterattacks, because it is not really their responsibility or business what happens outside of their own actions. I'm sure they are giddy inside, but they have no need to make a big deal out of what is essentially nothing for them.
Meanwhile Samsung must now deal with the fact that they threw a punch at their neighbor and he essentially turned the other cheek. Who looks worse now? Whose public image has been bruised? Samsung fans will surely come out and applaud their beloved company's actions for being aggressive, but Samsung is not using these ads to reinvigorate the fan base they already have. No. These ads were to convert the current agnostics who don't know if to believe in the God of Samsung or the God of Apple. While it may convert a few, it will create the image of an aggressive bully to the other undecided folks. When you remain quiet, you are the owner of the words you speak. However the moment you speak, you leave yourself vulnerable and a slave to those words. Samsung is about to learn this the hard way.