BORCELLE
Brand Audit
APPLE VS SAMSUNG
1
Brand identity and tone of voice
consistency
Apple identity consistency
Apple's logo on YouTube
Apple's logo on main website Apple's logo on
Twitter
Apple constantly employs their brandmark logo as avatar and brand
name "Apple" across social media channels, allowing viewers to Apple's logo on Facebook
easily identify the brand on social media.
However, these are not aligned with the brand's main website. The
logo is significantly smaller in size and the brand name is nowhere in
sight on the home page. This may bring confusion to the audience.
Apple sub-accounts for their service sector use different
Apple's logo on Instagram
combination logos e.g. Apple TV, Apple Arcade, etc.
Samsung identity consistency
Samsung consistently uses its wordmark
Samsung logo on main website Samsung logo on Facebook logo across channels with large audience
base. This is their longest-established
brand identity that current customers are
familiar with.
Samsung logo on YouTube
The brand uses a different wordmark logo
"Samsung Galaxy" on recently growing
channels. This is considered a different
brand identity that signifies their
phone/tablet product lines.
Samsung logo Samsung logo on Instagram
on Twitter
Apple global uniformity
Apple organize their global eco-system into areas of
interest (literature, cinematics, music, games, etc.) rather
than by region. This is done by separating the main account
Apple TV from various sub-accounts. The brand's central social
media accounts focus on promoting their consumer
electronics. Sub-accounts promote their respective Apple
services.
This tactic creates exclusive and personalized
Apple Arcade
Apple Music communities based on audience interests, while
maintaining Apple's uniform presence across nations with
minimal efforts.
Apple Books
Apple Fitness+
Samsung global uniformity
Samsung's promotion activity for its Bespoke
kitchen appliances is not consistent across
nations in terms of slogan, colors and fonts,
which are always catered to the local
preferences. This helps the brand obtain gigantic Samsung Korea website
Samsung US website global reach, but conversely, dilutes the brand
imagery consistency.
However, Samsung's central website structure is
consistent across countries, integrating shopping
experience on the homepage. They primarily use
white background to present cleanliness and
Samsung Vietnam website
calmness. These characteristics provide a certain
level of uniformity.
Samsung Global Facebook Samsung Singapore website
Apple content consistency
Appple Instagram Appple Facebook
Apple's contents are distributed differently across channels. Facebook and Twitter
central accounts are used to announce new products, YouTube is used to post
promotional videos, and Instagram is their customer service tool for entertainment.
Instagram is the only platform to run the #ShotOniPhone campaign.
Apple main website also promotes sustainable processes as part of their product
but this message is not found on any social media.
The brand's central social media accounts change the cover photo on respective
Apple environment
social media upon release of new products to align with their promotional
advocation on main
campaign, though these activities are not timely consistent.
website
Samsung content consistency
Samsung's contents are somewhat consistent
across channels. They mostly use social media for
Galaxy S23 product introduction and promotion. There is
launch increased focus on using social media to deliver
featured on entertaining contents.
main website
and Facebook
Samsung only announces sales
promotion campaigns on main website
Galaxy Z Flip 4 promotion on
Twitter and Instagram
2
Brand tone of voice consistency
Apple's tone of voice
Apple use formal tone for instructional purposes,
such as in their trade-in guide to deliver clear and
detailed information on their main website.
Informal tone is used to attract customer's attention
to induce purchase, as evident in their short,
challenging phrases that cater to specific Apple
product or service. They compel viewers to take
action.
Apple sub accounts use informal and
humerus language and images on
social media to appeal to recent
trends, especially when promoting
services (films and games).
Apple's silent social media
Apple central accounts
consistently maintain their
silence even on Instagram - their
most active social media channel.
The brand's strategy involves
integrating users' voices as their
own. This creates an impression
that Apple is an aloof, confident,
exclusive and people-driven
company.
Giving voice to the customer also
makes them feel empowered and
inclined to maintain strong bonds
within the Apple eco-system.
Apple's use of user Apple's silence on User comments without
experience for social social media direct interactions with
media the Apple account
Samsung's tone of voice
Samsung Global on Facebook
Samsung mostly uses informal, friendly and enthusiastic
tone of voice on social media for product promotions.
Samsung mobile on Twitter
Formal tones are most used on their main website for
informational and instructional purposes to deliver a
competent brand image.
The brand uses a lot of short call-to-action phrases to garner
Samsung Global on Facebook attention, and to show passion and confidence.
pas
3
Brand content framework
Apple's brand master theme
Practical Magnetic
The brand's practical contents occasionally go viral for The brand's magnetic contents always go viral for being
using storytelling to communicate with the broad engaging and customer-focused. The video title "Quiet
audience. The titles are indicative of the content's the noise" is a powerful and stylish call-to-action and
informational purpose. Viewers are mostly guided delivers a solution against outside noises - a common
through how to utilize product functions for the best issue for earphones.
Apple experience.
Apple also integrates user's stories to create emotional
appeal and intimacy with viewers, earning their
sympathy. They are shown the Apple experience as a
means of conveying and coping with personal issue,
inducing brand loyalty.
(Pride et al., 2018), (Apple Inc, 2023), (Studycorgi, 2023)
Apple's brand master theme
Apple is considered a feminine brand focused on emotions, feelings and service
(Brennan, 2009). However, their main website traffic is mostly comprised of the male
audience. Therefore, Apple's contents are somewhat irrelevant to their real target
audience.
On the other hand, Apple's topics are mostly relevant to Gen Y preferences such as
personal branding, environment, animals, inclusivity, etc.
(Pride et al., 2018), (Similarweb, 2023), (Apple Inc, 2023), (Studycorgi, 2023)
Samsung' brand master theme
Magnetic
Samsung's magnetic contents (broad and
entertaining) utilize the young audience
entertainment preferences. They
occasionally feature influencers and
celebrities playing popular mobile games, or
with preferred pets like cats and dogs.
Practical
Samsung promotes Galaxy series using practical content, which is broad and
useful, to amass potential customers and convert them to real customers.
Their practical contents provide audience knowledge on what functions does
this product have, why use this product, how, when and where to use them.
(Pride et al., 2018), (Apple Inc, 2023), (Studycorgi, 2023)
Samsung' brand master theme
Samsung's brand image is considered
masculine and practical. This aligns with
their main website's target audience - the
male users that make up 70% web traffic.
Samsung consistently produce fast and trendy
contents to match with Gen Z preference. However,
their contents are mostly without emotional appeal
due to being too localized across nations. This thus
leads to low engagement on social media.
(Pride et al., 2018), (similarweb, 2023), (Samsung, 2022), (Studycorgi, 2023)
4
Core brand positioning
Apple
5. Values & Personalities: 6. Reasons to believe:
Minimalistic Old phone parts are recycled to make new models.
Stylish Audience exerts high expectations for every new iPhone
Timeless model indicating consistent product quality and service.
Competent Customers get what they pay for.
Prestigious
4. Benefits: 7. Discriminators:
Simplified interface offers ease of use. Industry pioneer in smartphone and other
High social status. Essence innovative technology.
Exclusive and smooth compatibility between
Unique simplicity
Apple products and services.
Vast online and offline distribution network.
3. Insights:
Delivers exceptional experience through elegant user interfaces and high-quality service.
1. Competitive environment: 2. Target:
Phone/computer/tablet, consumer electronics market. Male and female aged 18-44 with middle to high income,
Directly competes with Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, who are willing to pay a premium price for superior user
Nokia, etc. experience.
(Similarweb, 2023), (Scribd, n.d.), (Studycorgi, 2023)
Samsung
5. Values & Personalities: 6. Reasons to believe:
Trendy Old phone parts are recycled to make new models.
Youthful Consistent product quality on par with price, value for
Tech savvy
money.
Reliable
4. Benefits: 7. Discriminators:
Product quality on par with its purchase value Industry leader of consumers electronics
Cool, tech savvy personal image and innovative technology in terms of
Large product and price range with various Essence product and price variation.
sales
Innovation
Large distribution network on ecommerce,
website and physical stores.
Products compatible with other brand devices,
3. Insights:
Produces innovative and high-quality products.
1. Competitive environment: 2. Target:
Phone/computer/tablet, consumer electronics market. Male and female aged 18-44 with low to high income
Directly competes with Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, levels, who prefer having the actual product value and
Nokia, etc. quality equivalent to purchase value.
(similarweb, 2023), (Samsung, 2022), (Studycorgi, 2023)
5
Recommendations
Recommendation 1: Create content that appeals to Gen Z audience on their
preferred social media
What topics? Where to deliver? How to deliver? Why so?
Tiktok
Organize minigames
YouTube Gen Z are the most frequent social
Environmental Collaborate with
Instagram media users and a soon emerging
sustainability credible influencers/
working population. Apple has to
Personal branding celebrities.
These are the most start marketing to this target
LGBT+ rights
popular social audience.
Inequality Gen Z nowadays prefer
media platform for
Racial justice fast personalized,
Gen Z, with far Gen Z prefers social/ interactive
Animal protection entertaining (magnetic
higher usage than online activities.
Trendy, healthy lifestyle and immersive)
Facebook, Twitter,
contents.
etc.
(Paulin & Geoffrey, 2018), (Similarweb, 2023), (similarweb, 2023), (HARRIS, 2023)
Recommendation 2: Improve content consistency across active social media
platforms
What topics? Where to deliver? How to deliver? Why so?
All of Apple's active social
media platforms:
Apple has very low
Facebook
content uniformity
Apple's central contents: YouTube
across online and offline
Twitter Maintain confident, stylish
channels
Product launch/ and aloof tone of voice
introduction Instagram's ShotOniPhone across all channels.
The brand has very
Promotional campaigns. campaign could be
inconsistent social
exempted due to its long
media presence
established and unique
branding strategy.
(Paulin & Geoffrey, 2018), (Similarweb, 2023), (similarweb, 2023), (Apple Inc, 2023)
References
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HARRIS, J. (2023). Marketing Content to Gen Z? You Better Play by Their Rules. Content Marketing Institute.
[Link]
Kovach, S. (2020). Facebook-Apple skirmish is the latest in a fight that stretches back more than a decade. CNBC.
[Link]
Nikolov, A. (2017). Design principle: Black and White. Medium. [Link]
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Cengage. [Link]
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Strategy#
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[Link]
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marketing-showdown-apple-vs-samsung/
