This interview took place on the eve of the launch of the Galaxy S4. Anouch Seydtaghia is Deputy Head of the Economic & Finance Section chez Le Temps Geneva, Switzerland.
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Q: How can you explain that Samsung organizes such a huge event in NY for the S4?
A: The S4 is a very important product as it’s probably the second most profitable mobile phone in the world. Samsung is trying to position it as a premium product and is using every means available to do so.
What are your thoughts about the huge marketing budget of Samsung?
Samsung’s marketing budget has been a constant percent of their sales (approximately). As sales have risen, the budget has risen. This is not considered a normal situation if sales grow very rapidly but Samsung seems to consider x% of sales to be appropriate spending level. Note that Apple’s marketing has fallen as a percent of sales while its sales have grown dramatically.
If we read the media, we see a lot of speculation about the features of the future S4. Can we now compare that to the expectations before a new iPhone?
There are speculations about all phones, from Nokia to HTC and BlackBerry. I don’t see the speculation to be different between all the major companies.
Can Apple regain the lead in the smartphone market? If yes, how?
