That Selfie, Spontaneity and Youth: Samsung’s CMO at 4A’s Transformation
Samsung has been making a habit of devising and executing marketing ideas as quickly as possible, Samsung CMO Todd Pendleton said at the 4A’s Transformation conference on Wednesday. When the marketing group announced the upcoming introduction of the Galaxy S5 phone, for example, the company watched the reaction from consumers and media before starting on a campaign — even though the work would need to be in market just weeks later.
The process was similar the morning after the Oscars, where Ellen DeGeneres generated the selfie seen ’round the world using a Samsung phone, according to Mr. Pendleton, a young 40-something who took the stage in red sneakers and a trendy jacket.
“The next morning I was in the shower and said we’re going to do a donation,” he said. “I called my boss and within minutes we made it happen.” Samsung donated $3 million — for the photo’s 3 million-plus retweets — to charities of Ellen’s choice.
