Good news for the team at Samsung — pre-orders for the Galaxy S8 phones are ahead of where its predecessor S7 phones were at the same time in the release cycle.
The S8 has already been widely positively reviewed, and some analysts are anticipating a first-year sales record for the South Korean company.
“It’s still a bit early, but initial response to the pre-orders that have begun at various places across the world has been better than expected,” mobile chief Koh Dong-jin said at an S8 media briefing.
The S8 is a recovery product — after the S7 had a very public literal meltdown — and this phone was rather specifically designed to avoid any combustible safety failures.
The early withdrawal of the note from the market cost Samsung $5.4 billion in profit.
“It took Toyota about four years for its brand to get back to where it was, and I think ours can do it faster,” said Lee Young-hee, an executive vice president at Samsung’s mobile business, referring to a series of Toyota Motor Corp vehicle recalls from 2009 to 2010.
While Samsung executives believe gaining back consumer trust will be a process, the brand has seen a rebound in consumer sentiment since it released data on what caused the fire in late January.
“We felt really comfortable that we had attained a level of confidence with consumers so that we could actually shift to the product campaign,” said Pio Schunker, global head of integrated marketing for Samsung’s mobile business.
“Ultimately, I think it is this product that proves this case.”
We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.
Learn More