From Enemies to Friends
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are showing signs of change in marketing strategies.
Until recently, the two were engaged in not a few disputes and conflicts in their competitive industry. Many of these led to mutual abuses and lawsuits to irritate consumers. Such strife was found mainly when new products were released and new technologies unveiled, with both of them trying to get the title of global number one.
In most cases, the conflict took the form of one of the two launching large-scale marketing campaigns and the other one countering them. One of the typical examples is the 3D TV dispute two years ago. At the time, both Samsung and LG claimed that the type of technology each one adopted, that is, film patterned retarder (FPR) and shutter glass (SG), was better than the other. The offensive ended up in disgrace, criticized by the media and the general public. Another similar example is the skirmishes surrounding the ads about refrigerator capacity, which continued for one year from August 2012.
However, both of them have begun to change such aggressive marketing strategies. Nowadays, they are launching no offensive campaigns even though they are coming up with a series of new technologies and products such as curved ultra-HD LED TVs, the world’s widest OLED TVs, flexible display panels, and batteries.
It is said that the top management of both of the two have agreed to bury the hatchet and follow market principles instead of fighting each other. They have dropped the suit regarding refrigerator capacity ads the past month. Also, Samsung Display and LG Display have agreed to withdraw their patent lawsuits, too.