Bringing Tech to Life: Allison Stransky on Samsung’s Strategy for Smarter Homes

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Speed of Culture Podcast Episode: Bringing Tech to Life: Allison Stransky on Samsung’s Strategy for Smarter Homes
Host: Matt Britton, Founder and CEO of Suzy
Guest: Allison Stransky, CMO and VP of Samsung Electronics America
Release Date: January 30, 2025

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Introduction to Samsung’s AI-Driven Smart Home Strategy

In this insightful episode of The Speed of Culture Podcast, host Matt Britton engages in a deep conversation with Allison Stransky, the Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Samsung Electronics America. Filmed live at CES in Las Vegas, the discussion centers around Samsung’s innovative approach to integrating artificial intelligence (AI) within its smart home ecosystem, aiming to enhance consumer experiences and drive brand differentiation in a rapidly evolving market.

Notable Quote:
“Allison, so great to see you today.”
— Matt Britton [02:11]

The Tipping Point of AI in Consumer Products

Alison Stransky elaborates on how Samsung is leveraging AI to create comprehensive solutions that span across various home categories. This holistic approach not only excites consumers but also sets Samsung apart in the competitive landscape. She emphasizes that AI is now poised to deliver unprecedented benefits and experiences, marking a significant evolution from previous technological advancements.

Notable Quote:
“So now when you think about the long history of Samsung and the innovation over the years, this is the tipping point where AI is now really going to start delivering benefits and experiences on a level that I don't think consumers have seen yet.”
— Matt Britton [01:28]

Enhancing Health and Wellness through Smart Technology

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on health and wellness, particularly sleep improvement. Stransky explains how Samsung’s AI-integrated devices can monitor sleep patterns and make real-time adjustments to optimize the user’s sleep environment. For instance, if AI detects that a user’s temperature is rising and disrupting sleep, it can automatically adjust the thermostat to enhance comfort without requiring user intervention.

Notable Quote:
“So it's going to test and learn with you as well. Because that is the power of AI. If it's not that, maybe it's something else. But the thing that's a real game changer is this is completely automated and we're going to get to a point where you reap the end benefit, but you don't have to do the troubleshooting and the trial or change consumer habit.”
— Matt Britton [03:36]

The Quantified Self and Integrated Health Solutions

The conversation delves into the broader trend of the Quantified Self, where consumers use wearables and other devices to track personal health metrics. Stransky highlights how Samsung’s ecosystem integrates data from various devices—such as refrigerators and kitchen appliances—to provide holistic health insights and personalized meal recommendations. This integration allows users to manage conditions like diabetes or adopt healthier lifestyles seamlessly.

Notable Quote:
“Within the Samsung ecosystem, it's not just your wearables and your mobile and all the things health is also in the kitchen, we have appliances in your kitchen space where through our health app in your refrigerator and SmartThings, you get meal recommendations.”
— Matt Britton [05:48]

Smart Refrigerator Technology and Partnerships

One of the standout innovations discussed is Samsung’s smart refrigerator equipped with AI vision technology. This feature enables the fridge to recognize ingredients, suggest meal ideas, and create shopping lists based on its contents. Additionally, Samsung is partnering with services like Instacart to streamline the shopping experience, allowing consumers to order groceries directly through the refrigerator interface.

Notable Quote:
“So the cameras inside your refrigerator recognize ingredients and then can make you meal recommendations based off of what you have or help you create shopping lists based off of what you need.”
— Matt Britton [06:35]

Evolving Marketing Strategies in a Connected Ecosystem

Stransky outlines Samsung’s transformation from a components company to a holistic ecosystem and platform provider. This evolution requires a shift in marketing focus from traditional selling points like screen quality to emphasizing the unique experiences and higher-order benefits enabled by AI and connectivity. Core pillars such as connectivity, sustainability, and wellness drive Samsung’s messaging, ensuring that consumers understand the tangible benefits of their interconnected devices.

Notable Quote:
“So for us and my team, a lot of what we focus on is what are beyond tech specs, all those things, what are the unique benefits, unique experiences, and then we bring them to life through our pillars, as we call them.”
— Matt Britton [08:11]

Personalization and First-Party Data Utilization

The discussion highlights the critical role of first-party data in enabling personalized marketing strategies. Stransky emphasizes the importance of delivering relevant messages to consumers based on their specific needs and behaviors. By utilizing AI to analyze vast amounts of data, Samsung aims to create highly personalized interactions that enhance user experience and foster deeper brand loyalty.

Notable Quote:
“So we do want to connect with you relevantly. So that's a big part of our strategy and we know that the more we understand you and all of your points in this journey, we're just going to keep delivering better experiences.”
— Matt Britton [10:32]

Enhancing User Experience through Interoperability and Voice Assistants

Interoperability within the smart home ecosystem is another key focus area. Samsung’s SmartThings platform allows for seamless integration with a wide range of third-party devices, ensuring that consumers can enjoy a cohesive and intuitive experience regardless of the brands they choose. Additionally, the role of voice assistants like Bixby is explored, with advancements in voice recognition technology enhancing accessibility and usability for multi-generational households.

Notable Quote:
“We are partnering with Instacart. So like there's the roadmap of being able to make life more seamless and more integrated...”
— Matt Britton [07:12]

Targeting Gen Z and Future Generations

Stransky discusses the importance of targeting younger, digitally native generations such as Gen Z and the emerging Gen Alpha. Authenticity and relatability are paramount in reaching these audiences, who favor genuine engagement over traditional advertising. Samsung leverages partnerships with creators and influencers to communicate authentically and connect with these tech-savvy consumers through platforms they frequent.

Notable Quote:
“They can see through jargon. They can meld brands a mile away when they're being a little bit funny with things. And so our philosophy is like you have to be completely authentic, speak in the same Samsung voice that they can relate to and show up in places where they want to be with stories that they connect to as well.”
— Matt Britton [19:17]

AI in Marketing: Personalization at Scale

The conversation shifts to the application of AI in marketing strategies. Stransky envisions a future where AI enables hyper-personalization, allowing Samsung to deliver thousands of unique messages tailored to individual consumer profiles. This approach moves beyond traditional segmentation, utilizing first-party data and AI-driven insights to engage consumers on a one-to-one basis, thereby enhancing relevance and effectiveness of marketing efforts.

Notable Quote:
“So it's here. We can do it. I know that you have lots of different interests and needs as a consumer. So every single one of us has a different entryway into Samsung.”
— Matt Britton [25:33]

Overcoming Challenges and Future Directions

Stransky acknowledges the challenges that come with integrating AI into both consumer products and marketing processes. These include change management, ensuring team adaptability, and addressing fears around AI replacing human roles. Nevertheless, she remains optimistic about the transformative potential of AI in creating more engaging and personalized consumer experiences.

Notable Quote:
“So that's what I want to continue to learn as well.”
— Matt Britton [31:38]

Career Insights and Leadership Philosophy

Towards the end of the episode, Stransky shares her professional journey, drawing lessons from her tenures at L'Oréal and Google. She emphasizes the importance of storytelling, digital-first strategies, and data-driven decision-making. Her leadership philosophy is encapsulated in her personal mantra inspired by the movie A League of Their Own: “It's the hard that makes it great,” encouraging a relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence.

Notable Quote:
“So I love the movie A League of Their Own and Tom Hanks. Yes. It's so good. Timeless. Tom Hanks has a line in that movie that says if it was easy, anyone would do it. It's the hard that makes it great.”
— Matt Britton [32:50]

Conclusion: Embracing the Future with AI and Authenticity

The episode concludes with a reaffirmation of Samsung’s commitment to leveraging AI and maintaining authentic connections with consumers. Stransky and Britton underscore the importance of continuous learning, embracing new technologies, and fostering meaningful relationships with diverse consumer segments to stay ahead in the dynamic landscape of modern marketing.

Notable Quote:
“It's just taken on different meanings. So now it's in the spirit of like, let's learn all of this that's new. Let's figure it out. Let's figure out how to push the boundaries and take risks. And I don't want it to be easy because I think easy's boring.”
— Matt Britton [33:38]

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This episode of The Speed of Culture Podcast offers an in-depth look into Samsung’s strategic integration of AI within its smart home ecosystem, highlighting the brand’s innovative approaches to enhancing consumer experiences, personalizing marketing strategies, and staying relevant in an ever-changing technological landscape. Allison Stransky’s insights provide valuable perspectives on the intersection of technology, marketing, and consumer behavior, making this a must-listen for industry leaders and enthusiasts alike.

Transcript

[Ryan Reynolds]

Hey there, Ryan Reynolds here. It's a new year and you know what that means. No, not the diet resolutions. A way for us all to try and do a little bit better than we did last year. And my resolution, unlike big wireless, is to not be a raging and raise the price of wireless on you every chance I get. Give it a [e-mail] switch $45 upfront.

[Alison Stransky]

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[Matt Britton]

We have the opportunity to build solutions for your whole home and your whole life. And that isn't just really exciting as a consumer, but a real point of difference. So now when you think about the long history of Samsung and the innovation over the years, this is the tipping point where AI is now really going to start delivering benefits and experiences on a level that I don't think consumers have seen yet.

[Ryan Reynolds]

To thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape, brands must move in an ever increasing pace. I'm Matt Britton, founder and CEO of Suzy. Join me and key industry leaders as we dive deep into the shifting consumer trends within their industry, why it matters now, and how you can keep up. Welcome to the Speed of Culture. We're back today live at CES in Las Vegas with a very special interview. We're joined by Alison Stransky, the CMO and VP of Samsung Electronics America. From driving groundbreaking AI innovations to creating impactful sustainability campaigns, Alison is certainly at the forefront of redefining how brands connect with consumers in a rapidly evolving world. Allison, so great to see you today.

[Matt Britton]

Thank you, Matt. Thank you for having me.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So Samsung is such a powerful brand and has really kind of expanded its remit within the entire ecosystem. We were speaking with one of your colleagues from SmartThings yesterday and obviously the work that Samsung is doing in the smart home realm is one of so many different areas it touches on behalf of the consumer. When you look at the Samsung brand, what are some of the areas that you're particularly leaning into in 2025 in this world that's moving so fast right now.

[Matt Britton]

So the big innovation that we want to talk about in 25 is AI and home AI in particular. Because what's amazing about Samsung is we have products in so many different categories. We have the opportunity to build solutions for your whole home and your whole life. And that isn't just really exciting as consumer, but a real point of difference. So now when you think about the long history of Samsung and the innovation over the years, this is the tipping point where AI is now really going to start delivering benefits and experiences on a level that I don't think consumers have seen yet. So thrilled. I'm so excited for it.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And so what are some of the ways that manifests within your products to impact the end consumer and make their lives better?

[Matt Britton]

Yes. So one of the areas that we focus on is health, for example, health is important literally to all of us and health has very many different facets. So one of the areas that we're focusing on is sleep because you feel like you get enough sleep. Who gets enough sleep?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right.

[Matt Britton]

So everyone could do better in that.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And that's been such increased importance over the last several years.

[Matt Britton]

I think we've gotten a better understanding of like how sleep sets you up for everything, not just how you feel, but literally how your body works. And now we have the ability to bring a really holistic offering that helps you understand your sleep better, but actually sleep better too. So as an example, your wearables, your ring, your watch, something can track your sleep patterns and start to understand insights from what you do in the middle of the night. So you're not aware, you're hopefully sleeping, but maybe you're a little bit restless in the middle of the night. And maybe we're starting to observe that your Temperature is increasing. AI and the SmartThings Connected ecosystem are going to get to a point where the learning says maybe because you're too hot, you're not sleeping well, and automatically adjust your thermostat, for example, bring the temperature down and see if that works. So it's going to test and learn with you as well. Because that is the power of AI. If it's not that, maybe it's something else. But the thing that's a real game changer is this is completely automated and we're going to get to a point where you reap the end benefit, but you don't have to do the troubleshooting and the trial or change consumer habit. Yes.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So you look at some of the new technologies that haven't taken off, it's because it relies on consumer to do things that they haven't done before.

[Matt Britton]

Absolutely.

[Ryan Reynolds]

The reason that ChatGPT took off so well is you're just texting. It's the same thing, form factors, texting a friend, except you're texting a large language model. We were just talking to the people from Meta Ray Ban sunglasses and that's been a successful device for them because she's wearing sunglasses and people already do that. So I think the more you can blend into existing consumer behavior, but then get them added benefit, I think then you're getting a lot of tailwinds behind whatever you're bringing the market.

[Matt Britton]

Absolutely, yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And the point you're bringing on with health is an interesting thing because it brings up a broader trend. The quantified self, where we have the whoop band, we have the oura ring, we have like a bevy of new devices that consumers are getting more and more comfortable with that are tracking their bodies. And I think in the past it was almost like a gimmick, but now in the age of AI, it can synthesize all the data and very quickly tell you what it means. And it almost gives consumers much more conviction in controlling their health and the outcome of their health.

[Matt Britton]

Yeah, it is amazing that I think we could be at a pivotal point for the quantified self as well. And within the Samsung ecosystem, it's not just your wearables and your mobile and all the things health is also in the kitchen, we have appliances in your kitchen space where through our health app in your refrigerator and SmartThings, you get meal recommendations. So if you have. Whether you have concerns like diabetes that you have to be very conscious of, or I'm just interested in living this type of food lifestyle, it all comes together. So there's what you put in, what you sleep on, like how you sleep. It all kind of becomes this ecosystem that we can help you track and quantify all in one place, bring you insights. It's getting exciting.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So the refrigerator will know what's actually in the refrigerator?

[Matt Britton]

Yes. So the bespoke vision, AI vision inside the refrigerator.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I've never heard of this before.

[Matt Britton]

This was actually one of our big announcements in 24 at CES. And the technology just keeps getting better in terms of what it is capable of doing. So the cameras inside your refrigerator recognize ingredients and then can make you meal recommendations based off of what you have or help you create shopping lists based off of what you need. So you look at what's in your fridge right now and it can tell you you can do this or something. Maybe you need to go to the grocery store because you're out of all of your essentials.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Or maybe with an AI agent, I'll just order that stuff for you.

[Matt Britton]

We are partnering with Instacart. So like there's the roadmap of being able to make life more seamless and more integrated is we don't even know where it's going to go, I think. But there's so much more potential. It's exciting.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, for sure. So, I mean, Samsung's business model has really evolved because we're talking to a lot of people here at CES that aren't in the consumer electronics industry from CPG or auto, all different places. But Samsung has always been a staple here at CES and it used to be primarily a components company. Right. And now you're becoming more of an ecosystem and a platform which really involves flexing different muscles when it comes to the product development because you're thinking more about user experience and data and lifecycle cycle marketing as well as just overall how you tell the story around the brand. But you're no longer saying we have the sharpest screen. Like you're not necessarily pushing into the unique selling proposition anymore, maybe the same way you have in the past. So how's that transformation work at scale at a big huge company like Samsung.

[Matt Britton]

The technology itself has gotten so incredibly good. We are so far from the S1 model in a smartphone that we're calling the AI phones now. So they've moved so far down in innovation. So now it's about the marketing of the experiences and the higher order benefits. And so for us and my team, a lot of what we focus on is what are beyond tech specs, all those things, what are the unique benefits, unique experiences, and then we bring them to life through our pillars, as we call them. So connectivity is one of them. How is the connected home going to enhance your life? By driving more productivity, better care, better wellness, all of those things sustainability people really care about not just the products and how it was made, but more importantly how we're helping you live more sustainably. And this is all kind of coming together, especially backed by AI, where AI is enabling things like AI energy mode, where you can actually choose to run your appliances when the grid demand is at its lowest.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Very cool.

[Matt Britton]

And those real, tangible consumer benefits in a relevant space like sustainability are what we're focusing on. Messaging. Because now you're like, yeah, your camera better be amazing. On your phone. What else can this be?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Table stakes?

[Matt Britton]

Because I'm taking all of that as yeah, it's like the floor for these devices.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And I think another part I would imagine kind of evolves or changes the game for Samsung is you used to sell through Best Buy or third party retailers and because of that, and you still do, but you didn't really have a great path to capture first party data. Right? Sure you had warranties and stuff, but now consumers are purchasing your product, they're selling up your software. So it's a completely different game when you can now have these one on one direct relationships with consumers. How are you looking at the importance of first party data and evolving your overall marketing strategy?

[Matt Britton]

It's so critical in so many ways. So a couple of pieces of that are One, the big data team sits within my corporate marketing org because it is not just about protecting your data. So you as a consumer are secured and confident, but it's about using it really responsibly. And what we mean by that is delivering you relevant message messaging. If you're going shopping for back to school, you don't want to hear about a refrigerator, you're doing a full home remodel. This might not be the time to.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Tell you about personalization buds.

[Matt Britton]

Yes, exactly. So it is so critical for us to get that personalization because we do want to connect with you relevantly. So that's a big part of our strategy and we know that the more we understand you and all of your points in this journey, we're just going to keep delivering better experiences, which is not just in relation to commerce but like how you use our products as well. So when you're signed in on more devices, this is where we're going to collect the learning.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right.

[Matt Britton]

So that we will deliver something that's more engaging, more fun, live better mentality.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. And how about user experience and where that fits in? Because traditionally companies that have focused on components or have had a hard time building software that is intuitive for the end user relative to companies or software companies at their core. How much time are you spending thinking about what is a good user experience for what is sort of a simple output but still can be kind of a complex offering when it comes to consumers figuring out how to connect everything. So how important is that as part of your overall strategy?

[Matt Britton]

It's so important, it is critical. And when there's so many pieces of it and also so many different users wanting to get to a different end goal, I think that complicates things even more. In tech, which comes back to personalization again, like we need to create different journeys for the person who literally needs like one on one help me set it up. I want to connect for the first time all the way down to I know it all. I'm trying to maximize the higher end benefits. So one of our philosophies is that our relationship really starts with purchase. When you bring the product home, that's the beginning. And so once you purchase a device, we bring you on this journey of. Now let's start with onboarding. What do you need to know about setting up and at a very basic level now we know you're a few months in, now we're going to take you to the next level of we think that you can then benefit from building now a sound system around your TV because you've onboarded, you're using the TV benefits. Now let me tell you what a TV and audio system do together and how that's going to turn you into the best entertaining household. So building on those higher order benefits and through the journey is how we look at our relationship starting with like product coming into your house and into your life.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And I would imagine interoperability is important as well because sure they may buy your home theater system or they might buy from Sonos or another player. And that's been one of the challenges of the connected smart home is that there are so many different protocols and companies and unless you buy the same brand of everything and different company, not everyone. Apple doesn't make TVs. Right. So I think that is going to be a challenge until there has to be some standards that are implemented just to make it easier for the consumer.

[Matt Britton]

So one of the things that we're proud of having brought into the Samsung Group is SmartThings for exactly that reason. The insight that SmartThings is plus platform. I can't say it's completely platform agnostic, but the ability to work with hundreds of partners in ecosystems that we don't play in. We're not going to make shades that open and close, but that's part of the health and the sleep journey. To get the best bedroom.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Exactly.

[Matt Britton]

So it's amazing that those partners can be on smart things and you bring it all together. And yes, to your point too, like as much as we wish, every home today had only Samsung appliances and refrigerant and TVs and things, while we're still on that journey to get there there, we want you to have a good connectivity experience with what you have right now.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, I wonder how Long manuals are going to exist. Because if you think about it, I'm sure there'll be a platform soon where you buy something and you just tell your family, chatbot, I own this model. And then you just talk to the chatbot and it'll tell you how to fix things. Like, who needs manuals anymore?

[Matt Britton]

I love that idea because I'm someone who throws it out as soon as I get it anyway. So, like it's on the Internet. Right. I will find this. And actually, I don't even want the manual. I want the YouTube video or the creator video or something. Something to tell me in my language anyway. So I do think your Chatbot or your tech or you're getting it in your language is just going to make the journey even better.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. And speaking about your language, I think voice obviously is, I think have a little bit of a renaissance. I mean, if you think of the earliest iterations of Siri and Alexa and you have Bixby. Yeah. Like a lot of the voice technologies kind of underdelivered on consumer expectations out of the gate and now they are just getting so good because they're infused with AI and it is so convenient, especially for consumers that aren't tech savv, to be able to talk to their devices, get things fixed, understand what this button does. You guys think a lot of that voice in terms of essential modality to interact with your technology in the home?

[Matt Britton]

We do. We definitely want Bixby to bring all of those benefits that you look for through a voice assistant, but we're bringing innovation from using Bixby in different areas as well. One of the things that we announced this week at CES was technically an accessibility benefit, but it's going to be so relevant to so many audiences using Bixby. It will recognize device settings that you set up on your mobile, mobile phone, and carry that over to other screens on your TV and appliances. So if you have low vision and keep your phone in high contrast mode, when you come over to the refrigerator, Bixby will recognize your voice and change the screen on your refrigerator into high contrast mode. And then when the next person in the household comes over who doesn't have that setting, it'll go back. So this is really relevant to not just people living with disabilities, but multi generational households. Your eyes start to go, because grandma's older. Grandma's going to read the high tech new fridge a lot better than she would have otherwise. And this is like it's voice at the root of this. So to your point about the next generation of voice benefits. It's not just about talking to your device, but voice recognition to deliver other benefits as well.

[Ryan Reynolds]

We'll be right back with the speed of culture after a few words from our sponsors.

[Alison Stransky]

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[Ryan Reynolds]

It's a new year and you know what that means. No, not the diet resolutions. A way for us all to try and do a little bit better than we did last year. And my resolution, unlike big wireless, is to not be a raging and raise the price of wireless on you every chance I get. Give it a [e-mail] Switch $45 upfront.

[Alison Stransky]

Payment required equivalent to $15 per month. New customers on first 3 month plan only taxes and fees, extra speed slower above 40 GB on unlimited. See mintmobile.com for details.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So obviously lots of great functionality, lots of great opportunities and possibilities for the consumer. Now the job is, okay, how do we communicate that to the consumer? And of course all consumers aren't created equal. And Gen Z, the first generation grow up with the iPhone in the household, is increasingly becoming the CFO and decision maker in the household. And it's not the same as a Gen Xer who did not grow up with even the Internet. So when you think of effective communication strategies to communicate and also it sounds like redefine the brand, what are some of the areas that you're leaning into in 2025?

[Matt Britton]

We do think Gen Z is so important and we're also looking to alpha behind them because everybody is becoming so digitally native in ways that it's unreal, it's amazing, it's exciting, like all the good things. So we need to reach them more relevantly which of course means a little bit differently. But one of the things that we recognize is authenticity is more important than any of the generations that have come before. They can can see through jargon. They can meld brands a mile away when they're being a little bit funny with things. And so our philosophy is like you have to be completely authentic, speak in the same Samsung voice that they can relate to and show up in places where they want to be with stories that they connect to as well. So all of this work has culminated in like, this is the strategy behind how we go to market with our social campaigns and things like that. It starts with like, how do you reach them relevantly? And we seeing it pay off too. So our sustainability campaign, Real Talk was all about cutting through what is greenwashing. Recognize it. We're not doing it and we're just going to tell it to you. Like it is like this is. And we've seen really good response from Gen Z in particular.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes.

[Matt Britton]

Be like, just talk to me like a person.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right.

[Matt Britton]

Because I'm a person and we should do this.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right. They're also Gen Z getting more and more of their information, obviously not through traditional media platforms, but from other people. Right. They're in the newsfeed, they're on their phone and they're enter the creator economy and influencers and individuals. How is Samsung leveraging that as a channel? Because that's the ultimate form of authenticity because you're speaking to them through them.

[Matt Britton]

Yeah. Creators are so important to our marketing mix and we work with them in a couple of different ways. So of course we have our partnerships where they're talking about either our products or our connected solutions and things like that. But we also have a great affiliate network because there are so many creators out there that they can be like your on the floor sales guy and break down the tech in really relatable, authentic voices with the integration on their YouTube channel or other platforms. And you click to buy right there. We love that they get credit as an affiliate and I think that we're just at the tip of the iceberg in terms of how we can do that.

[Ryan Reynolds]

TikTok shop had an amazing holiday season. Yeah, it's just getting started.

[Matt Britton]

And I think there's a lot of opportunity in our category too because I think there are some other categories that have pioneered a lot faster. So if we figure this out, we know our consumers there, we know they're ready for it. So we're excited to try a lot, learn a lot of new things.

[Ryan Reynolds]

What are some of the passion point areas in the realm of sports and entertainment music that Samsung is looking to lean into in the year ahead?

[Matt Britton]

Right now we're very big in gaming because that is a passionate audience that ranges from very engaged. Yeah, I can't even rationalize because I'm so far personally from where they are as Gamers, but like fascinating. These are the gamers who recognize that the best screen gives you that little tiny edge and they're going to go for it because this is so important to them. So we are number one in gaming monitors and we've been the brand that's been able to deliver improved gaming experience all the way down to. We know there are a ton of casual gamers out there too who enjoy filling those gaps of time on their phone. So we do have a lot of of gaming communication and events where we show up at TwitchCon and a lot of work on Twitch in general because we know that's the place to have the conversation. So gaming is a big area, but so are sports. I'm sure we kind of joke, doesn't everybody watch in some capacity? Maybe not literally. I don't have a stat that says, but I think there's still more interest leaning in. It was a Great year in 24, we are sponsors of the Olympics.

[Ryan Reynolds]

How was that experience overall for the brand?

[Matt Britton]

It was great. So our Olympic platform was open, always wins, which is. This is a moment in time where the world comes together to celebrate athletes and be proud of your nation and people who. You hear all of these stories about the athletes who, this is their job. They're not all the professional NFL and NBA players. And now these players, these athletes get their chance for their story to shine. So we wanted to celebrate everybody because it's also a little double entendre. Android, we're Android. We're very open with our ecosystems and everything else. It's our SmartThings philosophy as well. So that's the spirit of the Olympics. We wanted to bring all of that together. And our big moment at the Olympics was the podium selfie, whereby when you make it to the podium, we brought out a phone, the flip, it was a special Olympic flip and gave it to the athletes to take a selfie on the podium. And gold, silver, bronze winners all got together from many cases, three different countries and took this amazing moment. And so we were really proud because it was a natural product integration, but it had meaning because it was that togetherness and a celebration of not just sport, but these amazing people who were crossing boundaries and nations. So that was a big year. But the Olympics are not every year. So there's a lot of sports activity that happens in between. And what's great for Samsung is we make the best viewing experience on your tv.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right? It fits well with the brand.

[Matt Britton]

Great tracking on your phone. You know what, bring the kitchen into it too, because you can Have a party. So it is a very natural fit for a lot of.

[Ryan Reynolds]

If you want to be an athlete, you have all the health tracking stuff.

[Matt Britton]

Exactly. So it's another area that I think sports marketing opportunities are boundless. So we continue to experiment and explore in that place too.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So given your role, I'm sure that you work with no shortage of outside agency and other partners. If you are a company, a third party company that wants to work with Samsung and get your attention as a cmo, what do they need to do to basically break out of the pack?

[Matt Britton]

Show us a solution that's a new way to address a problem. And I know that is very vague.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right.

[Matt Britton]

But there are problems that I'm not sure that I'm even aware that I have. Because you know what? As a marketer, the old world of the foundational principles, they're still there. I still need to reach you relevantly. I still need to optimize my marketing mix. I still need to do all of those things.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Differentiate.

[Matt Britton]

Yes.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Matt Britton]

And I need to understand how to use all the new suites of tools that are coming out there so that I can be a more effective and more efficient. At the same time, I need to build a relationship with Gen Z while I'm also fostering Alpha. And you know what? I still want the Millennials and X. I want all of them. But like we are reaching all of them in different ways. So I have no shortage of challenges. I think there are really interesting emerging partners out there who are bringing solutions to things that when you're thinking differently, talk to agencies about new targeting techniques that you layer on top of the big guys, like the media partners. And so there's so much I just want to hear how you're going to solve a problem that I have a slew of them. So especially if it's a bigger problem, because that's where we're going to start in our focus.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. And we've talked a lot about AI for the consumer and how it's going to change their lives, your products. How do you look at AI in terms of its role in the marketing process and the crafting of messages, the targeting, et cetera. And how much time are you spending thinking about deploying some of those approaches in 2025?

[Matt Britton]

Spending a lot of time thinking about it. And I want this to be the year that we really implemented a lot more too, because we've talked about the concept of personalization at scale for a while. I think AI is the enabler that's actually going to make it happen. So it's here. We can do it. I know that you have lots of different interests and needs as a consumer. So every single one of us has a different entryway into Samsung. What we started doing last year in order to recognize that we created six different Personas and journeys down those Personas. But six is like, are there six different people out there? No, there are literally billions of different people.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Will be looked at. Is archaic. Yeah. One day.

[Matt Britton]

And even last year it was a big step in terms of how we created different Personas to see what you were interested in to get that data point to bring you on a more personal journey. But this year I want to have thousands like.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right.

[Matt Britton]

And this is where AI is going to help me as a marketer create a thousand different insights with a thousand different messages, with a thousand different pieces of creative that I can now go serve to millions of people. Now I'm going to see the benefits of personalization at scale, but I cannot as a marketer do the math and the matching. And so you have to get AI to help you with each of those steps in the process and then put it into the media tools where AI is going to get it to the right consumer. And that's the vision that we'd like to realize this year. And I hope so.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I think we're pretty close to it. And you might not even need segments because if you have first party data, basically you can have a large language model, crawl every record of first party data for each consumer in your database and go across everything you know about about that person and then come up with a cadence based upon what you know. And that person will get a unique outreach from Samsung than the next person. They don't even fit into any segment. You have the ability to talk to them like their person based upon the more information that you're able to garner.

[Matt Britton]

Exactly. That's what we want to see. And we want it to be about how you continue a better experiences with your product too. Which is like, thank you for bringing our mobile device into your life. Let's just keep showing you how to use it better and better and better. Better.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Then it becomes like a positive reinforcement. If you're showing that you can add value based on the information that you've captured from them, then they're going to want you to capture more information.

[Matt Britton]

And it can also turn into, at the end of the game, a great loyalty play. Like if I understand you the best.

[Ryan Reynolds]

High switching costs, why would you go anywhere else? So it's been a great conversation. I can't wait for our audience to hear it to wrap up here. You know, I was looking and doing some research for this interview, and you spent 10 years at L'Oreal, who we do a lot of business with, and obviously great marketers there that really understand the consumer in a different space. And then. And six years at Google. What are some of your core takeaways from both those companies? And in each instance, what gave you the conviction to leave those great companies and move on to.

[Matt Britton]

So one of the things that I valued the most about my time at L'Oreal is that they are incredible storytellers.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes.

[Matt Britton]

And beauty is a really fun category to create stories in. There's so many, many different products and categories. So I loved learning and honing skills as a storyteller from L'Oreal. But one of their other strengths is that they've always been very leaned into digital. And it was digital first, I think, before it was really data, because first we started by trying all the platforms and L'Oreal was working with creators before we were.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Before they were all creators.

[Matt Britton]

I know. And also before what they were going to deliver. And so we started learning that we were among the first to be testing all the things with. Before it was called meta with Facebook and Instagram and so really appreciated being an early adopter and strength in storytelling. But I got bitten by the digital bug at the end of my tenure at L'Oreal because it was all we were talking about and we just were, I want you to go deeper and deeper and deeper. And from my perspective, where better to go than Google? I had the opportunity to go to Google and work on teams that were doing analysis on YouTube ads to help brands make more effective ads to get the most out of YouTube. And that was an interesting journey because the understanding of YouTube emerged a lot in my time there. And personally, I picked up a lot of appreciation for data because how you use it, what you can do with it. Wouldn't have known what an LLM was at one point in time. But now the meta analysis that we were doing taught me an understanding of data and appreciation for. For analysis in a different way.

[Ryan Reynolds]

How would you describe the culture at Google, by the way?

[Matt Britton]

Google is a lot of different cultures, I would say. There are so many teams. And I worked on a global team at Google, which was a really interesting experience because I was also learning to appreciate the needs of all the different markets. And in this space, during COVID the US leaned into Connected tv. We all started watching on big screens again. I've had a leaned back experience. And in apac the mobile growth is still on fire. There's still a billion people coming online with a mobile device who don't have TVs.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right.

[Matt Britton]

So it was a fascinating journey and even in the world of YouTube, which was. We were YouTube at the moment. So completely different experiences in different places. And that's why it was also kind of a tale of very many different cultures and environments in work. So learned. So in my time I think I'm still realizing some of what I learned at Google. It comes up in dribs and drips grabs. But in my core I am a brand marketer and I love being on a brand team. So I wouldn't had the opportunity to come to Samsung. It was something that I was very grateful for and I'll say I'm almost two years in love it every day because it's a brand that I've actually loved and used back to my S3.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah. And of course your role at Samsung is of a cmo. In order to continue to thrive and be a leader and drive the business forward. As a cmo, what are some of the areas that you're looking to hone your skill set on and improve in the year ahead?

[Matt Britton]

I think I still have a lot to learn about AI marketing tools because there's so much more I know. Right. What is the tool or what is the process? Because I think it's not just about learning the new tools but I think we need to design new operating processes internally to get work done faster and better. And I'm not creating a thousand insights for a thousand different consumers right now. What do I need to change?

[Ryan Reynolds]

What are the steps from here to.

[Matt Britton]

There in order to be able to do that? So that's what I want to continue to learn as well.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Because change management too. Right. Because you have to think about your team and how the organizational design, the skill sets they have. And do you have the right people that can actually get you there?

[Matt Britton]

Yes. And how do we keep everyone excited to be on that journey? Because it's exciting. So I hope we all want to.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Do it as well as keep people from not being fearful. Because there is a fear factor with AI, especially people. The closer you get to the creative area it's like well is this going to replace me? And that's just an ongoing thing that the industry of marketing has to grapple with because we're not going backwards.

[Matt Britton]

Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Sometimes it gets confused that people espousing the powers of AI with thinking. It's good that it can replace certain. It doesn't matter if it's good or not. It's here and everyone's going to embrace it. And it's like, what are you going to do about it?

[Matt Britton]

Yes, exactly.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So we, we ask all of our guests when we wrap up the podcast if there is a mantra or saying that guides your professional journey. I just want to come to mind for you.

[Matt Britton]

I love that. So I love the movie A League of Their Own and Tom Hanks. Yes. It's so good. Timeless. Tom Hanks has a line in that movie that says if it was easy, anyone would do it. It's the hard that makes it great. And that was actually my high school quote. It's been my mantra. Yeah. In my yearbook, if I had it, but I don't, I could show you that this has been something that I've really embodied my whole life. It's just taken on different meanings. So now it's in the spirit of like, let's learn all of this that's new. Let's figure it out. Let's figure out how to push the boundaries and take risks. And I don't want it to be easy because I think easy's boring.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Couldn't agree more. Well, thank you so much for joining amidst your busy schedule here at ces. It's been an amazing conversation. Thank you and can't wait for our audience to hear it. On behalf of SUSE and Adobe Team, thanks again to the great Allison Stransky, the CMO and VP of Samsung Electronics America, for joining us today. Be sure to subscribe, rate and review Speed of Culture on your favorite podcast platform. So next time, we're live here at CES in Las Vegas. See you soon. Bye bye, Foreign Suzy as part of the Ad Week Podcast Network and a Guest Creator Network, you can listen subscribe to all Adweek's podcasts by visiting Adweek.com podcasts to find out more about Susie, head to Suzy.com and make sure to search for the speed of culture in Apple podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else podcasts are found. Click follow so you don't miss out on any future episodes. Episodes. On behalf of the team here at Suzy, thanks for listening.

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