@SamsungSA Celebrates Ability with #Rio2016 #Paralympic Games Campaign @SamsungMobileSA

Hi Guys,

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Worldwide Partner of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in the Wireless Communications Equipment category, announced its global Rio 2016 Paralympic Games campaign. This is a continuation of the brand’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games programme, which celebrates how meaningful progress comes from daring to defy barriers. The campaign kicks off with the announcement of several on-the-ground activations, including the transformation of Samsung Galaxy Studios in Rio, the Samsung Paralympic Blogger programme, official application and the Whang Youn Dai Award.

“The Paralympic Games is a global movement that inspires and celebrates the spirit of perseverance and the human challenge,” says Michelle Potgieter, Director: Brand & Communications at Samsung South Africa. “Samsung strives to create breakthrough mobile technologies that help make the digital world more accessible for those with disabilities. We hope our Rio 2016 Paralympic Games campaign will help spark a global conversation around seeing ability over disability and enable everyone to participate in the Paralympic movement.”

Accessible Experiences at Samsung Galaxy Studios
In the lead-up to the Paralympic Games, Samsung has revamped its Galaxy Studios in Rio, including its flagship studio in Olympic Park. The revamp includes several accessibility features, ensuring all consumers, athletes and fans are able to take part in a variety of interactive experiences. Wheelchair accessible ramps and lifts enable visitors to reach the Gear VR 4D Experience Zone, where they will experience exhilarating Olympic Sports, roller coaster rides and kayaking through water rapids via Samsung Gear VR, paired with Galaxy mobile devices.

Samsung also offers unique, hands-on opportunities for visitors to experience how Samsung Accessibility technology features are designed and utilised to help those with disabilities. Galaxy Accessibility Experience Programmes will include:

• ‘Blind Game’ – Visitors will learn how voice assistance works by utilising the feature to play 30-second maze games on Galaxy mobile phones.
• ‘Sound Detector’ – Through the ‘Sound Detector’ feature on Galaxy mobile devices, visitors will learn how people with hearing disabilities use the sound detector feature to sense the status of audible surroundings, such as a bell ringing or a baby crying.
• ‘Colour Adjust’ – The graphic interface feature will showcase how ‘Samsung Colour Adjust’ can help people with colour vision deficiency to see vibrant colours. Users will see a series of images on Galaxy mobile devices as someone with colour deficiency would see and will then be able to compare how a world with colours changes the images as they are then displayed with the adjusted colours.
• ‘Review Your Moment’ – The ‘Review Your Moment’ experience is a demonstration of the ‘Samsung Dexterity Feature’. Visitors will learn how those who have difficulties utilising mobile touch screens with their hands can operate smartphones with head gestures or third party hardware switches. Fans will use a selfie application feature and collect their printed photo following the experience.

Get Behind the Scenes through the Samsung Paralympic Blogger Programme
Samsung will once again partner with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to provide 30 Paralympians the opportunity to capture and share their Rio 2016 Paralympic Games experiences with the world. These athletes come from countries including Brazil, the US, Korea, Great Britain, France, Spain, China as well as an athlete from the Independent Paralympic Athletes team.

As part of the Samsung Paralympic Blogger team, each of the 30 athletes will receive a Samsung Galaxy S7 and other mobile accessories to create exclusive, behind-the-scenes 360 vlogs, which will be uploaded on various digital platforms including the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) YouTube channel, Samsung channels and the athletes’ social media accounts. Content will allow fans to get a first-hand glimpse of how these Paralympians are defying barriers and showcasing their tremendous athletic abilities on the world stage.

Athletes in the Paralympic Village will be able to experience the Samsung Paralympic Bloggers in 360, by visiting a special station and viewing the content through Gear VR headsets paired with Samsung mobile phones. The stations will contain other 360 content from key landmarks in Rio, allowing athletes to see the sites without leaving the Paralympic Village.

“We are thrilled to once again work with Samsung to share the excitement and inspiration of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games with the world, through the eyes of the Samsung Paralympic Blogger team,” said IPC President, Sir Philip Craven. “As a longstanding Worldwide Paralympic Partner, Samsung continues to bring meaningful technology to the Paralympic Movement that helps both athletes and fans connect with the Paralympic Games.”

The Rio 2016 App: Enhancing the Paralympic Games through Innovative Technology
The official application of Rio 2016, ‘The Rio 2016 App’, developed by Samsung in collaboration with the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, provides athletes, fans and consumers with 24/7 updates on all of the latest Paralympic news. The app, which received more than 6 million downloads during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games period, has been updated to provide the official Paralympic Games schedule, venue and event information, results, medal counts, more real-time updates and information of Samsung’s marketing activities during the Paralympic Games. The Rio 2016 Official Application is available for free download through the Samsung Galaxy Apps, Google Play for Android, App Store for iOS as well as the Windows App Store.

Samsung Supports Athletes Defying Barriers through Whang Youn Dai Award
In order to further support athletes who are defying barriers, Samsung will once again sponsor the Whang Youn Dai Award, which was established by the IPC to recognise Paralympians who have overcome adversities through sports and inspire and excite the world through the spirit of the Paralympic Games. During the Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony, a Samsung representative will present the award to one male and one female winner as part of a victory medal ceremony.

For more information about Samsung’s involvement in the Paralympic Games:
Please visit www.samsungmobilepress.com/Olympics/

Cheers!!!

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@SamsungSA Welcomes New #BrandAmbassadors Across Product Categories

Hi Guys,

Samsung South Africa has announced five new celebrity Brand Ambassadors who epitomise Samsung ideals and characteristics across a range of product categories.

“At Samsung, excellence and innovation are key and we believe these local ambassadors embody our corporate identity in appearance, demeanour, values and voice,” says Michelle Potgieter, Director of Brand and Communications at Samsung SA.

The five new Brand Ambassadors include Olympic swimmer Cameron van der Burgh, actor and TV presenter Maps Maponyane, celebrity chef Reuben Riffel, renowned Afrikaans singer and actor Bobby van Jaarsveld and former Miss South Africa and businesswoman Jo-Ann Strauss. “These Brand Ambassadors are all leaders in their respective fields and Samsung South Africa is proud to be associated with them,” says Potgieter. 

Samsung is specifically partnering with these five individuals because of their qualities that are embroiled in the company’s character. Each of these Brand Ambassadors are also highly respected and just as Samsung, enjoy an outstanding reputation - an ideal fit with the brand.

Swimmer Cameron van der Burgh, is an exceptional athlete. He combines top performance in his sports with elegance and power and represents precision and excellence in the Samsung TV and audio-visual categories. As an Olympic gold medallist and budding businessman, Van der Burgh perfectly suits the Samsung Television and audio-visual image. “Like me, Samsung puts a lot of effort into being the best and staying ahead of competitors,” says Van den Burg.

Maps Maponyane, representing pioneering style in the Samsung integrated mobility and wearables category, is an actor, presenter and entrepreneur and has been voted GQ’s Best Dressed Man and Cosmopolitan Magazine's SA’s Sexiest Man. “I’m proud to be a Samsung Brand Ambassador,” he says, “because Samsung is all about engineering excellence and style.”

Award-winning celebrity chef and restaurateur Reuben Riffel, has an incredible talent and a genuine passion for food. Being a chef keeps him constantly on the go in the kitchen, managing his restaurants and consistently pushing the boundaries of possibility in his field. These qualities ad his relentless innovation and sense of discovery makes Riffel the ideal person to represent Samsung’s cooking appliances category. “Samsung constantly surprises and delights with quality and originality that raises the bar in the consumer technology space. In my book they are leaders in this market,” Riffel says.

Bobby van Jaarsveld, representing innovation and creativity in the Samsung integrated mobility and wearables category, is known as a dynamic, creative singer, songwriter and actor. He says: “Samsung believes in technology that supports creativity on the go and enables work and play easily and reliably, something I, as a musician, is always in need of.”

Jo-Ann Strauss, epitomising multi-functionality and sophistication in the Samsung Business-to-Business (B2B) category, is a businesswoman, model, former Miss South Africa, a mother as well as a champion for children’s rights. Her ability to successfully manage various vocations and projects effortlessly sets her firmly in place to represent the Samsung B2B business unit. “I’m proud to be a Samsung ambassador, because Samsung offers businesses solutions that not only makes these organisations more productive and successful, but also holds children’s rights and socio-economic development through its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) projects close to its heart,” she says.

“Samsung stands for innovation, excellence and the freedom to work smarter, live better and create a greener tomorrow. Our new local ambassadors exemplify these core values. We are a global and local leader in Consumer Electronics and Mobile Products and in our constant pursuit to lead, we are helping to make this possible for our customers,” concludes Potgieter.

Cheers!!!

All enquiries and invites for your brand's launch events, sponsored posts and product reviews are welcome - Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com

@SamsungSA #MixedTalents Competition #Winners Beat the Dragon’s Den

Hi Guys,

Samsung Electronics South Africa is proud to announce that three exceptional young entrepreneurs have triumphed in the company’s Launching People - Mixed Talents competition. Ten finalists undertook a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style grilling at the hands of six judges, to determine the winners, who received funding as well as other business support tools and services.

After undergoing a series of pitching their various concepts to the judges - Michelle Potgieter, Director for Brand and Communications at Samsung South Africa; Lisa Illingworth, Entrepreneurial Host and Journalist at Hot 91.9 FM; Ian Wright, Founder of METIME; GG van Rooyen, Deputy Editor of Entrepreneur Magazine; Fahmeeda Cassim-Surtee, Director of DStv Sales and Marketing; as well as Garth Gaffley, Owner of Garth Gaffley Consulting and Mixed Talents – three winners were ultimately chosen.

Kyle Dodds’ Cognition Online, which has developed an application designed for the tutoring industry and enables tutors, parents and students connect was the first winner announced. They were followed by Neo Hutiri’s Technovera Lockers, a smart locker designed to enable chronic patients to obtain their medicines securely, without having to wait in queues. The final winner was a mobile child safety seat designed by Trenton Carr.

According to Potgieter, the Mixed Talents initiative was born of a desire to have a positive impact on the high youth unemployment rate in the country.

“The Mixed Talents competition and Ideas Bank tool were designed to provide entrepreneurial youngsters with a forum to adequately express their ideas. Part of the global Samsung Launching People initiative, Mixed Talents offers local South African millennials a platform through which they can turn their entrepreneurial ideas into a reality. The ultimate goal is to make a real impact in youth unemployment in South Africa,” she says.

The three winners will each receive R50 000 in start-up capital, as well as access to over R 300 000 worth of invaluable business support tools from Samsung’s partners. This includes serviced office space for each organisation through Work Central and world-class coaching through Winning Edge.

“This is the second time we have created a platform for three entrepreneurs to take their business ideas to the next level through the Mixed Talents competition and the strength of the entries was even greater than during the previous wave. It is really exciting to see just how talented young South African minds are and how many unique ideas they have. It is important that corporates get behind start-ups like these and we would like to encourage other organisations to get actively involved in developing this type of entrepreneurship.”

According to Potgieter, the biggest take away from tonight for other young thought leaders is that if you have a vision, follow it through with passion and make it come true. To South African millennials, she adds that they have to follow their dreams and the Ideas Bank is still available to them as a tool to do so. “This is a means to help you launch your business and make your particular dream come true,” concludes Potgieter.

Cheers!!!

All enquiries and invites for your brand's launch events, sponsored posts and product reviews are welcome - Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com

@SamsungSA Unveils New #GalaxyNote7 Intelligent #Smartphone that Thinks Big

Hi Guys,


Samsung Electronics South Africa continues to drive the smartphone market with the Galaxy Note7 by building on the company’s category-defining leadership with innovative features that set a new standard for large-screen devices. The Note7 is the gateway to a Galaxy of possibilities with the most advanced security features and S Pen capabilities.

“The Galaxy Note7 combines productivity and entertainment, with strong security features. The device strikes a balance between work and play, enabling people to achieve more than what they thought possible on a smartphone. Powering a robust ecosystem, it is the ideal device for those who want to achieve more in life,” says Craige Fleischer, Director of Integrated Mobility at Samsung Electronics South Africa.

With refined craftsmanship, premium materials and a unique, symmetrical edge design, the Galaxy Note7 features:

• Top-of-the-line security that combines Samsung Knox with biometric authentication including a new iris scanning feature;
• A water resistant body and S Pen (IP68)*; and
• Immersive entertainment features with HDR video streaming capabilities.

Advanced Security: Now in the Blink of an Eye
Samsung understands the importance of keeping content on users’ phones protected. Coupled with Samsung Knox, an industry-leading security platform, the Galaxy Note7 provides heightened security and privacy, with highly advanced biometric authentication, including fingerprint scanner and iris scanning technology. The Galaxy Note7 offers more authentication options that can be used interchangeably depending on how people use their phones, no matter where they are or what they are doing.

The Galaxy Note7 instils a new level of user confidence with Secure Folder, a separated folder that adds an extra layer of authentication to keep private and personal information safe.

Galaxy Note7 S Pen: Quickly and Easily Bring Ideas to Life
The enhanced 7th generation S Pen is more than just a writing tool – it is the gateway to getting more done efficiently and accurately. Users can bring ideas to life the moment inspiration strikes without unlocking the screen by using Screen off memo and simply pinning the memo to the Always On Display. The S Pen gives users the ability to easily create and share. Access the best of the S Pen’s creative abilities with Samsung Notes, a new unified app allowing users to make handwritten notes, draw, or edit memos from one location.

The new S Pen writes with ease and precision. The smaller 0.7mm tip and improved pressure sensitivity provides a real pen-like feeling. With the peace of mind that IP68 water resistant provides, the Galaxy Note7 S Pen lets users write down their thoughts without interruption, even when the screen gets wet.

Best-in-Class Entertainment
The Galaxy Note7 features a gorgeous, curved 5.7-inch QHD Super AMOLED screen delivering a bold and immersive picture on a smartphone. It is ready to stream HDR video, enabling a cinema-like environment including brighter colours and a deeper black, which ensure users get the full perspective that the filmmaker intended. In addition, the Galaxy Note7 features Game Pack, available through Google Play, including top game titles, an easier redemption process and new user benefits.

Creating Connected Experiences
For people who live to create, tell stories and transport people to entirely new worlds, the Galaxy Note7 can be used with the new high-resolution (3840x1920) Gear 360 camera, to capture, edit and share 360-degree images and videos on the go. These memories can then be shared with friends via platforms including YouTube 360 and Facebook and can be relived with the ultra-immersive Gear VR. By pairing the Galaxy Note7 with the new Gear VR powered by Oculus, users can explore premium virtual reality almost anywhere. Galaxy Note7’s incredible Super AMOLED screen and powerful processor for ultra-immersive viewing.

“With the Galaxy Note7, Samsung continues to defy boundaries of engineering to perfect the user experience through innovative design and technology. We are extremely excited about bringing the Iris scanner security technology to the mass consumer market through the Note7. This is an example of Samsung pushing the frontier of what’s possible. The Galaxy Note7 is more than just a smartphone; it’s a connection point to Samsung’s ecosystem of devices, software and services,” concludes Fleischer.

The Galaxy Note7 will be available locally from September.

Cheers!!!

All enquiries and invites for your brand's launch events, sponsored posts and product reviews are welcome - Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com

@SamsungSA Donates #Smartphones To @GiftoftheGivers #NGO #CSR

Hi Guys, 

Samsung Electronics South Africa has donated 31 smartphones to a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Gift of the Givers South Africa, in an effort to support communications within the association’s emergency teams.

Badr Kazi, Corporate Liaison Manager at Gift of the Givers South Africa, says that advanced and reliable mobile connectivity is crucial for the organisation’s various specialist teams. “When our workers are assisting at the scene of a crisis, effective communications is quite simply a matter of life and death,” he says.

Kazi explains that Gift of the Givers teams must coordinate their operations under extreme conditions, often where telecommunications and power infrastructure has been destroyed. “With the assistance of our sponsors, we typically set up a portable hot spot and organise our operations using mobile phones. In a situation such as the aftermath of a natural catastrophe, these mobile phones have to be very reliable, rugged and easy to use, as well as deliver long battery life. We were therefore delighted to receive the advanced smartphones from Samsung, which meet every requirement we have for communications in areas that have experienced devastation.” 

Samsung donated a range of handsets with features ideal for this nature of critical work. Among them were the Galaxy K Zoom, a phone-camera hybrid with a 20.7 MP camera ideal for recording and sharing information about critical scenes and the Chat 333, with automatic chat group features ideal for collaborative communications by teams. 

“Samsung smartphones’ durable design, a broad range of intelligent features and long-lasting batteries will make them invaluable tools for supporting the important work Gift of the Givers rescue teams carry out. We always aim to be a catalyst to the betterment of people’s lives and are particularly proud of this initiative due to its potential to positively impact so many,” says Michelle Potgieter, Director: Corporate Marketing and Communications at Samsung Electronics South Africa. 

Gift of the Givers has a large team comprising disaster, emergency and ambulance services units. The response workers, led by Head of Search and Rescue Dr Ahmed Bham, have attended serious incidents around the world, including launching field operations during the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and setting up hospitals in Syria.

“We are extremely grateful to Samsung for this donation, which will go a long way to ensuring our workers are able to operate effectively in affected areas. Our management services will benefit greatly from advanced mobile capabilities we now have access to,” continues Kazi. 

“Samsung Electronics is a company that makes incredibly smart devices in an effort to simplify the everyday lives of people globally, as well as a responsible corporate organisation and active contributor to our communities. This partnership embodies our ethos and commitment to these values,” Potgieter concludes.

Cheers!!!

Support me if you like reading this blog post by buying me a cup of tea or coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheLifesWay Contact at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate and promote your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for giveaways, product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #9YearsofTheLifesWay. Namaste!

@SamsungSA Wins 29 Awards #brainBAND #VoicesOfLife #BlindCap #CannesLions2016

Hi Guys, 

Samsung Electronics won 29 awards, including the coveted ‘Creative Marketer of the Year’ title, at the recent Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The awards highlight Samsung’s deliberate focus on meaningful consumer-centric campaigns.

Samsung was acknowledged for eleven unique marketing campaigns, each designed to demonstrate the company’s vision of enriching people’s lives and creating a better world through innovative technology and products. The company’s overarching commitment to creativity and inspiring marketing across the eleven campaigns helped Samsung become the first Korean company to be recognised as the ‘Creative Marketer of the Year’. 

Two of Samsung’s winning campaigns, brainBAND and Voices of Life, were part of the company’s larger – and highly acclaimed – Launching People brand campaign. This particular campaign has been widely celebrated throughout the creative industry, including at last year’s Cannes Lions, for its innovative approach to demonstrating social value and engaging consumers to share their ideas with Samsung, in pursuit of their dreams.

A wearable solution for the prevention and monitoring of concussions during high impact sports, brainBAND was one of the festival’s major winners. This campaign took home six awards including the Gold award in the Use of New Technology category. 

Voices of Life, an application solution that allows premature babies in an incubator to listen to Mom’s voice and heartbeat and feel closer to her, won a Silver award in the Online Video category. 

Blind Cap, a wearable band and swimming cap that alerts visually impaired swimmers as they approach the end of a lane, won two awards, including Gold in Activation by Proximity category. The device, which has already helped many improve their times, has been approved by the Spanish Paralympic Committee and may be ready for use at this year’s Rio Paralympics, of which Samsung is an official sponsor.

“Winning ‘Creative Marketer of the Year’, the world’s most acknowledged award for marketing, is the result of the close collaboration of all marketing employees at Samsung, as well as agency partners,” says Michelle Potgieter, Director: Corporate Marketing & Communications at Samsung South Africa. “We will remain focused on expanding Samsung’s brand philosophy by delivering meaningful innovation and human-centric marketing campaigns, with the ultimate aim of making Samsung the most loved brand.”

This year marks the 63rd anniversary of The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the largest global gathering of more than 15 000 creative communications, advertising and marketing professionals. Hosted annually in Cannes, France, this year showcased more than 43 000 works across 24 categories, ranging from TV ads to press, outdoor and online public relations and marketing.

Cheers!!!

Support me if you like reading this blog post by buying me a cup of tea or coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheLifesWay Contact at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate and promote your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for giveaways, product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #9YearsofTheLifesWay. Namaste!

@SamsungSA Galaxy Cup 2016 - A Fun Way to Enrich Many Lives #SouthAfrica

Hi Guys,

Samsung Electronics South Africa is excited to announce its participation in the first edition of the Samsung Galaxy Cup South Africa, a national five-a-side football tournament for retail mobile sales people from the organisation’s various channel partners. This is a global tournament featuring some 28 countries with over 5000 salespeople participating. The South African leg of the Galaxy Cup (2016) consists of teams entered by partners such as Vodacom, Cell C, MTN and Smollan. 

The regional tournaments included teams from Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria and Johannesburg. The winners of these teams contested in the national finals that were held on the 7th of May at St. Stithians College, Johannesburg. The overall winning team, MTN Johannesburg, will have the opportunity to represent South Africa in an international leg of the tournament hosted in Dubai at the end of May. Kevin Mabele, captain of the MTN Johannesburg team, voiced the team’s appreciation of participating in the Samsung Galaxy Cup. “Our hearts are warmed by the honour and opportunity that Samsung has bestowed upon us. In this incredible journey, we have discovered the true meaning of teamwork and our ability to achieve our goals. As Captain, I wish to express our gratitude to Samsung for making our dreams come true and for making it possible for Team MTN to excel beyond our borders.” 

“The Samsung Galaxy Cup is a concept that has proven successful over the past two years as a means of using sport to bring partners together, showcase Samsung’s edutainment ideas and uplift our communities through donations to nominated charities,” says Craige Fleischer, Director of Integrated Mobility at Samsung Electronics South Africa. Elaborating on the idea of edutainment, Fleischer points out that on arrival, each retail channel team received a Samsung Galaxy S7 and a Gear S2. Team members were given missions that they had to fulfil and work towards, over the course of the day. 

Spectators also had the opportunity to enjoy the Samsung virtual reality experience, eco-system offerings including S-Health and Google Play Music as well as additional entertainment which included jumping castles, face-painting and live music from Sketchy Bongo.

The Samsung Galaxy Cup is further enriching the lives of those served by a number of charities through an R100000 donation. Each team selected a charity on registration, with the overall winner as well as the winners of each regional final able to make a donation to their nominated charity. An additional amount was made available for the partners to donate to their nominated channels through support mechanisms. Cheques for these charities were handed over to the teams at the prize-giving event on Saturday. 

“Sport and South Africa are intricately intertwined and at Samsung, we believe in the unifying power of sport to promote harmony in societies, be it in a personal capacity or at work. Bringing our technology into the sporting arena and people’s lives we serve to enhance their social well being,” Fleischer concludes.

Cheers!!!

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A #Brand in Feature - @SamsungSA #Samsung #SouthAfrica #TheLifesWay

Hi Guys,

Samsung in South Africa and the Rest of Africa is so huge in terms of market share. It’s all because of their unlimited array of products featuring the needs of every household to the needs of business professionals. They are the number one mobile manufacturers in Africa and keeps innovating themselves time and again. No Wonder, they are the top choice of South African Youth as per the latest Ask Afrika Youth Brands Survey. Launching People really created the entrepreneurs from the Youth across Africa which is a great CSR initiative from the brand in collaboration with METIME. 

When I started blogging and became a member of the biggest blogging network in India named Indiblogger.in, I saw Samsung’s blogging contest where they chose some of the top bloggers to review their devices first and I thought it to be a great opportunity which I missed. I got the chance and became a part of Samsung’s journey when I saw the South Africa Blogger’s Challenge for the first time on Twitter. From that moment since I always dreamt of participating in the contest and winning the same. The dream came true and I won the first year’s blogger challenge. During the first year when the contest was underway, I got invited to the launch event in Cape Town for Note 4. It was my first trip to the mother city and I thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality of the brand along with the goodies bag they gave during the event containing Level in-earphones. I have attended Samsung S7, Note 5 and Launching People events till date. 

The launch event of Samsung is full of its distributors, employees, VIPs and other media guests. The event is always grand for the niche segment products like Galaxy S and Note series and small ones for other products like Washing Machines, Launching People etc. They also keep on launching their new stores in various locations across the country from time to time. I received a portable mobile charger at the launch of S7edge and for Note 5 they only gave a non-branded 8GB pen drive. The launch event of Note generally happens in the form of a World Tour in Cape Town but for Note 5 it happened locally in Johannesburg. The budget has been cut it seems a lot from the first time when they gave earphones to now when they only gave the 8GB pen drive. That’s the general trend in the technology market and the same was valid for LG Electronics and Sony Mobiles launch events too. I generally remember the launch event with the branded products specially made for the event that you receive from the brand but if you have not received anything you generally feel not as good as with the product. I can’t complain though as I love the experience of getting invited to the events and taking unlimited photographs at the launch. 

Samsung has collaborations with some of the top brands (Swarovski, Mont Blanc & many others) around the world to produce accessories for its Galaxy S and Note series of smartphones and phablets. They have tie-ups with Expresso Show and sponsors many TV/online channels and Katlego Maboe is the MC for several of their launch events. They also sponsored Chelsea Football Club for 10 years which ended in 2015. I still have a Samsung’s Chelsea pedometer from London in one of their events to promote the UEFA soccer championships. They have also been sponsoring Winter Olympics since 1998. I have been seeing the whole arrivals sections covered in Samsung’s Galaxy series of smartphones advertisement on O.R.Tambo Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa since my two and half years in this country. 

They were the first ones to venture into Gear VR, Gear 360 VR and Gear smartwatches. They are always the front runners to develop and capture the markets as soon as possible. They invest a lot of money in the research and development of new products. With the latest launch scheme from Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, the Gear VR will reach a lot of African households. The S7 phone is capable of shooting videos that are suitable to see on the Gear VR provided with the smartphone. 

Samsung is different from other brands in terms of not launching the lite versions of the top niche products like LG have G4 Beat, Huawei having P8/P9 Lite, Sony Z3/Z5 Compact and even Apple having iPhone SE or iPhone 5C. They have different series altogether targeting youth and middle-market segment going by the name of J and A series of Galaxy smartphones. Maybe in the future based on the worldwide response towards the lite/compact series we might see the compact versions of the full-featured Galaxy S series of smartphones. 

Samsung is very fast to adapt to the changing markets as they have the might and flexibility to spend and create the right opportunity as they want. I bought my first Samsung LCD TV in India way back in 2008 when everyone was going for Sony Bravia TVs. I again bought another Samsung LCD TV in 2013 for my parent’s room because I was so impressed by my LCD TV. I have the luxury of Samsung’s Mirrorless camera NX300 which takes great low light photographs and Series 6 - 65” UHD TV bringing me the visual pleasures that no other TV can bring. 

I know how much I have worked to get both of them and once their PR Company told me that I am their unofficial brand ambassador. Though I am not using any of their smartphones I simply adore the Note phablet series by the brand. I loved my seven days with Note4 and two weeks with S6 and S7 smartphones and once with Samsung's Tab4 Tablet. Check out the several images posted on my Instagram handle and 1000 of tweets going out for the brand along with 30+ blog posts for the brand. All the work done is totally free of cost as I wanted to reach a point in my blogging life where other brands want me to work for them. This happened and brought me great opportunities from India in 2015 to help me buy Nikon SB-900 flash for my DSLR camera. I am still looking for opportunities here in South Africa to get day-to-day gadgets to use and keep and in return, I will hashtag the brand sponsoring the same. I would love to have Note 5 as my primary gadget if sponsored by Samsung South Africa.

Cheers!!!

Support me if you like reading this blog post by buying me a cup of tea or coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheLifesWay Contact at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate and promote your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for giveaways, product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #9YearsofTheLifesWay. Namaste!

@SamsungSA Turns #Employees into Business Owners #Entrepreneurs

Hi Guys, 

Samsung South Africa has recently handed over three branded vehicles to new business owners to mark the first stage of a pilot platform which is turning former employees into entrepreneurs. This aligns with the company’s commitment to invest resources in tackling key issues and improving the lives of local businesses and communities.

The new Samsung Khulanathi Enterprise and Supplier Development Program, which will be launched officially in July this year, is an innovative initiative designed to empower former employees by providing them with the tools and support they need to start their own businesses. 

Pitso Kekana, Head of Public Affairs and Corporate Citizenship: Africa RHQ at Samsung Electronics SA, explains that the project is in line with one of Samsung’s objectives, which include supporting enterprise development in South Africa. 

The program will initially benefit six new businesses owned by thirteen former Samsung Electronics SA employees. These newly created enterprises will be provided with the necessary tools of the trade and guided through their first three years of operation by New Generation Mindset (NGM), a supplier development and incubation company. While these operators remain outsourced service providers to Samsung, they will now have the opportunity to grow their organisations and source additional clients for good measure. 

The first beneficiaries – MMT Logistics and Rec-Pro admin services – will be given the vehicles to enable them to manage driving and administration services to Samsung. MMT Logistics will receive a 64-seater bus and a 32-seater minibus, which will be utilised to transport Samsung executives and students of the Samsung Engineering Academy. Rec-Pro will be granted a Toyota Etios to support its delivery of administrative services. 

Four other businesses - which comprise a refrigeration and air-conditioning provider, training business, an events management firm and an E-Waste Collection company - are in the process of being introduced to the Program and will be unveiled on the launch day, with further candidates being identified for a 2016 intake. 

Kekana says Samsung’s Khulanathi Enterprise and Supplier Development Program is a first for the company in Africa and is off to a promising start: “We already see the drivers bringing innovative ideas to the table and employing additional staff to support their business. This is also an indication that they had the potential to be businessmen – but unfortunately lacked the necessary resources.” Thanks to the three-year business training and mentorship, along with a significant investment from Samsung, the new enterprises will be afforded an opportunity to grow under the protective wing of Samsung. 

Zaid Mohidin, CEO of NGM, says that his organisation is honoured to be a partner of the Samsung Khulanathi Supplier Development Program. “The initiative has gone the extra mile by providing their black-owned suppliers with critical tools of the trade. This will leapfrog these SMMEs, in order to provide services at the highest standard as expected by Samsung and the broader market.”

Kekana adds, “For Samsung, the benefits of this activity include delivering on our goal to develop local enterprises, as well as possibly receiving even better service delivery. At Samsung, we are proud to be associated with this initiative and the responsibility we, as an organisation, have towards it. The beneficiaries have shown great pride and commitment to their new businesses and we are encouraged by the positive reception of this agenda,” he concludes.

Cheers!!!

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Braving the Dragons: Giving Your Good Idea Some Wings #MixedTalents @SamsungSA

Hi Guys,

If you have a great business idea but don’t know how to take it further, Samsung’s Mixed Talents campaign is running a new competition aimed at young and aspiring entrepreneurs - officially opening to the public on 13 June 2016 and closing on 3 July 2016.

Following on from its previous competition earlier this year, which saw three winners each receiving R50 000 in start-up capital, as well as support from a training and mentorship programme, this competition is going to see ten finalists pitching their ideas to a panel of business experts in much the same manner as the popular ‘Dragons’ Den’ television programme.

This is according to Dr Michelle Potgieter, Director of Corporate Marketing and Communications at Samsung South Africa, who adds, “Earlier this year, Samsung Launching People, in partnership with METIME, unveiled the Ideas Bank - a way to turn your entrepreneurial ideas into a reality, and help address the issue of youth unemployment in South Africa. Samsung created this technological platform for young local entrepreneurs, offering them an opportunity to voice their ideas and link them to expert partners for guidance.”

“Now once again, we invite young entrepreneurs to visit the Mixed Talents Ideas Bank, hosted by METIME, to find out how to take their ideas further and stand the chance of winning an amazing prize that has both monetary and mentorship components.”

Potgieter goes on to explain that the prizes offered for the latest local Mixed Talents competition will include another Trade Safe grant giveaway to three promising young entrepreneurs, who will each receive R 50 000 to help launch their business dream. “In addition, winners will be given access to over R 300 000 worth of invaluable business support tools from our partners, such as serviced office space for each organisation through Work Central and world-class coaching through Winning Edge.”

Potgieter continues, “To enter the competition, new users are invited to visit the Ideas Bank web application and submit their entrepreneurial ideas or aspirations. New users will need to build a professional profile to source the relevant support or information to take their idea or business to the market. Existing users should make sure that they polish and update their profile on the Ideas Bank, also completing new fields that have been added.” 

With the ideas loaded, a team of business experts will scrutinize them and select ten finalists. Potgieter says, “The shortlist of finalists will be announced on 13 July and invited to present at a ‘Dragons’ Den’ style grand finale, taking place on 22 July.”

During this event - which borrows its theme from the popular television program in which budding entrepreneurs are able to share their ideas with a team of business experts who are prepared to reward the best idea - a panel of Samsung Mixed Talents experts and partners will choose the three winners.

“One of the distinguishing characteristics of the competition is that promising entrepreneurs are able to get real guidance and support by simply presenting an idea. In contrast, most business incubators stipulate that the entrepreneur needs to have actually established their business. We are extremely excited at the opportunity to offer another three entrepreneurs the chance to turn their idea into a business reality,” concludes Potgieter. 

For more information on the campaign visit: www.launchingpeople.co.za and follow #MixedTalents

Cheers!!!

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@SamsungSA Named Top South African #Youth #Brand #SouthAfrica

Hi Guys, 

Samsung has been selected as leader in the New Technology/Tablets Category and Smartphones Category of the latest Ask Afrika Youth Brands Survey, the largest survey of its kind in South Africa.

The survey, conducted annually by Ask Afrika, polled a sample of 8,300 South Africans aged between 15 – 34 for their sentiments on thousands of brands in 71 product categories. The Survey celebrates brands which are used most loyally by South Africa’s youth, irrespective of background or living standard. According to Ask Afrika, these are brands that define a common experience, often on a daily basis to which the young people are committed to. The scores were calculated based on different metrics for assorted product categories as loyalty metrics vary for different markets.

“The South African youth market is the sector that will drive technology trends into the future, so we are honoured to note that Samsung is seen as an iconic brand both for smartphones and tablets in this demographic,” says Craige Fleischer, Director of Integrated Mobility at Samsung Electronics South Africa. According to Fleischer, the market comprises both Millennials and true ‘Digital Natives’, who are highly demanding power users of mobile technology. “Samsung’s smartphone and tablet releases in recent years have not only met their expectations, but also raised the bar for what a tablet or smartphone should be able to deliver,” he continues. 

Samsung was also registered as the top tablet brand in the Ask Afrika Icon Brands Awards 2015 and ranked among the top brands in the Ask Afrika Youth Brands Survey 2015 as well as being listed as an emerging ICON platinum brand for its tablets in the Ask Afrika Icon Brands Awards 2014.

“Samsung’s mobile technology and innovation is inspired by consumers, for consumers and is designed to be meaningful and add value to their lives. Results like these epitomise our commitment to understanding what our customers really want and need from our cutting edge technology and pioneering products,” concludes Fleischer. 

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances, printers, medical equipment, network systems and semiconductor and LED solutions. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at news.samsung.com. 

About TGI/Ask Afrika 

TGI research, for which Ask Afrika own the South African copyright, specialises in the management and provision of ‘syndicated continuous research’. Ask Afrika has grown to be the largest independent South African market research company with fieldwork capabilities in 95% of Sub-Saharan Africa. Ask Afrika is famous for its objective performance evaluations through national benchmarks on Service Excellence (Ask Afrika Orange Index®), Corporate Reputation and Trust (Ask Afrika Trust Barometer®) and Brand Performance (TGI Icon Brands™). Ask Afrika’s knowledge of brands is extensive and as owners of the local TGI license, they are the leaders in brand expertise in South Africa. The Ask Afrika/TGI relationship offers clients a one-stop research solution for all the strategic business and research needs.

Cheers!!!

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@SamsungSA New #Televisions Beautifully Combine #Technology and #Aesthetics #ThisIsTV #SUHDTV

Hi Guys,

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has announced the launch of its new Super Ultra High Definition (SUHD) TV line-up, which combines the latest in cutting edge innovation and stunning aesthetics, in order to deliver a television that is not just a consumer electronics device, but an integral part of a home’s interior design.

The latest range of Samsung TVs has been released hot on the heels of the company’s triumph as global TV market leader for the 10th consecutive year, while also being in its tenth year of dominating the local South African TV market, according to one of the world's largest market research organisations, GfK. 

The new Samsung SUHD television series comes equipped with second generation Quantum dot technology, which is renowned for its durability and extraordinary, lasting picture quality. This generation offers increased efficiency of the Quantum dot materials and an improved colour mapping algorithm. This enables the new SUHD TV to express brighter pictures and purer colours.

Matthew Thackrah, Deputy Managing Director and Head of Consumer Electronics at Samsung Electronics South Africa, explains that the material used for this cutting-edge display can reproduce the purest and most accurate colours as individual nanoparticles. “These are smaller than one ten-thousandth the diameter of a human hair and deliver the cleanest and most vivid colours yet.”

“Samsung has applied the ‘HDR 1000’ technology to this device, which can present content with extremely high picture quality, as it expresses HDR with a peak brightness of 1000 nit - the standard for premium material produced in Hollywood,” says Thackrah.

“This allows viewers to enjoy visuals in great detail, whether the image is dark or bright. In addition, it can recreate brighter hues at a lower energy consumption than the first generation SUHD TVs.”

Thackrah adds that Samsung understands that while the demand for the latest generation of technology continues unabated, today’s TV is more than just an electronic device. Consumers today view TVs as pieces of furniture that contribute to a home’s interior décor. 

“What consumers want is art in the living room – a beautiful TV that fits seamlessly with their living space and furniture. Samsung’s SUHD TV aims to deliver innovative, boundless aesthetic appeal with its 360-degree design, which ensures your television looks good from all angles and any position it is placed within the home. This design approach is not limited to just our premium models, but includes our entry-level TVs as well.”

Furthermore, the enhanced Samsung Smart TV platform allows users to enjoy a sophisticated Smart Hub powered by Tizen, which provides an effortless viewing and navigation experience as it transcends the boundaries between various TV user environments. The Smart Hub will auto detect all connected devices, such as decoders, gaming consoles or home theatre and audio accessories. These additions are managed through a centralised visual dashboard on the first screen, which requires the use of only one TV remote to control multiple connected devices, elimination the need for multiple remote controls in the living room. 

“Samsung’s SUHD TV is a beautiful piece of equipment that takes a quantum leap forward in TV display technology. It will provide you with a viewing experience like you’ve never seen before,” Thackrah concludes.

Source: http://www.gfk.com/en-be/about-gfk/about-gfk/

I am currently using Samsung's UHD 65inch Curved Series 6 TV which is awesome and I wonder how beautiful it will be to see the video's and TV on SUHD TV. I still regret that I let go of SUHD Series 8 TV which I got from Samsung for the current one I have. That's the biggest mistake of my life so far... 

Kudos to Samsung for bringing this amazing technology to the market. 

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@SamsungSA Elevates #Smartphone #Camera Quality With New Image Sensor #GalaxyS7

Hi Guys,

Samsung Electronics South Africa, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, announced its newest 12 megapixel (Mp) image sensor for smartphones, which will elevate the quality of mobile phone pictures. Already in mass production, this 1.4μm-pixel-based image sensor is equipped with Dual Pixel technology that has been reserved for digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras. The technology enables rapid auto-focus for fast photo shooting while producing premium image quality on mobile devices, even in low light situations. 

“With 12 million pixels working as a phase detection auto-focus (PDAF) agent, the new image sensor adds professional auto-focus performance to mobile devices, such as the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy Note 5,” said Craige Fleischer, Director of Integrated Mobility at Samsung Electronics South Africa. “Consumers will be able to capture their daily events and precious moments instantly on a smartphone, regardless of lighting conditions.” 

Samsung’s new image sensor with Dual Pixel technology employs two photodiodes located on the left and right halves of a pixel. The conventional image sensor commits less than five percent of its pixels, with only one photodiode each, which converts light particles into measurable photocurrent for phase detection. Significantly faster auto-focus is now possible, as each and every pixel of the Dual Pixel image sensor is capable of detecting phase differences of perceived light. With such groundbreaking improvements, the image sensor ensures clear and sharp images, especially whilst capturing moving objects, even in poor lighting conditions.

The new image sensor has also adopted Samsung’s ISOCELL technology, which isolates the photodiodes in each pixel with a physical wall to further reduce colour bleeding, maximizing the image sensor’s performance.

The new image sensor is built with cutting-edge, chip-stacking technology that allows for top-of-the-line performance while keeping the size small. The Dual Pixel image sensor combines a 65 nanometer (nm) sensor with a 28nm logic chip that delivers outstanding quality photos in a sleek smartphone design.

I am amazed at the camera of S6 I used last year and I have just received Samsung's S7 Edge for review and using that camera I will post pictures on my instagram channel. 

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