It’s been a common disease in the IT industry for as long as I remember, and Samsung are just repeating history with no attempt to learn from it.

Back in the Server sales days, we’d sit and watch IBM, Sun, HP et al all running a statutory quarterly “(competitor) Attack” campaign. None ever worked, not even a single time. Likewise, Novell SUSE would always aim their strategy as targeting the 6% of the available market then occupied by Red Hat, rather than the 94% of the wide open spaces.

In the final analysis, it’s a corporate staffer’s ego trip, and an expensive one at that. Better to start with the customer and work back from that; be conscious of competitors, but sell on your own benefits (mentioning the name of your competitor in an ad is the ultimate sign of stupidity).

At some point, the most senior management running Samsungs Phone business will grow up. Until then, they’ll forever be in the corners they unnecessarily paint themselves into with their ads.