Samsung's witty response to Apple's first Malaysian store goes viral
Samsung, Apple's main competitor, responded humorously to the opening of Apple's first store in Malaysia last month. The new Apple Store is located in the TRX Mall in Kuala Lumpur, and features a distinctive glass pyramid design. In a strategic counter-move that has since gone viral, Samsung secured the naming rights for the train station closest to the mall, and renamed it "Samsung Galaxy Station."
Samsung Galaxy Station: A canvas for ads
The South Korean tech giant transformed the "Samsung Galaxy Station" into a billboard for its advertisements. Shoppers heading to the Apple Store were greeted with numerous Samsung promotions on elevators, stairs, and escalators. Content creator Dana Wang captured this amusing scenario in a viral video, stating, "So the exact metro station where the new Apple store opened, Samsung responded back by completely filling the station with Samsung Ads."
Social media reacts to Samsung's clever marketing ploy
Samsung's strategic move has sparked widespread amusement on social media. One Instagram user commented, "Samsung vs Apple war got real," while another quipped, "This is the kind of pettiness I want to be able to afford." The scenario also prompted a third person to explain how Samsung managed to pull off this stunt, by exploiting a loophole in Apple's advertising agreement with TRX Mall management.
Samsung's loophole exploitation
The Instagram user explained that Apple had made a deal with TRX management, banning other phone brands from advertising their goods in the mall. However, Samsung discovered a loophole. The TRX MRT station below the complex was not part of TRX itself as it was owned by MRT Corporation, and thus legally a separate entity. Consequently, Samsung paid MRT Corp to sponsor the station, circumventing Apple's advertising restrictions.
