Samsung needed a way to connect with the next generation of mobile consumers: Generation Z. A study found that 82% of U.S. teens said they owned an iPhone, and 86% said they thought their next phone would be an iPhone (Piper Jaffray, 2018). Scary statistics for Samsung. The objective was to shift perceptions of the Samsung brand amongst a savvy Gen Z audience. We needed to convince Gen Z to consider a Samsung Galaxy as their next phone.

To get Generation Z to reconsider the Samsung brand, we started with a simple truth: Gen Z doesn’t want to just watch YouTubers, they want to become one. So, we launched /make: a platform where big name Creators help the next generation make more with Samsung smartphones. Social listening uncovered what Gen Z really wanted to learn. We then identified the best YouTube Creator to teach them—including Emmy-nominated actress and writer, Issa Rae; pro-BMX rider, Nigel Sylvester; Vlogger, Anna Akana and more. Creators shared tips, secrets and their creative process with an up-and-comer. Together they created new content using the Galaxy camera, including a short film, a music video and a photo essay documenting endangered marine life in Hawaii. Offline, we created live activations and immersive events where Gen Z got to meet the Creators, got hands-on with Galaxy smartphones and connected with a new Creator community.

YouTube was the obvious place to connect with Generation Z. But making ‘ads’ wasn’t going to break through with this audience. We needed to create real value and earn their attention. That’s when we uncovered the strategic insight that guided the work: Gen Z doesn’t want to just follow YouTube Creators, they want to become one. So, we decided to peel back the curtain on the creative process of Gen Z’s favorite YouTube Creators. With the help of social listening we discovered what Gen Z really wanted to learn. We then showed how a Galaxy phone was the perfect device for creating. We elevated instructional video to feel editorial. Finally, we created events and workshops where a new community of Creators could learn and connect face-to-face.

Social listening uncovered what Gen Z wanted to learn. And then we identified the best Creator to teach them how to do it. Each episode paired an established Creator with a promising up-and-comer, giving serious exposure to new talent and helping Samsung develop a network of future influencers. We made sure the content felt authentic to the Creator’s voice, by stepping back and letting them do their thing—without a script. We showed up across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Creators’ channels and Samsung.com, where teaching moments were unpacked in more detail. More than just teach, /make raised issues important to Gen Z, including diversity, conservation and gentrification. Offline, we created live activations for the community to come together and get hands-on with Galaxy smartphones.

In the first three months, /make attracted 38 million views and 1.9 billion total impressions. The comments were full of positivity and excitement about what Galaxy smartphones can do. 78% of viewers said they wanted to see more episodes. But more than just talk, we discovered that /make moved people to action. After viewing /make episodes, iPhone owners were +15% more likely to switch to Samsung. We shifted perception of the Samsung brand, too, with /make viewers 30% more likely to trust Samsung for information on photography. /make also helped build brand loyalty among Samsung owners, with an 11 point lift in Net Promoter Score (NPS). Most importantly, we made the Samsung brand relevant to Gen Z again, and every day, they’re out there making more than ever with Samsung smartphones.