about 12 years ago
This is no stunt
By Ethan Rasiel
Having spent almost 15 years in the field of public relations, I know a PR stunt when I see one.
This year's Free the TV Challenge has gotten plenty of attention, but I want to make it clear that this is no stunt. In fact, the challenge represents the next step in a strategy that Samsung has been pursuing for years. Internally, we call it our N-screen Strategy, but it boils down to a determination and commitment to find new ways to link devices — in order to deliver unique experiences that truly enhance consumers' lives.
Today, you can use a Samsung tablet as a remote control, or even as a second screen for your TV. You can use a Samsung phone as a viewfinder for your camera. You can even use a phone as a controller for games on your Samsung TV. These sorts of experiences — in which people use existing products in unexpected ways — are what we’re all about. But we know we have yet to imagine all the ways these products can work together. We know there are people out there with amazing ideas we haven't even considered yet — ideas that are just waiting for the tools that will bring them to life.
That’s why we're giving away hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and prizes to the winners of the Free the TV Challenge. That’s why we're giving away our TV App SDK for free. That’s why our engineering team (not a call center) is providing support at the Samsung Developer Form. And that’s why the Free the TV Challenge is no stunt. It’s an opportunity.
You still have about a month to get those entries in. We can’t wait to see them all.