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Brand on Fire: Is Samsung Still Burning from the Galaxy Note 7?

In this social-sharing world, there’s nothing we love more than trends and disasters. So when one Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone bursting into flames quickly turned into 92 Galaxy Note 7s bursting into flames, and then the elimination of the Galaxy Note 7 altogether, well it pretty much became open season on Samsung.

Make no mistake about it, the Samsung brand has taken some hits—and rightly so. That’s just what happens. As a culture, we discuss, examine, report, deride, joke, and pummel one brand crisis until the next one comes along (which usually isn’t long).  But we also forget and move onto the next thing pretty easily.

So one month removed from Samsung’s big decision to kill a major product, where does the brand stand with consumers? Is it still open season or have we already moved on? We’ll answer that in a minute, but first…

Looking Back: Where Did It All Go Wrong for Samsung?

The Galaxy Note 7 was released on August 19 to great fanfare. In their initial review, CNET said of the Galaxy Note 7: “The 5.7-inch, stylus-slinging Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is a damn fine phone.” Sales numbers looked good too, especially at the phone’s high price point:

  • 1 million phones sold in the U.S.
  • 2.5 million sold worldwide
  • $850 price tag—one of the most expensive phones out there

But things went downhill shortly thereafter. Here’s a brief timeline of the events that transpired:

  • September 2 – Sales of phone suspended, voluntary recall announced
  • September 15 – Formal U.S. recall announced
  • October 10 – Sales of phone suspended again, second recall announced
  • October 11 – Samsung permanently halts sales and production of the Galaxy Note 7

Less than two months after its release, the tide had turned on the Galaxy Note 7 and consumer confidence wasn’t coming back. It became only a lose proposition. Plus, Samsung couldn’t actually solve the problem of the fire-starting batteries. They had to stop the bleeding and move on.

Since then, Samsung has tried to make things right with consumers. They offered individuals who bought the Galaxy Note 7 a $100 rebate if they get another Samsung phone, and a $25 rebate even if they get another brand’s phone. They also took out this apology ad in several major newspapers. But is it enough?

Twitter Reactions: What People Are Saying About Samsung & the Galaxy Note 7

Is Samsung still feeling the burn or have consumers minds and hearts already moved on?  To find the answer to this question, we turned to Twitter…

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