Samsung’s Commitment to CI Channel Pays Off in 2020
Integrators tout Samsung QLED TVs, CI 5 Star Portal, short-throw Premiere projector, and Lifestyle Line including outdoor Terrace TV and matching Soundbar.
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Samsung Connections publication highlights its channel focus, especially as related to CEDIA Expo Virtual 2020.
Samsung is heading into 2021 with strong momentum in the custom integration channel after a stellar year in 2020 that saw numerous highlights, both from a product standpoint and from a support standpoint. The company encapsulated many of those highlights in 2020 in both its CEDIA Expo Virtual booth in September, and in its 10th edition Connections publication for integrators.
Among the company’s 2020 highlights are:
- CEDIA Expo Virtual that featured education, product debuts, and live interaction with Samsung staff, among other things.
- Premiere Short-Throw Projectors, the LSP9T 4K UHC Ultr-Bright Triple Laser with HDR10+ and 2,00,000:1 contrast ratio. and the LSP7T UHD Ultra-Bright Laser with Wi-Fi and Dolby Digital Plus. Both projectors feature Filmmaker Mode that eliminates the need for post-processing motion smoothing.
- The new 2021 QLED Lineup, including 85-inch models
- The company’s successful Lifestyle Lineup of displays, including Terrace, Frame, Sero and Serif.
- Samsung Launched its first CI Dealer Partner program the “Platinum Direct Dealer Program” exclusively for the best CI dealers in the business.
“At Samsung, we have worked hard to bring you the best products, programming and support we can this year, and we just completed our strongest quarter ever in the CI Channel,” says Jim Mayo, senior director, Custom Install Sales & Strategy for Samsung.
Integrators Tout Samsung Partnerships
Custom integrators are also enthused about their partnership with Samsung.
Lou Foranoce, owner of Sound Dimensions Plus on Long Island, N.Y., says he has found success with Samsung’s commercial displays.
“We recently wrapped up a commercial project that included 12 Samsung Pro 65-inch TVs (BE75T), six 50-inch Pro TVs (BE65T) and four 43-inch Pro TVs (BE43T). And we added one 85-inch residential TV for their conference room,” he notes.
Foranoce says he touts Samsung’s cutting-edge technology, like the 8K TVs, for his residential clients, and the long life and reliability of the displays for his commercial clients.
Ryan Shelton, co-founder of Twisted Pair Media in Nashville, has been a Samsung dealer for 16 years.
“Samsung has products to meet every price point and budget,” says Shelton. “Any size and design characteristic you need, they have it. So as we interview a client, we find out how much TV they watch and what priority that is for them in general. We are able to match their budget and needs with a specific Samsung product.”
Shelton also notes that Samsung’s margins for integrators are still attractive. Lastly, he says Twisted Pair Media has been showcasing Samsung 8K TVs to its clients and during the demo points out that the “TV has the best processing capability and so you’re going to get blacker blacks, less noise and with bigger sizes an incredible picture. And of course, when customers see the Infinity Screen and how beautiful a TV can look closely mounted to the wall, well, homeowners and designers love it.”
500 Integrators Join Samsung Platinum Dealer Direct Program
Samsung exceeded its own expectations for the first year of the CI Dealer-focused “Platinum Direct Dealer Program” by signing up over 500 dealer members in its inaugural year. The Samsung Platinum Direct dealer program is a CI-dedicated direct-relationship program that offers integrators unique benefits, a direct relationship with a Samsung team member, improved margins, and priority allocation of premium products among others. CE pros who committed to the Platinum Program in 2020 saw their Samsung business increase at twice the rate of non-members and as a group exceeded all the goals of the program despite launching in a pandemic year, according to the company.
A unique element to the Samsung program is its charity option. Dealers have the option to voluntarily giveback a portion of their VIR, and have that donation matched by Samsung. Those funds are donated to charities focused on serving children and education. With the achievement of many of the program’s members, the Platinum dealers and Samsung combined to raise over a $100,000 in year one for various children and education-based charities, an amazing first year achievement.
If you are interested in learning how to become a Samsung Platinum Direct Dealer, please reach out directly to Jim Mayo or your local Samsung rep.
Outdoor Terrace TV, Soundbar Are ‘Runaway Best Sellers’
One other area where Samsung broke new ground in 2020 was in the outdoor space. Its new Terrace TV is a runaway best seller, according to the company. In combination with the outdoor unit, the company unveiled its Terrace Soundbar HW-LST70T 3.0 Channel with Dolby 5.1. The soundbar is IP55 rated and includes a center channel for clear dialog.
It also has distortion-cancelling technology, deep bass and dynamic audio, according to Samsung. Clients can stream music to the soundbar using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and it is voice controllable via Amazon Alexa.
