Singapore Volume 9

7 6 | S U P E R B R A N D S V O L U M E I X MARKET Samsung is dedicated to making the world a better place through its diverse businesses that includes semiconductors, technology, medicine, finance, fashion and hotels, amongst others. The flagship company Samsung Electronics leads the global market in high- tech electronics manufacturing and digital convergence technologies. It also tops several product categories and maintains its number one position in market share. ACHIEVEMENTS Samsung ranked No. 9 on Interbrand’s 2012 list of the world’s top 100 brands, and was voted the most preferred TV brand in Singapore during the Superbrands Awards in 2011 and 2012. Looking at the financial result, Samsung Electronics achieved record global sales of US$187.8 billion in 2012. Additionally, in Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Taiwan, the company experienced 63% revenue growth to retain its number one position in mobile phones, smartphones, TVs, monitors and refrigerators. Notably, Samsung continued as the worldwide TV leader for the seventh consecutive year. HISTORY Samsung has made tremendous progress since its inception as a small trading company in 1938. Its founder, Lee Byung-chull, started Samsung Sanghoe ( 삼성상회 ) with 40 employees. Following the Korean War, Samsung diversified its businesses to include textile, insurance and chemicals as Lee sought to establish Samsung as an industry leader and contribute to the Korean economy’s recovery. In 1969, Samsung entered the electronics industry by establishing Samsung Electronics. A manufacturing facility was built in Suwon, South Korea, where the first product assembled was a black-and-white television set. By mid-1970s, Samsung has added affiliates that produce electric components and TV tubes, laying the foundation to become an integrated electronics maker. In the 1980s, Samsung Electronics began to invest heavily in research and development, investments that were pivotal in pushing the company to the forefront of the global electronics industry. Today, Samsung is one of the most visible, vibrant, energetic, and sought-after brands in the world. It has become synonymous with growth, success, quality, and innovation. As a leading electronics company, it reaches millions of consumers across the world through a wide spectrum of products that include digital and media appliances, semiconductors, memory, and integrated systems. PRODUCT Samsung is reinventing the way people interact and consume content with its wide range of industry-defining products in the television, mobile, and information technology categories. Over the years, Samsung has launched several “firsts” in the premium TV category including the first LED TV, the first revolutionary