Fans hold Samsung Galaxy phones to NFC-enabled signage to participate in the Samsung Galaxy Owner's Experience at AEG venues. (Photo by Samsung Electronics)
Everyone loves something that’s free. AEG and Samsung have partnered to take that idea to the next level, rewarding fans of both the venues and Samsung products with exclusive rewards. The two entities have come together at 41 AEG-affiliated venues around the nation to reward fans with incentives including suite or club seat access, ticket upgrades, food and merchandise credits.
The Samsung Galaxy Owner’s Experience first rolled out at AEG festivals Coachella and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in April.
“The deal certainly is one of a kind in terms of total coverage with the diversity of music, sports events and festivals, said AEG Global Partnerships Sr. VP Nick Baker. At Coachella in Indio, Calif., which began April 11, and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, April 25-May 4, a Samsung Galaxy phone essentially became a VIP credential based on rewards.
“It gave access to areas you wouldn’t have had unless you were a Samsung customer,” added Baker. “That’s the thought — that these exclusive events that are taking place become more exclusive for Samsung Galaxy customers.”
Though financial details or length of the partnership were not disclosed, Baker said “there’s definitely significant investment made by Samsung.”
“There’s a commitment made from both sides to reward fans for years to come,” he added.
Samsung decided that AEG was the perfect partner for this type of venture due to its sheer size, having many venues of varying types, tenants and capacities.
“Samsung’s dedication to creating a premium experience for its consumers, coupled with AEG’s collection of iconic marquee assets, makes this an unmatched partnership,” said Colleen McDuffe, Sr. Dir. of Digital Marketing at Samsung Telecommunications America. “With AEG, we’re able to give our Galaxy owners a unique and rewarding experience at some of the nation’s most popular arenas, theaters and clubs across the country.”
The partnership is an evolution of the Owner’s Hub app experience, which Samsung launched in April 2013 through Google Play. The Owner’s Hub provides Galaxy owners a place to get information and tips about their device, as well as exclusive content.
McDuffe explained the Galaxy Owner’s Experience, the app has expanded, “bringing a physical installation to some of the most preeminent facilities in the country to give our Galaxy owners a rewarding experience during whatever game, concert or show they’re attending.”
At participating venues, guests can download the Samsung Owner’s Hub app, hold their phone up to corresponding signage and, through Near Field Communication, rewards pop up for selection. There are 180 total rewards featuring can’t-buy experiences spread across all of the venues. Rewards are customized to be unique to the specific venues, with the most popular including upgrades to suites or front-row seating, private side-stage access, and skip-the-line access to be first inside for major events.
The rewards are Samsung-owned assets.
“That was part of the structure,” said Baker. “Part of the element of the partnership with AEG is that Samsung receives hospitality benefits, so they use those benefits as rewards,” like the Samsung suite at StubHub Center.
Signage is integrated throughout the 41 participating AEG facilities, with Samsung ambassadors on-site to help fans with the activation. (Photo by Samsung Electronics)
Each reward can be claimed by 25 different fans per event, with events like suite and premium access including a plus-one. In addition to the limited rewards, Samsung offers an unlimited amount of song downloads as optional rewards so that everyone who participates in the Samsung Galaxy Owner’s Experience receives an award.
The first data collection by AEG to measure the program’s success won’t be for another month, but Baker said initial on-site redemption of rewards has been very strong.
Rewards are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, encouraging fans to come to the facilities early and often in order to qualify for the most-coveted prizes.
“We want to surprise and delight Galaxy owners for their loyalty by creating a premium experience for our consumers in a way that’s never been done before,” said McDuffe.
About two months ago, the companies began implementing the program at venues in large markets.
“The approach was to take advantage of the huge venues with big teams first,” said Baker, who added that, in mid-June, early in the rollout, the activation began at two key buildings with huge events in the same week. First, Staples Center in Los Angeles activated the Samsung Galaxy Owner’s Experience during the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup Finals and, at AT&T Center in San Antonio, initiated activation during the National Basketball Association Playoffs.
In major markets, AEG and Samsung wanted to make sure the program covered at least one arena and one music club in order to target sports and music fans in an equal fashion. After addressing the major markets and events, AEG and Samsung divided the country into regions, approaching the rollout beginning in markets that supported multiple venues, then working by section.
The Samsung Galaxy Owner’s Experience — available for Galaxy S 5, Galaxy S 4, Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note II devices — is available at venues in 18 states nationwide. Participating AEG-affiliated venues also include StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., 1stBank Center and Bluebird Theatre in Denver, Target Center and Mill City Nights in Minneapolis, and Consol Energy Center and Keswick Theatre in Philadelphia.
Rolling out the program at a facility consists of installing multiple signage points, which are large printed signs that include the NFC chip. Samsung also has brand ambassadors on-site at each venue to help new users download the initial app and interact with the program.
“This is about being interactive and using technology at its best,” said Baker, who added that this type of deal couldn’t have happened several years ago from a technology or scope standpoint. “This is not about signage, it’s about engagement.”
The partnership also has branding and advertising on AEG’s ticketing platform, axs.com, which Baker calls a perfect fit because the live-eventgoer is already there to purchase tickets.
“Branding on axs.com allows awareness for the program, and that awareness transitions into engagement that continues after a fan has purchased tickets,” he added.
In the future, Baker said the partnership could expand to AEG’s assets in Europe and around the world.
Interviewed for this story: Nick Baker and Colleen McDuffe, (310) 300-4800