A recent AdAge article comparing Apple and Samsung’s marketing strategies sparked online discussion about brand perception and consumer behavior. 

For the team at GlassView, it brought to mind a study conducted by Dr. Michael Platt, our chief neuroscientist, who is a distinguished professor at the Wharton School. His research examined the brainwaves of iPhone users versus Samsung users and revealed some striking differences:

• Apple users neurologically love their iPhones in a way similar to how they love a family member. 

• Samsung users experience schadenfreude—a feeling of satisfaction—when watching Samsung ads that poke fun at iPhones.

From a marketing standpoint, this underscores Apple’s mastery of emotional storytelling, which has fueled its early adoption and brand loyalty for decades. Samsung, on the other hand, strategically leverages competition and contrast in its advertising to appeal to its audience in a different way.

The Shift from Emotion to Credibility to Logic in Brand Messaging

As the AdAge article points out, both companies have recently pivoted toward marketing focused on technical features, particularly AI tools. But the public response has been lukewarm. 

This shift in messaging is a sign that Apple is now later in its brand life cycle—a hypothesis backed by market share data. It also aligns with a broader trend we’re uncovering in our own research at GlassView.

At GlassView, we’re conducting a large-scale study to empirically demonstrate how brands evolve their messaging as they move through different phases of market adoption. Using GlassView Origin, our proprietary mind-sensing solution, we are analyzing neurological responses from audiences watching 250,000 commercials aired over the last 50 years. We then compare these responses to the advertising brands’ inflation-adjusted stock prices, tracking their market position over time.

Here’s what we’re finding:

• Emotion dominates early adoption. Successful brands spark excitement and deep attachment in their earliest days. 

• Credibility becomes crucial for scaling. As brands move beyond early adopters, trust-building becomes a priority. 

• Logic sustains mature brands. When a brand reaches mainstream dominance, rational appeals and technical features help maintain its market position.

Aristotle Knew It All Along

These insights mirror something Aristotle observed over 2,500 years ago: persuasion is built on Pathos (emotion), Ethos (credibility), and Logos (logic). Apple’s ability to launch products into the Zeitgeist proves the power of emotion in winning over early adopters.

For marketers looking to optimize their creative strategies, the takeaway is clear: early-stage brands should focus on emotional storytelling. But how do you measure emotion?

A Data-Driven Approach to Emotion in Advertising

The good news is that brands can now measure emotional engagement directly from the brain using GlassView Origin. By leveraging neuroscience-driven insights, advertisers can refine their creative and optimize ad placement across display, connected TV (CTV), and online video (OLV).

We’re already delivering game-changing results for forward-thinking brands like Togolf, Intel, and others. While our clients may not love us in the way iPhone users love Apple, we know they love the impact we’re making on their campaigns.

Want to learn more about neuro insights and brand marketing? Contact industrymanagers@glassview.com