Branding em cena: o Galaxy Z Flip6 e o poder simbólico das Olimpíadas na construção de marca da Samsung

Abstract

This work investigated the communication strategy adopted by Samsung when launching the Galaxy Z Flip6 smartphone in parallel with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The research investigated whether the association of an innovative product with a global megaevent constitutes a branding practice that articulates technological performance, cultural symbolism, and emotional engagement. The following theoretical strands were used in the work to compose the conceptual framework of the investigation: branding, with the authors Jean-Noël Kapferer (2008), Clotilde Perez (2004), Kevin Lane Keller (1998), André Luis Gambetta Mafra (2018), Manoel Alexandre Schroeder (2018), Maria Luisa Peón (2003), Alina Wheeler (2012); advertising copywriting with the author João Anzanello Carrascoza (2007, 2015); and finally sports marketing with the author José Zilmar Alves da Costa (2025). To this end, qualitative methodologies were employed, based on the author Arilda Schmidt Godoy; netnography with Robert V. Kozinets; brand narrative analysis by João Anzanello Carrascoza, to decipher the fictional and symbolic elements of the pieces. This was complemented by Bardin's content analysis to identify recurring thematic categories in the message. It was found that the initiative went beyond mere commercial objectives by creating a symbolic scenario in which technology and Olympic principles interacted in an integrated way. This alignment reinforced a specific position desired by Samsung as a brand when associated with the cultural context of the Olympics. The research expanded academic reflections on branding in large-scale events and provided support for future investigations in brand communication.