Performance
Samsonite’s popularity is no surprise as Samsonite is one of the widely acknowledged luggage brands and a global leader in travel luggage. The Samsonite brand is globally recognized for its lightweight, durable, functional and stylish travel bags and accessories. Its market leading position results from the strong international brand presence, coupled with the company's significant scale, steady investment on product innovation, scalable distribution model and sourcing ability.
The brand's functionality and usability can be classfied into following categories:
Salience
Samsonite positions itself in the mid to premium luggage brand category. Through extensive advertisement campaigns over the years, Samsonite would like its current or intended customers to recall the brand whenever they are thinking of any activity that is outside their primary residence. Some examples that would incite these thoughts include going to work or school, camping, thinking of a vacation, starting a professional career, starting a new term at school, etc. Thus, current or future consumers must think of Samsonite whenever they are looking for a stylish and sturdy companion that would keep his or her personal belongings safe and protect them from external damage.
Breadth and Depth
The online presence of Samsonite reflects the classy and elegant design of its product's line depicting the high-end market segment the company is targetting. The durable and sturdy feel provides a strong association to the brand imagery the company identifies itself with. Not surprisingly, its strength lies in its simplicity and, with only a handful of links to choose from, navigation is swift and uncomplicated offering a wide choice to any visitor.
Those who prefer to find a localized dealer or research a particular product range can access one of the country specific localized websites from the company’s homepage. The authorized retailers are located across Singapore in the North, South, East and West zones. However, the Service Center is only located in the East, Changi City Point.
Samsonite tries to educate its coustmers on how to pack smartly under various scenarios and protrays the durability and strength of its product lines through various video advertisements.
Brand Imagery
Today, Samsonite continues to lead the global travel luggage category with the same core principles, further expanding Shwayder's vision globally with design and innovation into product categories and to meet various consumer needs. Samsonite's tagline - 'Life's a Journey' - embodies the brand's transformation and future, symbolizing the role Samsonite plays in the lives of travellers.
As one of the original brands in travel, Samsonite has continued to identify global trends and interpret travellers’ needs to infuse innovation and new ideas into its product line, re-igniting the sophisticated and special experience of the past.
In its early days, Samsonite's brand imagery signified strength and durability. The late 1990’s and early 2000's saw Samsonite not only depicting the imagery of toughness and durability but also conveying the message that the brand stands for a reliable companion. The message for the traveller was to enjoy his or her trip and not worry about what his or her luggage is going through. Typical personalities depicted were those of world travellers who love to travel all over the world and are least worried about their belongings but are enjoying every moment of the experience of travelling. In recent times, Samsonite's brand imagery revolves around exclusivity and a prized possession that cannot be replaced.
The major focus of Samsonite's earlier outreach was on male consumer with masculine associations such as strength attached to the brand. The recent Samsonite-RED on the other hand focuses on both men and women and has considerable associations towards style and fashion.
Innovation
Samsonite owns approximately 130 patents in the United States alone, and over 900 patents and design registrations around the world. The company also provides downloadable travel application to frequently update discounts and introduce new products to its consumers.
As an example of Samsonite’s innovative capabilites, Cosmolite, one of its signature product lines, utilizes a patented approach whereby woven polypropylene threads are used in its outer casing to provide unmatched strength and flexibility that can withstand extreme physical stress. This feature was demonstrated through car-crash tests performed on real cosmolite luggage.
Product Range
The product range from Samsonite signifies that it wants to be associated with its customers whenever they think of any activity away from home. Hence, Samsonite provides products from luggage, to briefcases, to laptop bags, and even backpacks. Samsonite has also extended its Brand Portfolio beyond its traditional strength in travel luggage products into slim protective cases for personal electronic devices with its latest acquisition of Speck Products. The acquisition brings Samsonite closer to our everyday lives, providing durability, style and trendiness.
Quality
Samsonite operates under strict quality control-All the products are put through rigorous tests of durability and strength . Samsonite also offers 10-year warranty on all Samsonite luggages to reinforce the message that its travel gear is extremely durable.
Style and Design
Samsonite operates under strict quality control-All the products are put through rigorous tests of durability and strength . Samsonite also offers 10-year warranty on all Samsonite luggages to reinforce the message that its travel gear is extremely durable.
Affordability
Samsonite is seen as the “people’s bag” and prices its products lower than its closest competitors. In terms of pricing, Samsonite wants to be seen as a mid to premium range product and distances itself from generic brands that are meant for mass market. The wide array of products allow Samsonite to price its products at different price points. Its price positioning is premium compared to department store brands such as Delsey, Victorinox, and American Tourister and slightly lower than premium luggage brands such as Tumi and Rimowa.