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Yep. That title just about sums up what happened on Friday October 24th 2014.

On that clear cloud day I was invited to see the opening of the Samsung Experience Store to welcome the first customers who would lay eyes on the Samsung product I’d written about days before. It’s one week after the Launch of the products, a Spy-caper of an affair for which I’d penned my simple ditty of an article Samsung Launches quartet of Note-worthy Products to Tab into the Gear S Alpha in all Jamaicans.

Geezam - US$1089 Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is a flatteringly fabulous Phablet with an improved S Pen - 21-10-2014 LHDEER (4)

The Main headliners of their opening act are:

  • US$1089 (JA$122,000) Samsung Galaxy Note 4
  • Samsung Galaxy Gear S smartwatch

The other two (2) apparently supporting actors are actually more likely to wow the crowd:

  • US$526 (JA$59,000) Samsung Galaxy S Tab 8.4” Tablet
  • US$652 (JA$73,000) Samsung Galaxy S Tab 10.5” Tablet
  • US$974 (JA$105,000) Samsung Galaxy Alpha Smartphone

I came that Friday October 24th 2014 to soak up the action of the sales and gauge how well the product will do in the future. So when I arrived dressed in my Sunday best with shoulder pouch and bag, I was expecting work should have been completed. Turns out they were just getting ready for the transformation of the Samsung Experience Store into the Selfie-Experience Store with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 as the central attraction.

Selfie-Experience Store – Preparations in Earnest for the Samsung Selfie Experience

When I arrived at 9:45am, I thought I was late.

I noted rather quickly that the Store preparations were ongoing, with workmen to the left side of the room still installing a wall with a white background in the corner near to the Glass Doors. That was to become the Selfie Wall, but its construction wasn’t finished yet…..I’d have awhile to wait before its construction was complete.

The six (6) Tables that had been a Holodeck themed a al Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D during the launch on Thursday October 16th 2014 were now also in their work flow, with the original products restored back to their places. Apparently that setup was just for that night only; now the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Samsung Galaxy Alpha as spoke on in my article Samsung Galaxy Alpha’s Metallic Band as Wearables will shrink 5-inch smartphones were just one of many products that adorned the Store.

At the right of the Store, four (4) 50” LED-LCD Screen TV’s had been arranged to form a mega 100” display that looped Samsung commercials continuously. Further up on the right hands side was a vertical billboard with a ginormous picture of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 with the words “Do You Note?” plastered across the top.

Clearly that’s the catch-phrase that was being used for the Social Media side along with #Note4SelfieCRBN and #GalaxyNote4JA to promote the Note 4’s Selfie taking capabilities. The Game plan for today was all about the Selfie, with the following offers on the platter for customers:

  • US$100 (JA$11,258) discount for the first 100 people to buy the Galaxy Note 4
  • US$100 (JA$11,137) worth of gifts for the first people to take a “selfie” with the Galaxy Note 4 while supplies last

That gift could be anything from a Note 4 T-shirt or Samsung Level Box Mini Speaker or Samsung Wireless Charger. Not exactly enticing gifts, but a little something to say that you were there at the Samsung Experience Store aside from the Selfie, which would be placed on Samsung Facebook Wall!

But I’d love a new set of speakers; Goes well with the Samsung Galaxy S4!

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 gets all the attention as no Gear S in sight

No Samsung Galaxy Gear was spotted; I was told by Samsung Representative Paul Byfield that it wasn’t even in the island. Apparently it had been borrowed just for that night only from the Miami Store.

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Say what! You gotta be kidding dude!

I was so desperate to see it once again, a point I expressed to the Samsung Representative Paul Byfield oweing to its huge potential as a product to be successful in Jamaica as I’d chronicled in my article Samsung’s Galaxy Gear S Smartwatch coming to Jamaica while reppin’ for Tizen.

Outside, Hitz 92 FM of RJR Communications has a Outside broadcast set up with music blaring, mostly Dancehall Tunes. Soon the two (2) Radio Personalities Jenny Jenny and Ijah Bling, came in to greet the now gathering crowds as the Store opened at 10:02am.

I eventually saw what looked like the left side of Jade’s head and creamed and slightly disheveled tousled hair from Zip 103FM at the left center Table, but she was in-and-out, apparently uninterested being as Hitz 92 FM was on the scene. Guess Hitz 92 FM were the only ones interested, albeit it eventually left at 12pm, so I can’t say for sure other Reporters from Newspaper or Television didn’t swoop in for a quick story!

No cameraman, save for a lone curly-haired hippie photographer, who was snap-happy once people and crowds melded, ebbed and flowed with interest and the chatter created by the two Radio Personalities Jenny Jenny and Ijah Bling. The throng created scenes worth photographing!

That throng of folks off the street must have seen and heard all the commotion that the Hitz 92 FM Outside Broadcast Team were creating and came to see what was going on. Within five (5) minutes of opening at approximately 10:02am, a crowd of twenty five (25) people swelled the room, mostly focused around Tables to the right inside the Samsung Experience Store that housed the only copies of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the Alpha.

The Samsung Galaxy S Tab 10.5” Tablet and the Samsung Galaxy S Tab 8.4” Tablet also got a little love, though not as much. They were placed in a two (2) small boxy, protruding alcove-ish glass showcases about 5 feet elevation above the ground on the left wall that looked like a Microwave oven minus buzzing noise and the rotating turntable.

Not fond of this arrangement, as though Tablet’s are hot sellers right now in Jamaica, there were at least the most likely to sell due to their lower price point as noted in 10.5” and 8.4” Samsung Galaxy Tab S Tablets are Solid Tablet Products. They deserved more than being on the side of the Samsung Galaxy Experience Store along with the Accessories!

Let the Customer buying Frenzy begin even as the Selfie Wall remained incomplete and the Black Ink Staff in their Jeans, Company Polo shirts and clickety-clackety heels flitted about to get everything ready in as the workmen toiled on!

Samsung Selfie Wall – Taking a Selfie with the Note 4 was Not Bad

Finally the moment I’d been conscripted for….or waiting for, whatever you’re into!

The Selfie Wall was up at about 10:22pm, way before the expected 12pm debut. Just in time too, as the crowd began losing interest, thinning down to a little over twenty (20) by about 10:46am, the swell of interest focused (or trying to avoid?) being interviewed by the two (2) Radio Personalities Jenny Jenny and Ijah Bling!

Its final appearance wasn’t as I’d expected.

Basically it was a Plastic Poster Wrap taped over the White wall that showed a city-scape that was experiencing Twilight with a cloudy but regal sunset. The scene was shot overlooking a balcony using the Golden Rule and as such, had a sharp image of a wall at the bottom of the Poster Cover.

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Blue carpeting, not the usual bright Samsung Blue, was placed at the foot of the Selfie Wall to complete the Photo booth and create that perfect Selfie backdrop. Perfecto!

The words “Do You Note?” were splashed across the top along with a reference to the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and again the #Note4SelfieCRBN and #GalaxyNote4JA for us Social Media peeps to live-tweet the event. I’m a writer, my yellow notepad for notes and fingers for writing with my pen and my mini-recorder are all I need, Veronica Mars Style!

A few braved the video light and decided to sign up to take a selfie. A fairly simple affair, really; you just stood on the blue carpeting and held the phone away from your face and the phone automatically detects your face once you’re finger is over the LED Sensor on its back and snap!

Samsung Galaxy Experience Store Heats up – Time to leave the excitement behind

While all that was going on, a flurry of activity began among the Black Ink Staff. Blue and White Helium-filled Balloons, with the words “Samsung Galaxy Note” emblazoned in Bright White lettering, were brought in to decorate the interior and create some buzz. They were anchored down at the center of the five (5) main tables with the sixth on the right nearest to the door left unadorned with these Helium-filled bodies.

Some of these heavenly beauties were anchored out the outside edges of the Glass wall of the Samsung Experience Store, again to create Image flair to combine with the already noisy atmosphere created by the Hitz 92 FM Outside Broadcast Team.

It seemed to work, as the crowd soon began to swell to approximately thirty five (35) patrons at about 11:30am. Heck, I even attracted Cricket Star Marlon Samuels, who came out to the Samsung Experience Store and actually bought a Tablet (not sure which one!) while being interviewed by Hitz 92 FM Radio Personality Jenny Jenny.

That seemed to the magic hour.

More beauties, three (3) to be precise, came at 11:30am, when three (3) Samsung Girls dressed in Blue Sweat Bottoms and White Baby T-Shirts sauntered in. Wedges, hair pulled into buns and away from their face, and flawless makeup emphasizing their cheekbones completed their look.

And yes, written on their White Shirts that contoured their every cure ending sharply at their scalloped necks marked by blue collars were the words “Samsung Galaxy Note” on the front and “Do You Note?” on the back.

Force is Strong with the Samsung Galaxy Note – Payday pocket wasn’t willing for many

At this point my countdown to leave the scene began on my wristwatch. I had to make an exit and head out to MICO University College to get some homework done was on. I quickly got my selfie taken, so that I now had the experience to pen my blog entry.

All in all, the interest in the crowd was there but apparently the Payday pocket wasn’t willing, as many simple just didn’t have that cash to splash US$1089 (JA$122,000) buying a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in order to get a US$100 discount.

Still it’s early days yet; I’m awaiting yet another launch event, this time by either Digicel or LIME at their Flagship stores located at their headquarters announcing which of these products they’ll be carrying. I’m predicting that the plans will be a lot more affordable than to buy the smartphone outright!

Wanna know more? then check out Samsung Social Media Pages:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamsungMobileCaribbean

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamsungCRBN

Twitter Handle: @SamsungCRBN with #Note4SelfieCRBN GalaxyNote4JA

Instagram: http://instagram.com/samsungcrbn

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