Samsung’s Ad-Powered Fridge: A Masterclass in How to Alienate Your Best Customers

Back in September, when Samsung first announced that its smart refrigerators would start displaying advertisements — a pilot program described by Techdirt as going over “like a fart in church — I didn’t bother writing about it because I assumed that the company would backtrack when it saw the reaction. I was wrong: its Family Hub range, which cost between $1,800 and $3,500 will come with an “information panel” that will display contextualized advertising. It would be an understatement to describe this as violating the trust of its most loyal customers.

The screens will show advertisements when the fridge is idle, and although the company says it is possible to deactivate part of the system, this means giving up other basic functions. In other words, if you want to continue enjoying the product you have already paid for, you will have to accept it trying to sell you something.

I have to be honest: I can’t see how somebody who can afford to spend thousands of euros on an appliance would want an advertising showcase in the middle of their kitchen. Fast Company calls Samsung’s move “clumsy” and designed to annoy wealthy customers. Samsung’s explanation as to how to turn off ads is too little, too late. The damage has been done.

This is yet another example of Cory Doctorow’s enshittification: companies prioritizing profit over the user experience. First they hook customers with excellent products and services, then squeeze them dry. What was once a relationship of trust becomes digital servitude.

Samsung’s move is doubly clumsy because it attempts to squeeze the segment of its customers that most value the premium experience. Why would you pay more than $3,000 for a fridge that tries to sell you yoghourts? It sends an unmistakable message that no connected product is really yours, and that you should think long and hard before buying it.

This is no isolated case. As I noted a few months ago, South Korean brands such as LG, and now Samsung, seem determined to turn their devices into advertising platforms rather than products. Televisions, refrigerators or washing machines: they’re all an opportunity for monetization, even if it means betraying the trust of customers who swear never to buy anything from that brand ever again.

Consumer confidence is fragile, and these kinds of stupid experiments can destroy it very quickly. A refrigerator that shows you ads today could be the dashboard of your car, your watch or your “smart” thermos tomorrow. The message to buyers is clear: before you connect something to the internet, ask yourself if the manufacturer could use it to take advantage of you.

Samsung doesn’t need to tell its customers how to turn off ads on its products, it needs to remember something much simpler: the relationship between company and customer is based on respect, not opportunism. Because a brand that treats its customers as advertising fodder may earn a few more bucks this quarter, but loses something much more valuable: its trust and credibility.

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This post was previously published on Enrique Dans’ blog.

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