--- title: "Tuesday Buzz: Samsung’s Great Flameout" id: "35406" type: "post" slug: "tuesday-buzz-samsungs-great-flameout" published_at: "2016-10-11T22:35:20+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T17:42:55+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2016/10/11/tuesday-buzz-samsungs-great-flameout/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2016/10/11/tuesday-buzz-samsungs-great-flameout.md" excerpt: "The smartphone manufacturer's leadership made a tough move this week when they decided to stop selling the company's flagship Galaxy Note 7 after a series of problems. Also: One association's bold pitch to potential members." taxonomy_category: - "Learning" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Leadership" - "Risk Management" - "Technology" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Tuesday Buzz: Samsung’s Great Flameout Sometimes, when dealing with a leadership challenge, it’s better to stop the bloodletting than to continue the fight for a lost cause. That’s a point that can be learned from Samsung’s frustrating saga with its Galaxy Note 7, [which was officially taken off the market this week (opens in a new tab)](http://www.bbc.com/news/business-37618618) , after repeated reports of fires caused by the device’s batteries. The company initially recalled 2.5 million phones after their malfunctioning batteries first drew attention. But after even the replacement devices had problems, the company chose to end production for good, taking a multibillion-dollar financial hit in the process. So what happened? [A Bloomberg report from last month (opens in a new tab)](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-18/samsung-crisis-began-in-rush-to-capitalize-on-uninspiring-iphone) suggested that Samsung was done in by an overly aggressive attempt to take down the iPhone, without ensuring that the Galaxy 7 supply chain was able to keep up. “They pushed suppliers to meet tighter deadlines, despite loads of new features,” claimed the report, which cited inside sources at Samsung. Whatever happened, now’s a good time to analyze Samsung’s position from a leadership perspective. A thoughtful take on the issue [comes from Robyn Mak of Reuters (opens in a new tab)](http://blogs.reuters.com/breakingviews/2016/10/11/samsungs-note-7-was-not-worth-saving/) , who suggested that shutting things down is the only way to right the ship, no matter how costly the change might be. “The debacle has also shown up deficiencies in communication—Samsung has yet to explain the new problems—and crisis management,” Mak wrote. “The longer the fiasco drags out, the more damaging it will be. Torching the Note 7 is the right call.” ### Website of the Day > Go [@CIPD (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/CIPD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > ! Loving this membership microsite, very focused on the new member & audience UX. Very slick. [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [https://t.co/IsGos76vCi (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/IsGos76vCi) > > — Abby Wright-Parkes (@abby_w_p) [October 11, 2016 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/abby_w_p/status/785732923404218369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development,** a UK-based organization, is putting the promise of membership front and center with its new website, “[The Power of One (opens in a new tab)](http://www.thepowerofone.online/) .” The site, with a snazzy design and much in the way of spiffy visuals, is intended to speak to human resources professionals as well as learning and development pros. It’s quite the talker, too. Check it out. ### Other Links of Note **Remember Microsoft Paint?** That classically low-tech drawing tool is getting a high-tech upgrade, [The Verge reports (opens in a new tab)](http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/10/13225094/microsoft-paint-windows-10-app-leak-hands-on) . **First impressions are everything, right?** So make them count. At *Inc.*, Christina Desmarais [offers tips for making a great impression (opens in a new tab)](http://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/10-executive-tips-on-how-to-make-a-lasting-first-impression.html) . **Search engine optimization, or SEO,** can solve a lot of problems for your association. But if you need a starting point, [this Bright Nonprofit post could get you going (opens in a new tab)](https://www.brightnonprofit.com/five-changes-nonprofits-can-make-for-better-seo/) . (iStock/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. 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