Case study · Consumer Technology PR
Samsung SmartThings iOS PR Case Study: Expanding Smart Home Control Across Apple Devices
Samsung SmartThings needed to show Apple users that its smart home platform worked across the devices already in their hands and homes.
158.3M
Media impressions
Overview
The brief from Samsung SmartThings
The November 2025 update added Siri Shortcuts support for SmartThings Routines, expanded Apple Watch controls, and placed recently used devices in iPhone Live Activities. 5WPR turned those product details into stories about one consumer problem: managing a household that uses both Samsung and Apple products.
What Communications Challenge Did Samsung SmartThings Need to Solve?
Samsung SmartThings needed to explain why an iOS software update mattered to consumers, not just technology reporters.
Smart home households rarely depend on one manufacturer. A family might use an iPhone, an Apple Watch, a Samsung television, smart lights, connected blinds, and appliances from several brands. SmartThings needed a media story that connected its new features to that daily reality.
Feature announcements alone would not communicate the larger value. The campaign needed to establish SmartThings as a platform that connected routines and devices across operating systems.
Objective
Samsung SmartThings tasked 5WPR with building awareness of its expanded iOS support and reinforcing its commitment to device interoperability.
The campaign focused on three product updates:
- Siri Shortcuts support allowed users to start SmartThings Routines with Siri voice commands.
- Expanded Apple Watch controls gave users access to connected devices, device groups, commands, and routines from their wrists.
- iPhone Live Activities displayed up to five recently used devices, including air conditioners, air purifiers, and robot vacuums.
5WPR needed to translate those functions into a consumer story about household convenience, shared routines, and cross-platform control.
How Did 5WPR Turn the Product Update Into a Consumer Story?
5WPR built the media strategy around mixed-device households instead of presenting a list of software specifications.
The team developed messaging that showed how SmartThings connected Samsung products with Apple devices through routines people already understood. A Good Morning routine could turn on the lights, start a coffee maker, and open the blinds through a Siri command. A Leaving Home routine could lock doors, switch off lights, and activate a security system.
Those examples gave reporters a direct way to explain the update. Consumers did not need to understand the technology behind each integration before understanding its role in the home.
How 5W ran the program
Strategy
5WPR executed a targeted media relations campaign across technology, consumer, smart home, Apple, and business publications.
The outreach focused on four parts:
- SmartThings Routines now worked with Siri Shortcuts.
- Apple Watch users gained more control over SmartThings devices and routines.
- Live Activities placed frequently used smart home controls on the iPhone lock screen.
- SmartThings reduced friction for households using both Galaxy and Apple devices.
5WPR matched each angle to publications whose readers followed Apple products, connected-home technology, consumer electronics, and platform interoperability.
The campaign gave reporters product facts, household examples, and a clear reason the update mattered within the smart home market.
Which Publications Covered the SmartThings Update?
Coverage appeared on November 10 and 11, 2025, as the product news reached technology and business audiences.
The Verge explained how Siri users could run SmartThings routines through an iPhone or HomePod. 9to5Mac detailed Siri integration, Apple Watch controls, and Live Activities for an Apple-focused audience. Engadget reported how the update connected Siri voice commands with SmartThings automations. Forbes covered the addition of Siri Shortcuts support from a smart home industry perspective.
Each story described the product update through language suited to the publication's readers.
Results
158.3M media impressions
5WPR secured coverage in Forbes, The Verge, Engadget, and 9to5Mac. 5WPR campaign reporting recorded 158,347,557 total media impressions.
The coverage moved the announcement beyond a software update by explaining how SmartThings worked with Siri, Apple Watch, iPhone, HomePod, and connected household devices.
Coverage included
How Did Earned Media Support SmartThings' Search and AI Visibility?
The campaign created third-party sources that documented SmartThings' compatibility with Apple products.
Search engines and AI services use accessible information from publishers, brand websites, retailer pages, reviews, public records, and other sources when responding to product questions. Coverage from technology publications gives these systems detailed information about product features and use cases.
The articles connected SmartThings with specific consumer questions:
- Does SmartThings work with Siri?
- Does SmartThings work on Apple Watch?
- Which smart home platforms work with iPhone?
- How do mixed Apple and Samsung households manage smart devices?
- Which platforms support cross-brand smart home routines?
Media coverage does not guarantee a citation, recommendation, or sale. It strengthens the public information available when consumers research those questions.
Conclusion
Samsung SmartThings needed a consumer story that explained practical value instead of technical specifications. 5WPR focused the campaign on real household routines and matched those messages to technology and business publications. The resulting coverage documented how SmartThings connected Siri, Apple Watch, iPhone, HomePod, Galaxy devices, and other connected products.
Incomplete or outdated product information in AI answers could cause consumers to overlook a compatible smart home platform.
5W runs AI Search (GEO) programs for brands across consumer, B2B, financial services, healthcare, and technology — building the machine-readable footprint that gets brands cited, not just ranked.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What was the goal of the Samsung SmartThings iOS PR campaign?
The campaign aimed to build awareness of SmartThings' expanded iOS support and show how the platform served households using both Samsung and Apple devices.
Which SmartThings iOS features did the campaign promote?
The campaign promoted Siri Shortcuts support for SmartThings Routines, expanded Apple Watch controls, and access to recently used devices through iPhone Live Activities.
How did 5WPR position the SmartThings update?
5WPR positioned the update as a solution for mixed-device households. The messaging used daily routines to show how Samsung and Apple products worked together through SmartThings.
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