Apple Inc.
The company overview
Apple Inc. is a multinational corporation and a global leader in the technology industry. The organization has been in the forefront in designing and manufacturing electronic products both hardware and software. The company is largely involved in the manufacture of personal computers and their software, servers and general electronics. It also distributes media contents to its customers in the market. In precision, the product lines of the company are 1Pad tablets, iPhone, portable media players like iPod, and personal computers among other products (Khan, Alam & Alam, 2015). Apple Inc. was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976. It is located in California and was incorporated in 1977. Apple has been a competitive company in the electronic industry in design, manufacture, and sales of the products. The company mostly produces both the software and hardware electronic products. It also engages in availing multimedia services to its clients. The company uses lifestyles as its major segmentation in which targets the young generation and the urban population who make its largest customers
Branding
Apple Inc. has established itself in the market as the market leader. It provides quality products. The firm values is consumers because they are the most important people in any business. Apple Inc. values their costumes since it the only avenue the business can thrive. Also, the firm offers better services such as free delivery of products (Armstrong, Kotler, Harker & Brennan, 2015). Also, customers are given better services and products which have ensured their consumer loyalty and retention.
Promotional strategy
The company will strive to capture the most market share among its customers substantially. Apple Inc. is committed to introducing better personal computing services to its customers by producing innovative hardware and software as well as internet offerings (Batra, Kaufmann & Stone, 2003). The company rolls programs that are service based on the comments, complaints band questions they get from customers. The structure of the industry within its external factors and attractiveness is purely based on the purpose of consumer’s satisfaction as well and familiar customer elements of the business
One of the strategies that the marketers can use if by finding the consumers insights which are vital in building a good relationship with them (West, Ford & Ibrahim, 2015). Finding consumers insights also helps in finding consumers’ needs, wishes likes and dislikes to solve them. This would change the perception of the consumer and their evoked set. The marketers should produce quality and less expensive products to attract the consumers so that they can establish their brand (Palsule-Desai, Tirupati, & Shah, 2015). While marketing these brands, they should use convincing languages and pictures illustrating why that brand is better than others
Product strategy
Apple Company has a product strategy of giving consumers the best and quality products. Besides, the financial status of the consumer determines what they buy. Some brands are expensive and that they fall out of the consumer’s choice (Khan, Alam, & Alam, 2015). If such products still go at higher prices than the consumers would not consider buying them even if they are placed within the consumer’s evoked set.
Organizational Culture
Organizational culture determines its success. Apple has established itself as the best company that offers computing services. The apple will ensure that they offer quality products and service to their consumers (West, Ford & Ibrahim, 2015). As a result, they have been able to retain their consumers. Moreover, this firm offer benefits and service delivery which is a method they use to keep their potential consumers.
b) Identify the role of marketing strategies and programs in achieving Apple Inc.s objectives, including ethical considerations
The role of marketing strategy at Apple Company helps in the achievement of the organizational goals as well as ethical responsibility (Cohen, 2005). First, the strategy helps in ensuring that there is adequate and sustainable relationship with their customers. As a result, communication has been a core ingredient in ensuring the success of the company. Additionally, the company will use the competitive pricing in that the company sets the prices relevant to that of the rival companies, to make sure that it sustains the high profitability degree for the sustainability and development (West, Ford & Ibrahim, 2015). Nevertheless, with the aim of distinguishing itself from the other competing companies, Apple have specific promotions and discounts that are unique to ensure the loyalty of the customers. Moreover, it will engage in website and television advertisement of all the services and products that they provide to increase the awareness of the company.
Apple appreciates its customers using various ways. One of the ways that Apple Company uses to get to customer’s country is by identifying customers’ insight and tastes. The company produces products of different flavours. The company has also opened up stores in several countries so that the consumer can readily get the products they want available. In addition to the products that the business sells, the stores sell other related products such as digital cameras, software titles and camcorders (West, Ford & Ibrahim, 2015). Indeed, Apple Company takes pride in forming and building attracting and pleasing experience with its consumers with products which are stylish. Recently, the company released two new iPhones that include 5s and 5c which is less expensive.
The company is trying to substantially capture the most market share among its customers. For instance, to assert itself in the market, Apple is committed to introducing better personal computing services to its customers by producing innovative hardware and software as well as internet offerings. The company rolls programs that are service based on the comments, complaints band questions they get from customers. The structure of the industry within its external factors and attractiveness is purely based on the purpose of consumers satisfaction as well and customer familiar elements of the business. Additionally, the corporations various related software, peripherals, networking solutions, services as well as digital applications and content.
c) Explain how marketing concepts and principles are used in Apple Inc’s daily organisational operations
The company is cognizant of the fact that the business atmosphere has become extremely competitive and hence it is crucial for any company gaining the entry to the market to develop and implement a strategic plan on the market especially concerning customer needs. Indeed, for any organization to achieve its competitive advantage, it has to implement various marketing concept (Porter & Heppelmann, 2014).
First, the company has formed a working partnership with other companies. One of the key and important partners is the United Kingdom network operator O2. In 2007, both Apple and O2 stroke a deal which could prove a significant revolution for the two companies. Apple was able to obtain large sums of money in that signed dea. It was also understood that Apple Company would be able to get 40% of the revenue income that O2 would make from its consumers when they use iPhone. In the negotiation process until nay announcement of this deal was made, it is understood that the Apple company made several deals in the UK including four major networks; Orange, O2, Vodafone, and T-Mobile. Hence, with this case, the Apple Corporation got its access to UK marketplaces with the iPhone as well as the major deals signed with other corporations (Wolfe, Silmon, Plesko, & Miller, 2014).
That’s how Apple, a foreign competitor got entry to the marketplaces and attained a competitive advantage over the local competitors. One of the theories that have been applied here is the value chain that supposes that a manufacturing system is consisted of many subsystems. Additionally, Apple corporations have boosted its marketing and sales India. The company employs level distributors who are making phones available in many stores in every town. Overall, Apple Company has several partner countries including UK, India, and China among many other nations. The company has several deals that have seen it make huge profit revenue. Therefore Partner country is essential for any business to attain a competitive advantage over its rivals.
d) Explain the relationships of the marketing functions to other functional areas in Apple Inc
Marketing functions is essential in an organisation. The company has maintained being the largest brand in the technology industry because of its marketing strategies giving it a competitive advantage over the competitors. It is also the largest revenue generating technology company and in brand ranking (Cravens & Piercy, 2003). Apple Inc. has a strong mission and vision in its marketing strategy and high competitive advantage due to superior products, brand equity, revenue overtime. It also has strong retail set up adequately positioning it in the market (Liu, Li,Chen & Balachander, 2017).The company invests in promotions, offers, and various media platforms to popularize its products in the market. It creates ads in both print and visual media to broadcast their adverts.
Secondly, marketing function has helped the company gain competitive advantage. The company establishes its competitive advantage from its product strategy. It trades in quality products and sells at premium pricing making a preferred choice in the market. The competitive advantage also stems from strategic management by the company (Wolfe, Silmon, Plesko, & Miller, 2014). The management encourages innovation and teamwork which has constantly motivated the staff to produce quality products and services giving the company a competitive advantage to top among its competitors in the industry
Conclusion
In conclusion, Apple cooptation is a big global company which has experience success for many years and has been able to effectively achieve the global competitive edge over its rivals. This can be attributed to several reasons. First, the company’s strategies that it has been applying including the use of suppliers strategies in various parts of the world has seen it succeed. This has enabled the company to be on top of its competitors. The company has continuously come up with fresh innovative ideas and products.
References
Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M., & Brennan, R. (2015). Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Education.
Batra, G., Kaufmann, D., & Stone, A. H. (2003). Investment climate around the world: Voices of the firms from the World Business Environment Survey. World Bank Publications.
Cohen, W. A. (2005). The marketing plan. John Wiley & Sons.
Cravens, D. W., & Piercy, N. (2003). Strategic marketing (Vol. 8). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Khan, U. A., Alam, M. N., & Alam, S. (2015). A critical analysis of internal and external environment of Apple Inc. International Journal of Economics, Commerce, and Management, 3(6), 955-961.
Liu, Y., Li, K. J., Chen, H., & Balachander, S. (2017). The Effects of Products’ Aesthetic Design on Demand and Marketing-Mix Effectiveness: The Role of Segment Prototypicality and Brand Consistency. Journal of Marketing, 81(1), 83-102.
Palsule-Desai, O. D., Tirupati, D., & Shah, J. (2015). Product line design and positioning using add-on services. International Journal of Production Economics, 163, 16-33.
Porter, M. E., & Heppelmann, J. E. (2014). How smart, connected products are transforming competition. Harvard Business Review, 92(11), 64-88.
West, D. C., Ford, J., & Ibrahim, E. (2015). Strategic marketing: creating competitive advantage. Oxford University Press, USA.
Wolfe, D., Silmon, V., Plesko, T., & Miller, K. (2014). Marketing Plan: Dallas Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) Demonstration Project (No. FHWA-JPO-14-112).
