Apple Inc. Jeymi Charles MRK/421 June 19, 2014 Michele Dougherty Apple Inc. Apple has been innovative in providing product and services for its customers. Having a competitive advantage they produce products like the IPad IPod, Mac, Apple TV and IPhone. Although some would say apple has lost its competitive edge with the passing of CEO and founder Steve Jobs, the company remains one of the leading sellers in the technology industry. In the world of personal handheld devices, the I industry remains dominant among its competitors and can continue to demand a price for which Apple known for, and yet holds its value even through re-sale. Apple has a variety of products that appeal to all cultural demographic.
During this stage Apple developed, updated software, new features and continued to keep the style of the iPod that made their style unique to Apple. They developed a user friendly interface, better software, hardware and even the packaging attracted customers and had them coming back for more. As David Taber said that “While everyone else was making an MP3 player that was better/cheaper/faster, Apple was making electronic jewelry that also played MP3’s. Never focusing on price, they brought to market more value, more style, and new ways of interacting with digital media.” (Weisbein, pg 1) Apple also ensured that they made the iPod more reliable by using better parts then their competitors. They also ensured they stayed ahead by updating their hardware, software, and providing newer applications for the iPod.
; if we present them in a slipshod manner they will be perceived as slipshod; if we present them in a creative, professional manner, we will impute the desired qualities. This marketing strategy is reflected not only in all of Apple’s products, but in their retail stores, and now in the online retail stores. The way in which Apple does their online communication is through making their website very interactive. Apple gives its customers two avenues through purchasing their brand. There is the main website, Apple.com and the ITunes store.
Evaluating the effectiveness of the use of marketing techniques in Apple Apple from its period of incorporation had been focused on gaining a market share in the computer and I.T industry and although they had a reflection of research into other I.T based products; their main focus was on a limited product spectrum which included the Apple II, Lisa and Later the Macintosh computers. They based this market penetration strategy on their style and brand appeal, and sought to grow their market share the more. This clearly fitted into the ANSOFF matrix model function of market penetration and market consolidation strategy. This approach however begun to decline in the 1990’s as their strategic competitors Microsoft and IBM outgrew Apple’s market share with much cheaper and more innovative computers which in addition capitalised on the inability of Apple’s computers to integrate with other industry standard software and computers. Apples market spans across the globe and is segmented on a regional and product basis including consumer, business, education, enterprise and government organisations that make the use of the power and productivity of Apple’s product.
By comparing them, we can know which one is better. Today I will talk about the Mac OSX Operating system, and the life span of Mac computers to show why Mac computers are more reliable and technologically advanced than PCs. NEED STEP I. Background on apple. a. Steve Jobs.
Apple has maintained a step ahead of competition of other companies that compete with Apple and as a result Apple has created a quality and loyal customer base. Apple has used the design and creativity processes within the Apple organization to create top of the line products that in most consumer’s eyes can do more than what is needed. Apple has created these products with the vast array of capabilities to maintain the healthy customer and business relationships that Apple has created. Sony has undergone some changes due to the Apple product line-up but for the most part Sony resides within a similar yet different marketplace and industry. Sony specializes in many different electronic and technological equipment production and distribution.
During the tenure of former CEO Steve jobs, Apple had extreme unprecedented success. Garnering an almost cult-like following with its innovations, Apple found itself in very unique position in that the products it manufactured were first to market, essentially creating a new market for competitors to challenge it in. While there where computers, phones and mp3 players from different companies none had the integration and usability across all it’s platforms like Apple did. This allowed it to sell one product to a consumer but guarantee this product would work with its other devices. Additional to this, it brought to market a phone that integrated various technologies.
By operating its own stores and locating them in desirable high-traffic locations the Company is better positioned to ensure a high quality customer buying experience and attract new customers. The stores are designed to simplify and enhance the presentation and MARKETING of the Company’s products and related solutions. The retail stores employ experienced and knowledgeable personnel who provide product advice, service and training and offer a wide selection of third-party hardware, software and other accessories that complement the Company’s products. The Company has also INVESTED in programs to enhance reseller sales by placing high-quality Apple fixtures, merchandising materials and other resources within selected third-party reseller locations. Through the Apple Premium Reseller Program, certain third-party resellers focus on the Apple platform by providing a high level of product expertise, integration and support services.
Given your responses to the questions above, what actions do you think Apple should take with each of these stakeholders? Please give concrete examples, with good explanation. (your response to this question should form the largest part of your paper) Customers Customers are key stakeholders who help establish the reputation and identification for Apple. Apple believes in a high quality buying experience and has defined the needs of the customer and provided superior solutions and high-quality products. Apple has fervently grown their market share over the recent few years in part due to innovative design.
With every new model introduced, management felt that the assembly lines had to increase productivity and lower costs, usually resulting in changes to the assembly production of existing models. Some of Toshiba’s key elements are product quality, continuous improvement, innovation, availability, competitive pricing, and superior product and process design. Toshiba had built its strength in the notebook PC market by beating its competitors to the market with aggressively priced, technologically superior products. Competition in the notebook PC market was fierce, and Toshiba could retain its position as market leader only by relentlessly improving its manufacturing processes and lowering cost. In addition, by forming partnerships and joint ventures with other industry giants, Toshiba could share the risk of developing expensive new technologies.