3. What does a competitive strength assessment reveal about Apple’s computer business, as compared to the leaders in the computer industry? Use the methodology in Table 4.3 to support your answer. Does it appear that the company’s competitive positions in personal media players, tablet computers, and smartphones are stronger or weaker than its position in computers? 4.
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.
Organizing Apple Inc. has three main organizational goals that helps make them the world’s most valuable company. These three organizational goals are: 1. “Apple Inc. plans to keep creating and releasing computers and consumer electronics that are more user-friendly.” (Training and Development Program for Apple Inc., page 7) 2. “Apple Inc. will focus on opening more stores even on international locations to help increase in sales.” (Training and Development Program for Apple Inc., page 7) 3. Another objective of apple is innovation.
Recently they have focused a great deal of strategic attention and resources on entering into the digital electronics and computer markets. Apple’s entry into the tablet computer industry with its iPad and the mobile phone industry with its iPhone are evidence of a further evolving strategy. 2. What are the key elements of Apple’s strategy in computers, personal media players, and smartphones? Have its strategies in its core businesses yielded success?
Apple SWOT Analysis Chart Internal | External | Strengths (Positives): * Product Development * Design and utility * Marketing * Brand name * Robust financial performance | Opportunities (Positives) * Loyal Customer Base * Strong growth in smart phone market * Reputation of high quality products * Apple TV * Strong growth in tablets market * Untapped areas of technology world | Weaknesses (Negatives): * Patent Infringement Lawsuit * Dependency on global community * Very Proprietary and controlling * Death of Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs could affect new technology invention and growth | Threats (Negatives): * The rise in popularity of Google Android * Intense competition may affect revenue and profitability * Dependency of specific suppliers may affect its operations * Highly priced products
This also alludes to Apple products being utilized with or within other company procedures other than as a stand-alone product. Although this may mean that currently there is a slowdown in producing new products it is definitely a progressive step that many companies are taking, such as Goggle and Samsung. Cook’s approach to distribute the innovation efforts across the company and in multiple ways seems to be working. Under this leadership innovation will take enormous confidence and resources but the outcome will position Apple ahead of the pack – again. The success of this strategy will position Apple to overtake Samsung in many of their
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.
In this article I found it interesting how the author makes an effort to do something society seems to have a love affair with which is find reasons within a person or company to try to tear it down after that person or company has made so much progress for the improvement of people's lives or society's expectations. The author Zach Epstein points to comments made by a former Apple engineering manager Dan Crown, on how he feels that the best days of Apple are behind them due to; 1. Conflicts with the maps application 2. A change is executives in the retail store and senior VP of the iOS software 3. The ongoing conflict with Google & other competitors.
It’s short, sweet, and leaves the mind open for imagination. However, there are not many factors that suggest goals, company policies, or competitive spheres. “Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.” A myriad of problems exist with this so-called mission statement.
In what product segments does Apple compete? How does the company position its products against its competitors? 2.1 Product Segmentation Figure 1a (Heisler, 2014) Table 1b 2.2 Positioning Apple uses differentiation strategy, making products with unique features to attract customers giving Apple a competitive advantage against its competitors. Steve Job was known for “his intense and exacting focus on design, which became a way for Apple to stake out a unique marketplace position. Their brand was built around aesthetically appealing, well-designed products and they developed an intensely loyal, design-savvy customer base” (Porter, 1996).