Comprehensive Brand Management Analysis: Apple Corporation

This report, prepared as a marketing analysis for Optimum Impression Limited, focuses on the brand management strategies of Apple. It begins with an introduction to brand management, defining its importance in shaping market perception and driving business success, and then provides an overview of brand equity, including its components and the role of the marketing department. The core of the report examines Apple's brand portfolio strategy, hierarchy management, and strategies for managing brand equity within its portfolio. It delves into the strengths and weaknesses of the Apple brand, explores brand extension strategies, and discusses methods for overcoming brand crises. The report uses Keller's brand equity model to analyze Apple's brand identity, meaning, response, and relationship with customers. It also highlights strategies for reinforcing brand consistency and extending the brand through marketing, offering valuable insights into Apple's approach to maintaining a strong brand image. The conclusion summarizes the key findings, emphasizing the significance of branding in building customer trust and loyalty.

BRAND MANAGEMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY.........................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION......................................................................................................................7
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................8
1. Brand portfolio strategy of Apple.......................................................................................8
2. Hierarchy management of brands within Apple portfolio................................................11
3. Organization Strategies for operating and managing equity of brands............................12
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................12
1. Strengths of brand ............................................................................................................12
2. Weakness of brand...........................................................................................................13
3. Collaborative and partnership agreements.......................................................................13
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................14
Techniques for measuring and managing.............................................................................14
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................15
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................17

INTRODUCTION
Brand management is planning and analysis process in which organization know how
their brand is perceived in market. Improving and developing good relation with customers and
target market company manage their brand management or position in better way that drives
business towards success (Cohen, 2014). Firms usually focuses on products price, look,
packaging and other things that help to build brand image in marketplace. In this report,
Optimum Impression Limited company is given which is an advertising company. As a
marketing manager of this company, brand which is analysed is Apple.
The present study is based on Apple Technology organization, it was an American
multinational company that is considered as one of the big four of technology along with Google
and Amazon. This report will explain about brand and brand equity and its importance in
business. It also defines the role of marketing department in creating or developing brand equity.
It justifies the strategy of company for strengthen brand equity and brand extension.
Furthermore, this report identifies firm's brand portfolio strategy and also discuss hierarchy
management of brand. Moreover, the strategies for managing brand equity in organizations
portfolio. It explains brand strengthen that leveraged and weakness that need improvement with
some possible suggestions.
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TASK 1
2

INTRODUCTION
Over view of Brand
Brand is the type of product, concept or service that is publicly imposing from another
goods and facilities so that it will usually be marketed and easily communicated. Unique and
different design, symbol and sign is the combination of brand. It is very important for
organization that their brand need to be stronger in market better than its competitors. It is an
overall experience of clients that severalize with organization or products form their rivals in
eyes of consumer's. Advertising and marketing of brand is very important for company and
their business that support them to gain the attention of other people in world more over than
the other firms. Branding is the procedure of disseminating and creating the name of brand that
is essential for any organizations. It commonly protected from use by other by assured a service
mark or trademark from authorized authority such as government agency. Before utilize for
trademark organization need to constituted that some other one has not already obtained one for
their brand name. In that condition they cannot the process done and firm hire law that are
specialized in managing the whole procedure and doing searches on trademark.
Branding is very crucial because it not only is it what makes unforgettable impression on
clients but it permits company consumers to know what to expect form firm. Customers identify
good brand or products via their name, style of packaging, logo and visuals. Firms build their
marque by conduct researching on target consumers and its competitors in market. Impression
in client’s mind of a brand is total personality or imaginary and real qualities that is developed
all over time through promoting campaigns with agreeable theme and authenticated through
direct experiences of customers. Organizations make their brand stronger than the anther's
through developing their brand's creative and innovative elements. They implement new
strategies to establish different identity of their trade name. Marque is much more than logo,
name and style. It is seen as most valuable resources of company's that presents their face or
position in the marketplace. Firm is often recognized by its products or brands that carries more
monetary value in stock market which directly impacts on stockholder value as it falls and rises.
Brand Equity
Brand equity refers to value premium that every organization generates form their products with
in recognizable image when it compared to generic tantamount. Organizations create brand
equity for their goods by making it memorable in the mind of their customer's in which they
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will easily recognize product that is superior in reliability and quality. It is based on three basic
components: clients perception, positive and negative effects and resulting value. Customer
perception includes both experience and knowledge with brand and their products, that builds
marque equity. Company give their efforts in raising the consumer's perception that helps to
boost up firm stock price in the market that will also raise their position. It is very essential at
that stage where organization need to expand their business and service or product line. By
following some stages company will build a successful brand image in the marketplace better
than the others.
Finding market place: Before making any decision for building brand successful organizations
need to understand its current market position and customers experience towards their products.
Through this process they get all the details about them which help in taking decision about that
particular thing. Firm will try some techniques to know about clients thought regarding goods
like talk to people about product and service.
Determine target audience or market: Customers is the most important part of successful
business because they help them in increasing profit. Thus, before making any plan
organization has to determine target audience needs that impact on building brand image in
market. Through this method firm know about people preference and demand that help them to
offer their best product according to their requirements.
Define brand vision and mission: Define clear vision and mission firms gain customers trust
that is very important to build successful brand. By setting organization mission they basically
reflect its purpose and motive with the same.
Research competitors: Competitors impact on business growth and success, they affect the
whole strategy and plans of organization. Companies must need to identify their competitor in
market that help to know about their plan. Before this analyzing they make their strategies that
help in the process of building brand more successful than others.
Design different and attractive logo: Logo is likely one of the first things that come up in
mind of people where they think about brand. Organizations need to design attractive and
different type of logo that gain the attention of people.
Implement plan or strategies: Companies need to implement new strategies or make new
plans that help to grow and strengthen brand more than the others. For example, PR strategy is
one of the best technique that provide placements in accurate channels such as print interviews
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and television.
Role of marketing department
In the organization marketing department play vital role in business success and growth of
productivity. They promote business and drive its products or services sales higher than the
another. In other words, they help in promoting mission and facilities of business or firm
through this they build their reputation in marketplace. Marketing department provides
necessary research to analyze target consumers as well as other peoples. The main function of
this department is to reach out at prospects, investors, attract customers and community, while
creating an image in better way that represents brand in positive ways. Developing, improving,
designing, maintaining and acquiring service and products are the functions of this section that
has to meet with customer needs. They create different strategies and promotional plans for
promoting organization products. Managing and monitoring social media is one of the major
part of their functions they need to manage firm social media page and update it within include
accurate information.
MAIN BODY
Strategy for strengthen brand equity
Brand equity resides in mind of customers, it is a term of promoting products that reflects
marque perception and value. Keller's brand equity model support Apple to improve and
strengthen their brand image better than its competitors in business.
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Five stages of this model-
Brand identity: Before making any plans or strategies Apple wants to create different identity
and image for its brand that helps clients to understand and recognized brand clearly. Through
this process firm will strengthen their marque name that is very beneficial for their business.
This procedure is based on identification of company logo and name that truly help customers
to understand what its brands stands for and how they satisfied them according to their demand.
Brand meaning: This stage defines organization brand that will begin to build trust and loyalty
within its target and other audience. It helps to determine purpose and aim of brand and also
identify the place where they stand for in the market. This process is based on two strong pillars
of imagery and performance. It supports company to communicate with target people which
strengthen its brand equity more than now.
Brand response: Brand has been evaluator and compared by clients to another's on parameters
of superiority, quality and credibility. Therefore, to analyze individual needs company resolve
their problems and accomplish its needs which help to improve the issues areas that make their
brand stronger.
Brand relationship: It is the top stage of pyramid that reflect relationship between customers
and brand. Thus, after crossing all the level successfully consumers deeply conned with the
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Illustration 1: Keller's Brand Equity Model
(Source: Keller’s Brand Equity Model, 2018)

brand and continually purchase its products that maximize their profit margin. By build good
connection with people organization attract audience more than now and occupied them for
long time.
Strategy for reinforcing
Maintain marque consistency company will create their positive image and reputation in
market. This is one of the best strategy that make business more powerful and stronger than its
competitors in marketplace. The main purpose of reinforcing refers to the activity that
associated with acquiring this customer's who tried to buy products for particular brand. By this
process organization attract current and new consumers towards them.
Brand extension strategy
Marketing is the best strategy that Apple apply for strengthen brand extensions in which they
advertise its products and services within developing good image that firm uses in same brand
name or logo for various products' category. Samsung also follow this strategy for brand
extension that increase its productivity and profitability more than others. They can reinforce
and extend brand through marketing.
Strategy for overcome within brand crisis or revitalizing brands
Revitalizing brands needed either that lost origin of brand equity are resized or their new source
are established and identified. Fortifying is the best strategy that enhance brand in term of
perception and awareness. Apple adapts this method at the time where its products gain at
maturity stage of profit fallen down and maturity level of product get lower.
CONCLUSION
Branding is the most essential tool or techniques of marketing sector that help to improve or
build company position in marketplace. Merchandise, logo and customer service are the areas
that used for developing brand. Thus, by using different types of strategies company will build
up their brand image or strengthen their position in better way. Marketing department give their
support and play their functions effectively that help to run the process successfully. Through
branding organization develop trust and loyalty among people which is very difficult to do so. It
will change the whole precept of customer towards brand and drive firm business in the way to
success. Products and services of company are recognized by branding that is very important
for them. Marketing sector apply many techniques and make different types of strategy
including other tools like promotion and advertisement that help to run business and achieve
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goals.
TASK 2
1. Brand portfolio strategy of Apple
House of brands model will apply by firm for brand portfolio for measuring their position
and reputation of brand in market. Apple is considered in one of the biggest four of technology
along with Facebook and google. The organization's hardware products include the iPad tablet
computer, iPhone smartphone, iPod portable media player etc. that they offer its consumers for
make them satisfied and happy with purchase. By using different strategies or tools firm
strengthen their brand that maximize profit and developed its brand position in market more than
others (Lin, 2015). They adapt brand portfolio strategy for raising sales and reducing risks. It has
many brands that consist its clarity, relevance and connection in synchronize way.
By Strengthen brands Apple build their good image and position in marketplace that gain
customers attraction towards their products. This process is based on two sides negative or
positive that include risk and opportunities for business that directly effect on productivity and
profitability. Company use this method to keep manufacturing more brands within adopting or
implementing new plans or strategies. They apply this strategy for improving and operations
business activities or functions smoothly. Moreover, these efforts help them to raise needs that
make it stronger than competitors. Make successful portfolio strategy organization reduce risk
and gain the best opportunity that make profit. It provides goods at good prices and offers better
quality products that satisfy customers. Under this whole process they make modifications in its
operational management regarding needs of people and current trends in society that make Apple
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more popular than anyone. It is a long term process that take time but turn business toward
success and growth.
BCG Matrix is one of the best model that help to measure the best strategic place of firm
brand portfolio and their ability. It is the portfolio planning model which based on observation
that organization's business group will classify into four categories based on market share
relative to the biggest competitors, combination of market growth and the name of growth share.
Boston Consulting group's products portfolio matrix is configured to help with long time period
strategic planning, to help company consider growth opportunities by viewing their portfolio of
goods to decide where they want to invest and do not develop more product or stop its goods.
STAR
This is the first stage of BCG matrix that include the star or popular products of Apple
that consistently make their good image in market. It produces its products or service for gaining
more profit in business, they introduce goods in market for increasing large market growth and
share that build their image stronger than others. Company launched their best product like iPad
and iBooks in which they include more features that grab the attention of target audience.
QUESTION MARK
It presents business status or product level in which they have low market share and
located in high growth organization. Apple produce Apple TV that is not been able to gain
positive reactions of customers. This product earns low money and have negative cash flow, but
still it was on demand. Thus, to make these goods better, organization need to apply their best
strategy such as analyze to determine where their business will be grow into star.
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CASH COW
This is the third stage of BCG model that represents business group having a large market
share in mellow, slow growing industry (Morhart and et.al., 2015). Apple I phone, I watch and
MacBook gain market profit and growth more than other products that build their position and
reputation. Through offer this product they generate high profit margin. In these products they do
not need to change anything or make any creativity because it was stable and people liked it
more than other brands.
DOG
Apple produces many products but some of its goods does not gain profit and has low
cash flow that cannot generate more profits. Their market share is low and have negative cash
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Illustration 2: BCG Matrix Model
(Source: BCG Matrix Model, 2018)