North Wales Business School: Apple Inc. Case Study Analysis

This case study analyzes Apple Inc.'s communication strategies in relation to its marketing objectives. It begins with an introduction and background of Apple, highlighting its core values and integrated communication approach. The analysis section delves into Apple's integrated marketing communication (IMC) strategy, exploring its use of sales promotions, events, public relations, social media, and direct marketing. The study examines how Apple's unique marketing campaigns, focus on innovation, and customer-centric approach have contributed to its brand equity and market success. It discusses Apple's use of both push and pull strategies, its emphasis on creating market hype, and its targeted customer positioning. The conclusion summarizes Apple's successful IMC strategy, highlighting its innovation-based approach, unique promotional techniques, and effective use of social media and public relations. The study also acknowledges Apple's challenges in social media communication compared to its competitors and emphasizes the need to adapt to the preferences of younger generations. The report is supported by various references.

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A case study of Apple Incorporation
Student ID
Department North Wales Business School
Module title
Module code BUS7B33
Level 7
Year of study 2021-22
Module Leader

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Contents
Introduction-.............................................................................................................................3
Background-...........................................................................................................................3
Analysis-..................................................................................................................................4
Conclusion-.............................................................................................................................5
References-.............................................................................................................................6

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Introduction-
This report aims at analysing the company’s communication strategies in relation to
marketing objectives. For which, Apple Incorporation is selected.
Background-
Apple incorporated is a renowned technology company producing iPhones, iPad,
and gadgets. Founder and former CEO Steve job found this company in 1976.
Company offers a wide range of technology products. company’s core values are
pointed at social contribution, quality, good management and team spirit, (Pooja,
2020). As a communication strategy, company uses integrated communication
strategy which includes popularising its products and targets marketing objective of
continuous growth, (Dudovskiy, 2021). Apple is known as most innovative and was
ranked one in global ranking of innovation list during 2021, (Ang, 2021). It shas
marked many bench marks and in last financial year was listed on 6th position in
fortune global list and generate a revenue of $ 274,515 million. Company is aimed at
becoming most innovative and well-known brand around the globe for its prestigious
value and advancement. Hence company uses innovative communication strategies
and adopted integrated communication system for communication mix.
Below is the analysis of Apple’s communication strategies and its alignment with its
marketing objectives which is done using secondary data analysis using qualitative
method. It reflects the impact of communication strategies adapted by Apple
Incorporates and how it has affected the company’s performance and growth till now.
Analysis-
Integrated marketing communication is a strategy which combines different
strategies like public relations, social media strategies, business development
principles and advertisement in to making brand equity which remains same across
all the channels or mediums (Kitchen & Burgmann, 2010). Apple’s marketing
communication stance is based on communication mix of sales promotions, events,
public relations (PR), direct marketing, social media marketing and direct sales,
(Dusoviskiy, 2021). Companies convey its marketing object by using these strategies
and focuses on delivering good customer experiences, (Brinda, 2014). Cusomono,

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(2010), highlighted Apple’s aim behind its communication mix, it stated that company
wants to spread its message through this and focuses on consistency of the
message spread among its customers.
According to Wonglimpiyarat, (2012), Apple uses pull strategies for all of marketing
communication strategies. In contrast to which, Cusumono, (2010), mentioned that
Apple uses push and pull mix for its marketing techniques.
Apple is renowned for its innovation and strong hold on research and development
emphasis. It emphasises on its minimalistic approach with a very impressive
technologically advanced products hence company do-not promote its price,
features, quality or technology, rather it centres its marketing techniques to focus on
creating the hype in the market with full of suspense on market launches and price
speculations, (Casale, 2017). Its history of unusual and successful marketing
campaign made sensation over period like ‘’1984’’ campaign of the company
directed by Ridley Scott is still believed to be one of the most successful campaigns
in the history. Other than this, ‘’40 years in 40 seconds’’ viral video became
sensational hit on social media, (Brinda, 2014).
Tien, (2019) argued on the Apple’s customer target and positioning focusing only on
prestigious customers, as the company do-not target the low- or middle-income
groups and keeps prices out of their reach, he argued that company’s
communication marketing needs can-not be full-filled using visual media like TV and
Radio, because its customers are way to busy working hard to earn that much to
afford an Apple product. In contrast to this, Duvoskiy, (2021), highlighted that
companies. IMC social media strategies are responsible for attracting young
students and customers to buy their products. he further argued that social media
marketing communication strategies costs less and are very influential, hence are
one of the best communication tools for any company to maintain public relations
and customer retentions.
Holm, (2006) mentioned the social media communication strategies and use of
Twitter as a mode of promotion as well as rival encounter by the company. Apple
bring many faulty products in to notice of customers by tweeting their issues and

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accidents occurred due to Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and washing machines blast,
(Salvis, 2017). As for the direct selling and sales promotions are concerned,
company gives insurance and one year warranty to all of its customers which enable
company to accept any faulty product back from the customer and replace it with a
new one immediately. These service and best customer experience-oriented
marketing communication techniques are the reason, competitors still trying to beat it
in many ways but are still unable to do so even after years of competition,
(Dudovskiy, 2021).
Conclusion-
The analysis of Apple’s communication strategies indicates that company use
integrated marketing communication as a strategy which enables company to stand
out from all of its customers. The above analysis enables to conclude that Apple’s
integrated marketing communication (IMC) is also innovation based and company
ses very unique promotional and advertisement techniques. Like Apple never
focuses on mentioning products’ features, prices and comparisons in front of
customers, but has developed a brand equity where customer already assumes
company to be selling best product in the market for the given price.
Company successfully uses social media, sustainability marketing, public relation,
personal selling etc as a communication mix which is backed up by the innovation
and creativity of the company. Company’s marketing objective is to popularise its
product launches and head towards immense growth in consistency, which it is
gaining through its communication mix strategies. Their customers, rivals eagerly
wait for their product launches and there is always a buzz in the market before
launching of Apple products and leakage of information over media or internet which
increases the curiosity among customers.
But Apple lacks at hold on social media communication strategies and is still behind
than its competitors in this segment, company need to hold this because of
increasing share of young customers of Apple’s target audience. Specially
millennials and generation Z (people born between 1995-2010), are the tech
generations, and companies adapting to social media strategies to target them.

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References-
Brindha, G., (2014). Integrated marketing communication strategies of apple and
samsung. International Journal of Research and Development—A Management
Review, pp.68-71.
Casale, J. (2017). Why is Apple’s Marketing Just So Darn Good? [online] The Daily
Egg. Available at: https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/why-is-apples-marketing-good/.
Dudovskiy, J. (2021). Apple Marketing Strategy: A Brief Overview. [online] Research-
Methodology. Available at: https://research-methodology.net/apple-marketing-
strategy-an-overview/#:~:text=Apple%20marketing%20strategy%20expresses
%20the.
Kitchen, P.J. and Burgmann, I., 2010. Integrated marketing communication. Wiley
international encyclopaedia of marketing.
Pooja, B.C., 2020. An Organization Study Report Of Apple Inc (Doctoral dissertation,
CMR Institute of Technology. Bangalore).
Salvis, J. (2017). Apple Company: Integrated Marketing Communication Strategy |
Business Paper Example. [online] Business-Essay.com. Available at:
https://business-essay.com/apple-company-integrated-marketing-communication-
strategy/.
Tien, N.H., 2019. International distribution policy comparative analysis between
samsung and apple. International journal of research in marketing management and
sales, 2020(1), p.2.
Wonglimpiyarat, J., 2012. Technology strategies and standard competition—
Comparative innovation cases of Apple and Microsoft. The Journal of High
Technology Management Research, 23(2), pp.90-102.