Case Study: Marketing Analysis of Apple Inc. Operations

This case study delves into the marketing strategies of Apple Inc., examining key concepts and terminology, including branding, product strategy, and organizational culture. It identifies the role of marketing strategies and programs in achieving Apple's objectives, focusing on their vision, mission, financial, and non-financial goals. The study explains how marketing concepts and principles, particularly the 7Ps of the marketing mix (Product, Place, Promotion, Process, People, Price, and Physical Evidence), are applied in Apple's daily operations, highlighting their retail and online sales channels, and their approach to product design, pricing, and customer experience. It also explores the relationship of marketing functions to other functional areas within Apple, emphasizing the importance of effective communication, customer relationships, and advertising. The study concludes with recommendations and a summary of Apple's marketing approach.

CASE STUDY

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................3
a) Key marketing concepts and terminology applied in Apple Inc.............................................3
b) Identify the role of marketing strategies and programs in achieving Apple Inc's objectives 5
c) Explain how marketing concepts and principles are used in Apple Inc's daily organisational
operations....................................................................................................................................6
d) Explain the relationship of marketing functions to other functional areas in Apple Inc .......7
RECOMMENDATION...................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Marketing concept is a very important for any organisation as it involves performing
work in accordance with customer's needs and wants. Market place is very dynamic in nature and
keeps on changing with time. Every business organisation have to draft such policies and
procedures that best suit their organisation. The company included is this project is Apple Inc,
which is a top most company in mobile sector. It delivers various services or products in form of
icloud, app store, iPhone, iPad, computers etc. Its main objective and aims is to deliver best
services to their customers in market area. They also deals in retain sector. This report highlights
the several marketing concepts, the important role played by marketing strategies with a focus of
obtaining the final objectives in given time period. The use of 7P's is also mentioned in
marketing process which is adopted by Apple Inc. The significance of various marketing
functions that are interrelated with each other is also focused.
MAIN BODY
a) Key marketing concepts and terminology applied in Apple Inc.
There are number of marketing concepts which are used by Apple company in order to
perform their marketing procedure. As it is consider most reliable company in this field and has
to perform their functions in order to make their final clients happy so that they become satisfied
with their services and show loyalty to them. It is very essential to maintain a healthy
relationship with the customers so that they excel in their areas and enjoy sustainable market
growth as well as share. There is added advantage enjoyed by this company band is that they
have full favourable from customer's side. The clients can connect themselves with the devices
that are provided by this company thus, they enjoy stable position which cannot be beaten by any
other company in same field (Rosenbloom, 2012). Organisational culture also plays a very
crucial role in enhancing the performance of individual as they work in the business institution as
the working environment impacts the productivity of people in number of ways.
Branding is a essential concept used in marketing process which define as the action of
developing name, symbol, or any design which is used to differentiate from products of other
company. The brand strategy of Apple Inc involves many dimensions including what, where,

how, when, to whom the strategy of the institution is to be applied or implemented(Boone, and
Kurtz, 2013). Decisions related to channel of distribution of products is also featured under this
types of strategy. Product's strategy of apple Inc is described below:
 Offering products having superior quality along with premium offerings: there are
number of competitors available of Apple Inc, they have to consider all these conditions
and situations that has to cater the needs and wants along with their views in the market
area.
 “Great product strategy”: This type of strategy relies on offering quality goods along with
quantity. Apple always favour and concentrates the best they can offer to their clients. It
keeps on making improvements in their existing products or services.
 Keep on updating their current product's features: Apple Inc, keeps on making changes in
their current products like they launch new and advanced version of iPhone.
Product Strategy: It involve various methods and ways through which they deliver products to
their customers (Tomczak, Reinecke, and Kuss, 2018). Apple Inc sold approximately 211.8
million I phones in 2016 financial year and and have strong product strategy that make them
strong in current market place. They offer variety of products that include iPhones, iPods, tablets,
smartphones that have distinctive features. They are coming up with installation of devices with
Siri.
Branding Strategy
The branding strategy of Apple Inc can be described in three stages which is mentioned
below:
 Technical Aspects: On the technical level, Apple present their technology through
offering number of hardware and software in the form of high speed, high definition
quality, easy set up of stores. This implies that huge investments are made by Apple Inc,
in reference to modify technical level of this sector.
 Functional Aspects: Apple provide number of functions to their customers or clients in
form of obtaining information, providing direction, having customer support, contact to
close ones.
 Emotional Aspects: It is very essential to have a emotional attachment with the brand that
have to be attached with their instincts. On the other hand, it has been impossible without
considering above two levels (Hill, 2012.).

Another branding strategy involve coming up with innovative and advanced
products in highly competitive market area. They render huge challenges and competetion for
other competitors.
Promotional Strategy
Apple Inc, believes that they want to carry out the operation with simpleness and do not
want to include any complex matter which can confuse the clients in market place. They
maintain that final messages and content matter that has to be conferred in front of the consumers
should not involve any complex substance that are not accepted by any people. Hence, they
always wanted to showcase with delivering advertisement with sophisticated background and
appealing music (Abraham, 2013). They promote their products through organising number of
campaigns to mass people. They also make arrangements of search advertisements which enable
customers to discover various distinctive features on the app store (Khan, Dongping, and Wahab,
2016).
Organisational Culture Of Apple Inc
Organisational culture is a fundamental element for Apple. They always work in respect
to employee's capability and make them motivate to work efficiently and effectively. They are
taught to be innovative and is appreciated for the same. They also align their final objectives and
aims with the changing needs that are continuously introduced in competitive business
environment. Each individual is trained and developed in accordance with the recent trends so
that they are able to meet current conditions appropriately. There are features of Apple inc
culture that are:
 Encourage creativeness among workers: It is the basic aim of organisation's culture of
apple Inc that they keeps on inducing innovative ideas and thoughts among workers.
 Best are selected: There is a policy in Apple Inc that only those employees will be choose
that stand apart from rest of the people and having unique capability in themselves.
Apple Inc have different culture during time of Steve Jobs and Tim Cook. According to
Steve Jobs they have many values that have to be followed by their employees to run the system
in successful manner. He promotes single culture system that must be aligned with proper

structure. According to Tim cook he has focused on hiring potential and experienced employees
into the organisational system so that they can able to earn ultimate goals in effective manner.
b) Identify the role of marketing strategies and programs in achieving Apple Inc's objectives
Every company works in accordance with the set mission and objectives that has to be
achieved by them in future. As Apple Inc is a well established organisation having distinctive
marketing strategy that are applied by them in practical market. Apple main objectives include
establishing distinct image in minds of customers.
Vision of Apple Inc: They want to build high quality products and services for their customers.
They offer simple products and establish sustainable market growth and share. They always want
to work with innovation and excellence.
Mission: Their main mission involve grabbing of opportunity that is present in business
environment. It is very much specific that involve coming up with new and advanced iPods and
iTunes online store.
Financial objectives include earning high profits and outcomes so that they can have high
turnover in financial year.
Non-financial objectives: It include growing the company to sustainable level and serve best
quality products to their customers in order to satisfy their desires.
Short term objectives:
 To supply recent technology products to their customers that are present in market place.
 To improve their image continuously.
Long Term objectives:
 To consider feedbacks from customers and make improvements accordingly.
 To be well established company with sustainable market growth and share.
 To be amongst best out of many competitors (Charter, 2017).
Several marketing strategy that are adopted by Apple Inc in order to satisfy the needs and wants
of people, some are discussed below:
 Convert ordinary into something unique: Apple Inc not only focuses on characteristics of
operating systems but also on continuous emergence of design standards. Working on
this strategy they have introduced many products like new Macbook Air, iMac and

iPhone 4. hence, they always keeps on updating through focusing on entire goods offered
by them (Nyhan, and Aviv, Dynamic Logic, 2012).
 Establishing effective communication system with the consumers: Apple always believe
in communicating in simple language with their customers or final clients. The language
preferred by that company is that they use technical language but than too in simple way
so that it can be easily understood by members. This is the best strategy which is adopted
by Apple Inc, to market their products in the market.
 Explain the product's price in effective manner: It is very vital to inform the price of
products to the final consumers so that they become satisfied with the product for which
they are paying huge amounts. Although the cost of goods are relatively high but the
features and quality that they is high hence, people do not pose any problem in
purchasing there products (Liu, and Law, 2013).
 Broaden the Experience of working: Apple Inc, always prefer people to share their
experiences of using that products or services. This aid them to set up good image in
minds of customers for longer period of time and can able to retain them through building
conducive relationship with them.
 Establishing catchy advertisements for customers: Apple Inc, spent large amount of
expenditures on building advertisements in order to pull more and more customers in
market place. There are number of competitor in same industry that have to be taken into
consideration while forming particular strategies related to their marketing concepts or
elements.
The above mentioned marketing strategy is adopted by apple Inc in order to gain competitive
advantage in business environment (Pousttchi, and Hufenbach, 2014). The higher level of
management has to frame such policies or strategies that only aim to achieve higher growth in
market. There are number of competitors that are present namely
c) Explain how marketing concepts and principles are used in Apple Inc's daily organisational
operations.
Marketing concepts and principles is made up of seven elements that is also known as
marketing mix. It comprises of 7P's. Product, place, promotion, process, people, price and
physical evidence. All these elements has its own importance that are appointed by every

marketing department than only they can make decisions in respect to it. 7P's of marketing mix is
described below:
 Product: Apple Inc offers variety of products to their final customers so that their needs
or wants get satisfied with time. They supply diverse models of smartphones, iPods,
personal computers, digital media players (Baker, 2016). They concentrates on designing
simple and suitable products in accordance with current and modern technology. It also
emphasis on continuous improvements in current products, so that final aims can be met
out. They have wide variety of products that include I phone, I pad, Mac, tablets and
smartphones in accordance to needs and desires of people.
 Place: This is a very important element of marketing that include sales channel through
which they deliver their products to final customers. Apple Inc have number of ways
through which they can deliver their services. Like they have retail and online store, on
the other hand they have contacts with wholesalers and retailers through which they can
able to reach ultimate consumers (Tsai, and Yang, 2013).
 Price: Apple Inc offers their products or goods on various pricing strategy that are
followed by business establishment. Like they implement price skimming, premium
pricing, geographical pricing strategy depending on different situations. It basically
concentrates on high class family as they provide variant features to them that helps them
to enjoy elite class position in society.
 Promotion: Apple Inc have distinctive policy of promoting their products or services.
They have number of policies that are adopted in form of advertising campaigns or offers
that are introduced by company in order to market their number of products. Promotional
activity is carried out by marketing department that has to be implied in accurate and
correct manner. Promotional activities involves lots of expenditure of company as they
have to make plans related to advertisement that has to be develop in proper manner.
 People: They are consider important assets of the company hence, they play important
and essential role to achieve final mission and vision of the company. It also include
customers or user that use company's products hence it become essential for them to keep
in mind their preferences so that they can meet their needs positively. The staff members
that are working in Apple Inc have to be imparted proper training and development
process so that they work with maximum productivity and efficiency.

 Process: The procedure of carrying out their process is highly dependent upon the type of
services they are offering to final customers (Wu, and Lin, 2016). There can be condition
of complaints that can arise in customer's minds and has to be met by Apple Inc in
effectual and economical mode. The process of producing products has to be
implemented with proper plans so that they can carry out their work of operations in
constructive technique.
 Physical Evidence: It involves the packaging process that are adopted by Apple Inc. The
physical evidence of the company can be consider by obtaining the experiences of people
or customers through online or any feedbacks that are provided by them. There can be
condition when customers are not satisfied with the services, this aspect is considered by
company to make improvements according to the wants (Bergvall-Kåreborn, and
Howcroft, 2013).
SEGMENTATION, TARGETING AND POSITIONING
These three are known as principle activities that are discussed below:
Segmentation: Under this step Apple Inc have to divide group of people. They basically find
out the target market which has to be focused continuously so that, they work in according to it.
It basically concentrates on groups that involve following segments of customers:
 one group of people include those who are music lovers.
 Teenagers
 High class family
Targeting: This step include selecting particular group of population in whole market, so that
selling activity can be performed. Apple Inc consider decisions related to quality and
performance improvements. Main target segment involve those population that are technology
savvy and are more focused on innovative quality, designs and recent technology
system(Erevelles, Fukawa, and Swayne, 2016).
Positioning: It refers to selecting the option from marketing mix option so that only those can be
selected that yields higher outputs and gains. Apple Inc use mono-segment method to position
their products. On the other hand they also position it by offering premium brand products and
services.
All the 7P's have to be properly consider by marketing manager in order to carry out their
operations according to demands that are prevailing in current market. Price, people, place,

physical evidence all these have to focused while drawing any plans related to products of
company organisation (Hartsfield, Johansen, and Knight, 2017).
d) Explain the relationship of marketing functions to other functional areas in Apple Inc
Marketing is a concept that is associated with other functional areas of organisational
system known as Finance, Human resources, operational field, production etc. in order to carry
out the operations of company is not solely dependent upon marketing department. But there are
other activities that are interlinked with each other. There are other divisions that are needed to
be coordinated in effectual mode. Some relation of marketing functions with other key areas are
described below:
 Marketing and Finance department: Finance division is develop to manage the various
expenditures and amount to be invested in number of areas related to advertisement or
providing salary, all these have to be maintained by this department. Similarly, marketing
department have to carry out diverse operations related to grabbing all those opportunities
that assists in earning huge financial gains and outcomes (Anzures, and Sabatelli, Apple
Inc, 2015.). Hence the focus area of finance is related with the finance department this is
how they are interlinked with each other. Apple Inc have a strong bond between these
two departments that need to be evaluated by management frequently so that there is no
conflict in each other in order to carry out the process in impelling means. Finance sector
of Apple Inc has to be correctly managed so that marketing department will no be
affected majorly. This department plays a major role and have so many responsibilities in
respect of the organisation. Financial manager has to draft such policies that will yield
them momentous outcomes. That will assist to earn huge profits.

(Source:Organisational chart, 2015)
 Marketing and production department: Both these divisions work together with
respect to align research and development procedure with the current trends that are
prevailing in the market place (Hou, Wu, and Du, 2017). On the other side, it has been
find out that marketing department mention point that has to be elongated to the
production department. This department is very much dependent on marketing area, as
only those products or goods will be manufactured that is having huge demands in market
place. Production department has to work in respect to marketing department, as they can
perform actions according to the customer's demand. Marketing divisions conduct
research work and than accordingly supply information to this section to produce
products accordingly(Sako, 2012).
 Marketing and Human Resource department: These functional areas have to work
together so that proper and accurate staff members are engaged at right place in
organisational system. There can be various positions that need to be filled in areas
Illustration 1: Organisational chart, 2015

related to research and increasing production reference point and most importantly they
have to build efficient sales team so that marketing function is performed in correct and
profitable mode (Yeung, 2014). Human resource department of Apple Inc have broader
scope in company that has to be properly aligned. The individuals that are recruited in
marketing team must possess high level of technical skills that has to be taken in
consideration by HR manager of Apple Inc so that decisions can be made in accordance
to it. Thus, it is primary to form policies and guidelines in accurate way.
 Marketing and Research & Development department: R & D department always
functions in accordance to marketing field. This sector always focus on continuous
performing research work in order to measure demand regarding particular products that
have to be finally met by Apple Inc.
From the above consideration it has been observed that there are functional areas that are present
in any organisation hence, they have to be interdependent with each other to render best of the
services to final customers (Homburg, Jozić, and Kuehnl, 2017). These functional divisions play
a very essential role that has to be unified in significant mode. In today's business world
marketing department of any organisation plays a very influential role, as company's sales
volume and revenue is totally depend on this subdivision(Bukhvalov, and Bukhvalova, 2011).
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been concluded that there are number of marketing concepts
or scope that has to be properly linked with each other so that they target in attaining final
objectives and aims of any organisation. Apple Inc has a well established image in minds of
customers and offer variety of products to their clients that pertain fulfilment of final needs and
wants. There are number of marketing strategies that are appointed by Apple Inc to market their
products in business world. It also highlights the relationship of marketing department with other
functional areas that include human resource, finance, production or research and development
sections of single organisation.