Apple Inc.: Innovation, Strategy, and Customer Focus Case Study

This case study examines Apple Inc.'s innovative strategies, focusing on how the company leverages its culture, customer-centric approach, and leadership to achieve global market success. The report analyzes the interplay of innovation and strategy, emphasizing the company's dedication to meeting customer needs and the supportive role of its employees. It explores how design thinking and platform strategy contribute to Apple's competitive advantage. The study also highlights the influence of Steve Jobs on fostering a culture of innovation, emphasizing simplicity and originality in product design. The report concludes by summarizing Apple's customer-centric innovation approach, which is a key element for its continued success. The case study also mentions the importance of a strong organizational culture that emphasizes creativity, employee empowerment, and the effective integration of customer feedback into the design and development processes.

Running head: APPLE CASE STUDY
APPLE CASE STUDY
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Executive summary
This repot will be discussing the importance of innovation process in the success of Apple Inc. in
the global market. This report is based on the case study focusing on the operation of Apple
where the company gets full support from its culture, customers and leadership to become one of
the most influential company having customer centric approach. This report has analyzed the
effect of innovation in the strategies of the company, the focus on the best serving the customers
and support from the employees in the innovation process. This report finally concludes with the
influence of the leader in the innovation process of the firm.

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Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................3
Discussion:.......................................................................................................................................3
Innovation and strategy work together at Apple:............................................................................3
Innovation approach for attaining customers’ needs:......................................................................4
Culture at Apple supporting innovation process:............................................................................5
Impact of Steve Jobs on innovation process:...................................................................................6
Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................6
References:......................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction:
The aim of this report is to discuss the innovation strategies applied by one of the most
important international corporation namely Apple Inc. This particular organization has used
various innovative methods and techniques to ensure competitive advantage within its market
place and meet its customer’s needs. This paper will be discussing the proper amalgamation of
innovation and strategy applied by Apple to attain the customers’ needs, how the working culture
of the organization has supported the innovation process and the influence of the CEO of the
company in successfully executing these innovation processes to achieve exceptional
competitive advantage in the global market.
Discussion:
Innovation and strategy work together at Apple:
Since its establishment in 1976, Apple Inc. has been considered to be on of the leading
integrator and designer of computer software and hardware (Thomke & Feinberg, 2012). Within
few decades the company changed the products like mobile phone, computer, music players and
the retail industries by the means of its terrific innovative processes in the product designing,
business model and attractive new stores. The company focusses on the game changing
innovations like iPhone, iPad, iPod and iTunes. These products have effective consistency that
gives leverage in the highly competitive international market. The design thinking process of the
company is completely innovation oriented that makes people fall in love with their Apple
products. The originality and simplicity of the design are the result of the strategic innovation of
the company.

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The company strategizes to create newer business spaces and newer market niches. This
includes its understanding of the trends, fashion and popularity of the time. This is the reason
why the company has focused on the designing of inside out which means that the products are
attracting and ineffable from outside and have greater utility from inside (Piao & Kleiner, 2015).
Thus, the company can easily eliminate what is superficial and captures the niche market. In
addition to this, Apple follows the platform strategy that connects the operation. This allows the
firm to put importance on the design, resources ad time in to the initial products so that this can
leverage the derivative products by using existing design elements in the platform. The
excellence in the execution process in the company leads to the implication of the strategies
more effectively that gives the products great competitive advantages in the competitive market
(Thomke & Feinberg, 2012).
Innovation approach for attaining customers’ needs:
Apple never thinks to design a product and then ask people to use them, rather it
understands the needs and usage gaps of the customers how they want to interact with their
products. The company insists to integrate the experience of the customers into the designing and
development processes (Payne, 2017). This is the reason why the engineers of the company work
hard to focus on the smallest of details so that the products remain simple minded but cater all
the needs. The company in designing softer for the computers, includes the participatory design.
This strategy, the engineers indulge in the usability tests that allow them to understand the
problems of the design and how they can make the deign simpler and more utilizable.
In the innovation process of the company, the customer support also has valuable place in
the organizational structure. As the company aims to design the best software and hardware in
the world, it incorporates value, accessibility, inclusion and privacy. The customers are

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empowered by the company through their innovative process. they find their own information
and share their opinions about the new products as well as their needs for changes in the
designing of the products. The innovation process of Apple also includes the research of the
responses of the customers in their technology (Piao & Kleiner, 2015). Apple is famous for its
customer centric innovation which much competitors do not understand. Others see the cost of
engaging in such process rather than the return on the investment items. However, the company’s
focus on allowing people to execute their creativity gives extra leverage in the global market and
gain immense popularity in the world.
Culture at Apple supporting innovation process:
The culture of the company greatly supports the creative innovation and involves
creativity or mindset to challenge the standards and conventions. Apple as depends upon the
cultural coherence, can determine competitiveness and industry leadership in addressing the
aggressive and technological innovation along with product development. The work culture of
Apple characterizes creativity, innovation, top notch excellence and moderate combativeness.
The organizational culture of the company has the policy to hire and manage the best from the
labor market (Brenner & Uebernickel, 2016). This particular tradition reinforces corporate
culture promoting appreciation and expectation of top-notch excellence among the employees.
This practices also pertains to the new ideas improving the business and products. The
management takes care of the sharing of knowledge, abilities and skills within the workplace.
The corporate culture enables Apple to ensure sufficient creativity among the employees
involving the product design and development process.
The culture of Apple Inc. effectively supports the rapid innovation process. base on the
cultural traits, the company effectively trains and motivates the employees to bring changes to

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support innovation in the individuals work performances and contributions to the product
development processes. The rapid innovation process ensures that the employees of the
organization effectively value the needs of the customers and believe in the innovative process
for gaining competitive advantage, the action of continuously introducing new products cannot
be possible (Thomke & Feinberg, 2012). The healthy corporate culture of the company helps it
to become profitable as well as attractive to the target customers.
Impact of Steve Jobs on innovation process:
The CEO of Apple Inc. Steve Jobs was considered to be the chief innovator of the
company. His influence and values to the designing process of the products of Apple has taken
the company to the utmost level of success. From his earliest days, Jobs was confident about his
design sense which was refined (Thomke & Feinberg, 2012). The company bore his sensibilities
and support the process by hiring the like-minded people. Jobs did not have any formal
engineering training which reflects his presences for no formal design training to the employees
which allow them to incorporate their own creative ideas to be reflected in the products of the
company (Brenner & Uebernickel, 2016). The talents and extensive experience of jobs has
inspired the employees at every level. However, in some cases, he has been referred to be
dictatorial, but reflect the demands arising from the distinctive visions of the meaning of Apple
Inc. and its products and processes. His belief in the simplicity to be the ultimate sophistication
has inspired his designers has helped to stand out of the competition in the international market.
Conclusion:
Therefore, it can be concluded that Apple has identified itself to be the best innovative
company in the world for years which has followed the customer centric approach for
innovation. The strategies of Apple support innovation so also its work couture. All the elements

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of the company effectively depend on the innovation process as this is the life line of Apple. This
is the reason why the leadership traits of Steve Jobs have also reinforced the innovation process
of the company.

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References:
Brenner, W., & Uebernickel, F. (2016). Design Thinking for Innovation. Research and Practice.
Payne, B. (2017). Brand Positioning and its Usefulness for Brand Management: the Case of
Apple Inc. Newcastle Business School Student Journal, 1(1), 51-57.
Piao, M., & Kleiner, B. (2015). Excellence in the Electronics Industry: The Comparison of the
Organizational Culture among Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics and Google Inc. Conflict
Resolution & Negotiation Journal, 2015(1).
Thomke, S., & Feinberg, B. (2012). Design Thinking and Innovation at Apple. Harvard
Business School Case 609-066, 1-14.