Apple Inc. Marketing Plan Analysis: Strategies and Recommendations

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Apple Inc.'s marketing strategies. It begins with a background of the company, outlining its history, mission, and market positioning. The report then delves into the application of marketing principles, including the 7Ps of marketing, SWOT analysis, segmentation, targeting, and positioning. It examines Apple's marketing planning and tactics, including its use of Porter's Generic Strategies (differentiation, cost leadership, and focus) and the 5S strategy. The report also covers digital marketing strategies and includes recommendations for future marketing efforts. The analysis explores the success of Apple's marketing approaches and provides insights into its competitive advantages. The report is based on the student's understanding of marketing principles and their application to a real-world business case.

Principles and Practice
of Marketing

TABLE OF CONTENTS
BACKGROUND OF APPLE INC. ................................................................................................3
Introduction .....................................................................................................................................4
Question 1........................................................................................................................................4
Question 2......................................................................................................................................14
RECOMMENDATION ................................................................................................................14
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................16
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................17

BACKGROUND OF APPLE INC.
Apple is an American technology business and their headquarters in California, Cupertino that
develops, design as well as sells computer software, consumer electronics and online services.
They provide hardware items like Smartphone, iPad table & personal computer, iPhone and
other products. It was found in April 1976 and formed by Steve jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve
Wozniak to sell as well as improved personal computer. It is a public company in UK and all
over the world (Baron and et. al., 2017). Main aim of this organisation is to give better services
and innovative goods to their potential and target buyers in order to fulfil buyer’s satisfaction.
They have are different number of location such as is 498 retail store in recent year 2017. Their
revenue and operating income are $215 billion, $60.024billion in year 2016. The company
employs 116000 staff in its stores around the globe. The mass employment of by the company is
done merely for the reason to strengthen the enterprise to earn more and achieve high
productivity and profitability in systematic manner.
Their subsidiaries such as File Maker Inc., Beats Electronics, Anobit Braeburn Capital,
Apple Energy etc. They used differentiation strategies to separate their products in marketplace
and from their rivals. They also apply integration schemes in their vertically integrated which is
essential to monitor all the critical aspects of their chain. Branding strategies which is also
significant for the mentioned business in order to vie across some high aggressive markets. They
completely depend on the buyer’s loyalty, better reputation as well as luxurious commodity
which is important to attract large number of the customers. They use premium pricing strategies
in their innovative and better products which is beneficial for both organisation and their
employees to attain high revenue.
It will support and sustain the good image of Apple as well its products. Generic strategy
of the cited firm which is directly link to marketing and pricing and another areas of the
organisation. Use of this, it is best advantage of the industry against another enterprise like:
BlackBerry, LG, Samsung (Bledsoe and et. al., 2016). Positioning and Segmentation targeting
of the brand of Apple, it is mainly divided into three segments first is Music lovers, professional
& even teenagers and at last its crowd who uses the company’s services and products such as
Apple Watch, TV as well as they also use Pay and IBooks etc. Mission of the organisations: Man
is the generator of modify in all over the world. In this way, he or she should maintain the
structure and system & never assistant to them. We are focusing on innovative and believes in
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simple never the complex. The company’s vision is very simple and is to provide innovative
products in order to fulfil buyer’s satisfaction level.
Introduction
Marketing is define as a social process by which organisations and individuals acquire
what they want and need through exchanging as well as creating value with another. It is the
activities for communicating, offering and delivering different products and services to buyers.
Principals of marketing is identify as a 7P's which is very important for the organisation to
achieve high profit. In this way each and every business apply communication channel such as
promotion, publicity and advertisement etc.
This report is based on Apple Inc. is a multinational technology business in UK and US.
7P's of marketing, Ansoff Matrix, Porter's Generic strategies will be used in this assessment.
Marketing plan of the cited company is also described in this report. The main purpose of this
file is to identify all strategies of the company in order to provide new products and services to
the customers. In this study different methods will be used to fulfil buyer’s satisfaction level and
achieve high productivity.
Question 1
Marketing Planning and tactics at Apple:
Marketing planning of Apple:
Company information: Apple is founded in year 1976 and formed by Steve Jobs, Ronald
Wayne. Their headquarters in UK, California and Cupertino as well as provide different products
such as iPhone, iPod, Watch, Home Pod and other items.
Goals of the Apple:
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 Expand future marketplace.
 Improve great products
 Develop MAC, iPhone, iPad, iPod and software (Fill and Turnbull, 2016).
 Beginner collaboration with linking companies
 Give the buyers what they need and want.
SWOT ANALYSIS
Strengths Weaknesses
 Byers loyalty
 Strong brand identity
 Leading innovation in their mobile
devise
 Billion in cash
 outstanding quality
 High price
 Several user of company which find the
innovative technology hard to use
 Price is very high in bad economy
Opportunities Threats
 High demand for innovative goods
version
 Smartphone and tablet growth in
marketplace
 Growing and developing interest in
new technology in whole generations

 Imitation products
 Top 3 competitors such as Amazon,
Google, Samsung.
SEGMENTATION, POSITIONING, TARGETING
Segmentation Positioning& Targeting
Geographical: 254 stores in
UK or US selling different
products such as iPod.
Demographic: Segments to
women or men as well as
whole generation.
 Undifferentiated targeting schemes (Bledsoe and et. al.,
2016). Goods are targeted towards middle and upper
class individuals or households who are application
advanced.
 Position of the Apple is itself in target place while
providing goods that are better and bigger than their
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Psychographic: Person
purchase different items
because of the name of brand
is regarding imagination and
lifestyle.
challenger's
Budget:
 Break- even analysis which is assumes wholesale profit of $500 per unit and variable cost
is $250. Fixed cost is $ 50 million. Calculation of BEP is $ 50.
 This tool which instigated profitable after the sales exceeds 200K. 1.25 billion profit
which is fixed
Apple is a multinational company in United Kingdom, US they provide different
products and services to their potentials as well as targets market. They have different branches
in various location which is essential for the company in order to achieve high productivity and
profitability at large (Baron and et. al., 2017). The main purpose of this business to give
innovative items and creative services to their buyers in fulfil buyer’s satisfaction. Mainly firm is
targeted only middle and upper level management which is important for the company to gain
long as well as short term objectives in a systematic manner. Company use different kind of
communication channel such as advertisement, personal selling, sales promotion, public relation
etc. these are very essential factor which is attract large number of the purchaser. They provide
phones to their target as well potential buyers in the market. The need and want of their to
achieve innovative features in iPod and other items. The business should be tray to give full
attention to their clients in a systematic manner.
Marketing tactic and Gap Marketing tactics define as an approach of promoting the products
and services of an organisation with the objective of maximising sales as well as sustaining
aggressive goods (Everett, 2016). There are different points of the success which should be
applied by the Apple In their business such as defining services and products, identifying target
markets, knowing competitions, finding a niche, developing awareness, building credibility,
being consistent, sustaining focus etc.
Defying their items: Company should try to identify their innovative products and
services to their potentials & target customers. It is very important for the organisation to cover
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their gap which aroused in the last five years. In this way they use different kind of promotion
mix such as advertisement, publicity and sales promotion.
Identify target market: In this form Apple should try to analyse their target market.
Their target market customer is middle and upper income level of buyers (Fill and Turnbull,
2016). They can try to expand their business by also targeting lower level group.
Knowing competition: It is very important part of the fulfilling gap and achieving high
productivity & profitability. There are different kind of substitutes of the cited business which
are existence in same markets such as Samsung, Sony, Nokia, Palm, Motorola and biggest
challengers in the likes of BlackBerry etc. Every organisation provides the same products and
services to their customers. Therefore Apple should know the marketing strategies to apply when
it comes to competing with their rivalries.
Finding a niche: In this, an organisation should be able to identify the passions and
interest areas which is important to close the marketing planning gap (Hollensen and Opresnik,
2017). Apple is a multinational telecom firm that face different problems in their company due to
financial condition and poor management. They research their competitor and target market.
With the help of this strategies industry focus on efforts of marketing.
Marketing mix: It is one of the main and essential strategies of the organisation. With
the use of this they can reduce their problems regarding products, price, promotion and their
process.
Developing awareness: It is very difficult for a buyers to purchase products and services.
In this way company should be able to fulfil buyers’ needs and wants due to their awareness.
With the use of this each and every clients are alert regarding their commodity.
Goals/ targets and Strategies
Strategy 1
Porter's Generic strategies: Apple Inc., used this methods in their business, it is very beneficial
and important approach of the company to identify their SWOT analysis. It includes strength,
weakness, opportunity and threats etc. This technique is board differentiation because it focuses
on company and its items from challengers. With the use of this cited enterprise stands out in
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marketplace (Jobber and Ellis-Chadwick, 2012). For example: grandness on elegant plan
combined high- end branding and user-friendliness which is effectively distinguish the business.
The aim of Apple is to fix itself from their competitors not only by prices but also several
features which is beneficial top buyers. This strategies includes four points which are as follows:
Illustration 1: Porter's Generic Strategy
(Source: New strategies of the Apple, 2016)
Low cost giver: In the cited firm’s existent, there is a need and demand for minimum
budget of consumer electronic items. So it will include and designed such as iMac and iBook
Computers in order to meeting basic requirements of buyers due to computer and their model
cost which is also very low.
Broad Differentiation Strategies: Apple Inc. mainly focus on this method because it is
beneficial to attracting large number of the buyers related to the products. With the use of this,
business producing their items for 2 kind of market segments (Lawrence, 2016). One is
beginners or initial user and another is sophisticated professional.
Best cost providers: It is another which is used by Apple and provide to consumer due to
best products and possible services in a specific package i.e. iPod Digital sound & musical player
incorporation.
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Focused differentiation strategies: Above determine, company is mainly focus on two
market. So in this way all computers for less complexed and beginners while for occupational
group, commuters are planned to order to meeting their needs and requirements in an effective
manner
Strategy 2:
The 7ps matrix: It defines the marketing mix strategies which is beneficial to Apple in order to
grow and succeed in the market. This method will be include 7 P's such as price, place,
promotion, product, placement, people, process and physical evidence etc.
1. Product: They manufactures, sell and design technological devices like: smartphone,
iPhones, iPad tablets, Portal personal computer, Mac desktop, medial player and digital
music. Apple Inc., also creates their revenues via iTunes & Mac App Store, Apple pay &
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iCloud. They also launch OSX, iOS operating as well as application system software
range such as iWork and iLife.2. Place: Company sell their all products and services in all over world such as global
market i.e. online & retail stores, straightforward sales force and third party network
carriers, value- added merchandiser, retailers and whole sellers (Raj and et. al., 2017). In
year 2016 their net sell through indirect as well as direct communication and distribution
channel for 25% or 75% of total sell respectively.3. Price: There are different strategies such as premium, geographical and price skimming
scheme in their business. But Apple only use Premium strategy. In September 2016, it
was noted that the smallest model of phone which is used by the firm in the year before
was iPhone 6 with 32 GB and it is now available with 128 GB.
4. Promotion: The main aim for a company to promote their products is due to awareness
of customers demand. Apple heavily advertised their iPhone in year 2007. Expectation of
investor and buyers, due to reputation which rose the stock price (Schmalstieg and
Hollerer, 2016). In this, they use different kinds of promotion mix such as advertisement,
public relation, online selling and publicity. From the same, brand response: user team
word of mouth, media exploitation and packaging etc.
Illustration 2: 7P's of Marketing
(Source: Marketing Mix of Apple, 2016)
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5. People: It is very important part for every company who play essential role in achieving
long as well as short term goals and objectives in a systematic manner. Key person such
as Stephen P. Jobs is a CEO at Apple, Inc., of the Executive Board. The main aim of
company is to provide innovative products with latest features to their customers.6. Process: Company seek to pull its potential and target market due to promotion mix,
public relation section, advertising image which analysed better position in market (Scott
and et. al., 2017). They converts innovative buyers and bonded their loyalty in a
corporate which emphasis on buyer’s services. At the end of the day, organisation expand
their business as well distribution channel, it is considering Wal-Mart.
7. Physical: In modem shop, consumers expects high level of satisfaction within the
products being sold to them. In order for Apple to provide sales and services to its
customers, their products are sold globally. Yet still, some customers’ expectations are
not met in some areas. This factor includes ear phone leads, style, bright colour and
packaging etc.
Strategy 3:
McKinsey's 7s's: Apple Inc., created this model in 1980 (Apple McKinsey 7S Framework,
2017). It is very beneficial and important method which is used by each and every organisation
in attaining long term goals and objectives (Sirois, 2016). It includes seven parts which are as
follows:
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Illustration 3: McKinsey 7s's
(Source: Apple McKinsey 7S Framework, 2017)
1. Structure: The shape of their structure is skeleton. Traditionally it is division with
different layers and departments, in which lower level management answer to upper
administration. During the day their construction is flat where all employees work
together (Stallings, 2016). With the support of this, an enterprise is much flexible in order
to develop employee’s power which eliminates the middle layers.2. Strategy: It is define as an action course and plan in allocating all resources to attain
objectives over time. Usefulness strategy which is not good for the company because it
creates different issues. With the use of this position organisation transform present to
new position which is described in the goals.3. System: It is a routine procedures which is precede within an enterprise to utilize the
scheme as well as run day to day. These are chiefly planned to achieve large number of
the effectiveness. Higher level management of Apple which make appropriate judgement
in reducing all problems. Business are using innovative technology and innovation to
make better process in decision making speedy as well increasingly.4. Staff: An organisation have different kind of persons such as sales people and engineers.
Apple have putting large emphasis on recruiting the talented staff (Weil and et. al., 2016).
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