Richmond University: Apple's Strategic Marketing Planning Report

This report analyzes Apple's corporate and business strategic objectives, providing a comprehensive overview of its marketing strategies. It begins with an introduction to marketing planning and its significance, followed by a discussion of corporate and business strategies. The report then offers a brief history of Apple, highlighting its evolution and key milestones. The core of the report focuses on Apple's business and corporate objectives, including its goals for innovation, profit margins, and market share. It then applies relevant marketing theories, particularly the 4Ps of the marketing mix (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion), to illustrate how Apple achieves its objectives. The analysis examines Apple's product offerings, pricing strategies (including premium and freemium models), distribution channels, and promotional activities. The report concludes by summarizing Apple's successful implementation of strategic marketing and the benefits it has gained in terms of competitive advantages and brand image. The report references various academic sources to support its analysis.

STRATEGIC MARKETING
PLANNING

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................3
TASK ............................................................................................................................................................3
Above corporate tactic............................................................................................................................3
Overview of Business strategy.................................................................................................................3
Concisely provide history of Apple..........................................................................................................4
Business and corporate objectives ..........................................................................................................4
Usage of marketing theory to achieve venture objectives of Apple........................................................5
CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Marketing planning is defined as procedure that encompasses varied activities in term of
analyzing current situation relate to market and information about advertising opportunities,
choosing target customers, forecasting, identifying marketing objectives, etc. It also define as
starting point of all promotional and venture activities of a company. This term covers varied
activities along with above, which provides several benefits of organizations in different terms.
The current assignment will be based on Apple, which falls under list of aggressive growth
organizations in the world. The study will explain corporate and venture strategic objectives and
define use of relevant marketing theory.
TASK
Above corporate tactic
Corporate strategy-
A corporate tactic entails a well-defined, appropriate and long term vision which a
company like Apple set, to generate corporate value and encourage existing workforce to
increase their productivity which in return increase sales of brand and allow individual person to
achieve set aims (Feldman, 2020). It includes corporative actions with aim to reach at global
level and to achieve business objectives while gaining a competitive benefits. Corporate
strategies is considered as continuous procedure for example, STP and market entry, which
needs a constant attempts to engage venture investors with company for longer period and also
motivate them to trust firm with their money, thereby maximizing equity. It may pertain to
several aspects of company, yet tactics that most companies utilize are product differentiation
and cost leadership. Many firms in recent time are using corporate strategies to define their
vision and mission statements to outperform their competition.
Overview of Business strategy
A venture tactic is defined as set of all major decisions that management may take to
obtain desire outcomes in term of increasing sales, and customer base, which is quite essential
for any brand to maximize (Business Strategy, 2021). Individual action in this kind of set may
use to compete successfully within specific market, where a company like Apple has operated its
business in effective and systematic manner by using key resources, which provide benefits in

different manners. This course of action is understood as strategic direction which help company
in context of achieving particular venture objectives. Business strategies are used to gain
competitive edge and further opportunities relate to growth of firm. Blue ocean strategy is the
best example of business strategy, which made a company able to obtain competitive benefits.
Concisely provide history of Apple
Apple is the most successful international technology organization in the world. It was
established in 1 April, 1976 by university dropouts Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, who gotten to
new firm that vision is to change the way individual person viewed computers. It included in list
of big five organizations in the United State information tech sector, along with Microsoft,
Amazon, Google and Facebook. Apple has started its journey by launching first’s item and that
is Apple I which is a computer (Monden, 2020). The first product of organization was designed
by Wozniak. Steve Jobs is one of the entrepreneurs, who take initiative to support the innovation
and adopt creative ideas. He sold his own VW microbus to finance the first product of
organization. He sold it in just few hundred dollars, which is not beneficial and important for
him.
STP-
Segmentation-
In context of Apple, it management may chose the best target segmentation strategies
which made it able to target profitable and appropriate group of people in as potential customers.
Organization may use all four kind of segmentation strategies such as geographic, demographic,
behavioral and psychographic (Le, Wu and Toyoda, 2020).
Targeting-
By using differentiation strategy, company may target customer at age 18 to 45, who may
buy its products.
Positioning-
Apple may set its brand image in mind of customers by offering valuable offers to them
in term of ear pots and other items, which help to gain the attention of consumers towards
purchase.

Business and corporate objectives
Apple is one of those valuable and beneficial brands in the world that has increased the
satisfactory level of customers and offered the quality items to them. The success of this
organization translates into strong brand loyalty and incomparable revenue progress, from eight
billion United State dollars to more than 260 Billion. The objectives of company are following;
 To provide innovative products to customers.
 To increase profit margins by 50% within 1 years.
 To gain market share up to 40% within 1 years
 To gain competitive advantages.
Usage of marketing theory to achieve venture objectives of Apple
It can be said that a company whether small or large achieve their set aims and objectives
by attempting to much and using effective strategies. In context of Apple, its management create
strategic goals and objectives just like other brands administration do, which may achieve by
using strategic approaches and techniques. In the world of business, there are several types of
models available that many marketers has used to gain competitive edges and to attain aims.
Here, 4 Ps of marketing mix is utilized in regard to corporate and venture objectives of
organization (Paurova and Nadanyiova, 2020).
Marketing mix-
4Ps of marketing mix is one of those strategic frameworks that most of the marketers
used to attain their goals and venture objectives.
Product-
It is one of those components that contributes to success and progress of companies. This
component in context of Apple identifies its outputs. For example, in term of outputs
organization manufacture range of its products in order to gain competitive advantages and
increase customer base as well as satisfactory level of buyers. Furthermore, in order to achieve

corporate and business objectives, company take initiatives continuously in term of expanding its
product mix and creating possibility of adding non IT related items. Company and its
management develop tactics to produce and offer new goods such as e-books, digital music,
games and videos. All these products contribute in achieving aims and venture objectives of
Apple. Through digital content and software like mobile applications, firm operates in digital
content selling sector, which permits potential buyers to store and access data & utilize software
as SAAS service like iWork.
Price-
In corporate world, many marketers utilized specific pricing strategy that has been chosen
from list of four. In case of Apple, organization uses freemium and premium pricing tactics,
which made it capable to retain potential buyers and gain the attention of new (What are the 4
P’s of Marketing, 2016). Premium pricing strategy of organization includes offering items at a
premium that means an amount that is used in term of common price. By using this tactic, firm
sets high prices for its items such as iPhones, which in return increase profitability of Apple.
Along with this, brand also uses freemium pricing tactic that covers free & premium pricing mix
up into a one strategy. With this approach, company offer certain of its products free but
consumers pay to access more advanced or good features. For instance, it offer free 5 gigabyte
iCloud storage to those buyers who purchase its iPhones.
Figure 1: 4Ps of Marketing Mix

(Source: Marketing Mix, 2021)
Place-
Distribution or place is the key element of marketing mix concept, which help to define
selection of right venue or place through which organizations may distributes their items or
services to customers (The 4 Ps of Marketing, 2017). Apple attempts to reach at its target
consumers and efforts to gain the attention of new. It distribute its products by using own stores
that has been established in many regions or nation, where skilled workers are available to serve
their services. Furthermore, company owned online stores and websites as well for those buyers
who prefer to use mobile and desktop in context of buying. It also take supports from authorizes
sellers who contributes to sell company items and maximize its sales even better than last few
years or months, which is quite beneficial for brand. Apple sells its goods via Amazon, Flip kart
and other e-commerce sites that help to increase number of consumers and their satisfactory
level.
Promotion-
Apple used varied methods, techniques and process to promote its products in effective
and systematic manner at all over the world. For example, personal selling is one of the best and
useful promotional approaches that many marketers used. Firm use it in term of using workers
who works in company and provide goods specific information in goal of convincing outlet
visitors to make a buy, which turns out the sales of brand more than its rivals. Moreover,
organization also utilize Google’s digital marketing network and technology news sites to
promote its products in the world. Promotion includes sales promotion that usually happens at
company outlet locations and authorized reseller destinations. Some of its locations offer old
models in term of discounts prices. This tactics contribute to achieve goals of business.
CONCLUSION
By summing up above discussion, it has been concluded that organization has
successfully achieved its strategic objectives for which it has used varied methods and
techniques. The usage of marketing theory, has enables Company to increase its profitability,
productivity and customer base. Furthermore, from above analysis, it has been summarized that
firm has gained a lot of benefits in term of competitive advantages which boosted its brand

image even better than its rivals that has been operated in same sector for longer period of time.
Its management has achieved strategic aims and objectives by applying effective tactics.

REFERENCES
Book and Journals
Feldman, E.R., 2020. Corporate strategy: Past, present, and future. Strategic Management
Review. 1(1). pp.179-206.
Le, S., Wu, Y. and Toyoda, M., 2020. A congestion game framework for service chain
composition in NFV with function benefit. Information Sciences. 514. pp.512-522.
Monden, Y., 2020. Risk Spreading between the Diversified Subscription Businesses and the
Existing Business: Focusing on the Case of Apple. Management Control Systems For
Strategic Changes: Applying To Dematurity And Transformation Of Organizations. 17.
p.1.
Nonala, I. and Kenney, M., 1991. Towards a new theory of innovation management: A case
study comparing Canon, Inc. and Apple Computer, Inc. Journal of Engineering and
Technology Management. 8(1). pp.67-83.
Paurova, V. and Nadanyiova, M., 2020. MARKETING MIX AS PART OF MARKETING
STRATEGY USED IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRIES. Economic and Social
Development: Book of Proceedings. pp.649-657.
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Business Strategy. 2021. [Online]. Available Through: < https://businessjargons.com/business-
strategy.html >
Marketing Mix. 2021. [Online]. Available Through: https://www.marketing91.com/marketing-
mix-4-ps-marketing/
The 4 Ps of Marketing. 2017. [Online]. Available Through: https://emarsys.com/learn/blog/4-ps-
of-marketing-importance/
What are the 4 P’s of Marketing. 2016. [Online]. Available Through:
<https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/other/4-ps-of-marketing/>