Strategic PR Plan: Restoring Apple's Image After Battery Controversy

This report analyzes Apple Inc.'s public relations response to the controversy surrounding iPhone batteries and their impact on device performance. The report identifies the problem as a significant blow to Apple's brand image and consumer trust, stemming from intentional slowing down of older iPhone models. The primary objective of Apple's PR team is defined as restoring the company's image and reinforcing its position as a market leader. The target audience includes affected iPhone users and potential customers. The report suggests a multi-faceted approach involving press conferences, press releases, and digital marketing to communicate transparently with the public. A budget allocation of $90,000 is proposed for these activities. Evaluation methods include media analysis, surveys, and web statistics to measure the effectiveness of the PR plan in regaining public trust and improving brand perception. The report concludes that a well-executed PR plan is essential for Apple to overcome the crisis and reaffirm its commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.

Running head: PUBLIC RELATIONS
Public Relations
Name of the Student
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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Appreciation of the Problem......................................................................................................2
Objective....................................................................................................................................3
Defining public...........................................................................................................................3
Selection of media and technique..............................................................................................4
Budgeting...................................................................................................................................5
Evaluation..................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................6
Reference....................................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
Apple inc. is a company that started as a computer manufacturer in the year 1976
(Lewis 2014). However, the technology giant has successfully entered and conquered most of
the domains in the sphere of technology. Starting from iPods, which made it the most
dominant player in the market for music players; the company entered the mobile industry in
the year 2007 and instantly created frenzy among the consumer base. The company has been
referred to as one of the most successful producers of mobile phones and they are known for
unique and unmatched qualities. The premium build and quality of their products separate
them from other competitive brands in the market (Ritchie 2015). Recently, there have been
issues over a concern that the batteries of iPhone are slowing the phone down and leading to
sudden shutdown of the device and lag in the performance. This was completely in opposite
to the quality of products that the company has been manufacturing and selling for so long.
Appreciation of the Problem
The issue with iPhone batteries not working properly or slowing the phone down has
been a major issue for the company, which has lead to creation of a negative image of the
company in the market. The problem was that those with iPhone 6, 6 plus and iPhone SE
received updates that intentionally slowed down the phone so as the user updated to a new
iPhone tht was released in the market. In addition, to cover up this intention, the company
initiated battery replacement at a reduced rate for the iPhones that faced such issues. The
company reduced the price for replacement from $79 to $29 as an offer price (Apple 2018).
This resulted in people having a negative perception regarding the company and the trust that
Apple enjoyed in the market took a hit. This lead to people shifting to other brands those
were in the market that promised premium products with better battery life and processor
power. Apple face a dip in the sales during this period, as the people had apprehensions

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picking an iPhone from the counter regardless of all the previous brand loyalty that they had
for Apple. New strategies had to be implemented to bring the trust back on company and its
products. People need to be ensured that such practices will not be repeated and clear
communication is necessary from the company spokesperson.
Objective
The primary objective for the PR team of Apple has to be the restoration of
company’s image in the public and to establish the fact that they are the most advanced and
best in the market. The company has a huge brand value and people are brand loyal to the
company (Steenkamp 2014). It provides the PR team with an added edge as their strategies
can be implemented with better effect as they have the required consumer base. The PR team
has to work in a way that the communication between the company and its consumer base is
very clear and hence people are aware of the various strategies and actions that are taken by
the company.
Defining public
The target base for the current PR crisis will be those who are affected with the
battery issue primarily. The company has a huge consumer base and has a global reach for its
products. The market that Apple enjoys is global and the fan base that it has for its various
products is spread throughout the world. This dominant market share of the Apple products
has allowed them to rule the domain for such long time. In light of the recent battery issue
that the company has faced, it should target the people that have faced the issue and those
who are in prospect of facing the same issue as they use the same iPhone models that have
encountered the problem. It is seen that people did lose the trust that they had on the brand
Apple due to their intentional slowing down of phones through the battery issues and
processor lags. However, the defined public should be those who have faced the issue with

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the phone, it should be noted that the communication must address the entire consumer base
as well as the potential consumers so that they feel assured while buying a new iPhone in
their next purchase (Solomon et al. 2014).
Selection of media and technique
Following a crisis such as the battery issue in the iPhone, it is very essential for the
Public relations department to work hard and restore the public image of the company. The
public relation team must concentrate on making the communication between the company
executives and the consumer base clearer so that the public is not kept in dark regarding the
issue and the various steps that the company is taking to resolve the same (Protess and
McCombs 2016). The common technique that Apple has used in the past was maintaining
silence on an issue of concern and let it resolve. Previously the company has had software
issues for which the PR team maintained complete silence and then they resolved the issue
internally and provided an online software update to the users. This resolved the issue
without much light to the issue but such steps do not work when the problem is as grave as
the battery issue at present. The company PR team should come out and defend the position
of the brand by organizing a press conference that will discuss about the battery issue and the
various steps that will be taken to resolve the issue. The PR executives will need to send press
release on behalf of Apple inc. so that the media is informed of the problem and steps that are
being taken to resolve the issue. The target base is huge, segmentation based on age is not
possible for a company like Apple, and hence the medium they should pick for conveying the
relevant statements should be preferably the online media and the newspapers. The online
media will pass the information widely to everyone on the web 2.0 platform as it has
enormous number of people using the same platform every minute (John 2013). The

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newspaper on the other hand will give out the information to all those who religiously follow
newspaper on a daily basis.
Budgeting
Every PR plan is considered successful in accordance to the budget that it uses in
achieving the required target. The funds have to be acquired from the company to organize
and implement the entire PR plan so that the right message is sent out correctly to the target
group (Austin and Pinkleton 2015). The motive of a PR plan is to present information that
sufficiently matches the requirements of a situation or crisis that took place. The current PR
plan involves in having press conference, press releases and a strong digital marketing for the
company. The press conference and press release will need specific amounts to be allocated.
The sector of digital marketing will need substantial budget because it has the maximum
reach and the best results can be achieved with its proper use. The public feedback and
responses can be achieved from the digital marketing section and the events that are arranged
can be streamed live so that the people can witness the event virtually from anywhere in the
world (Tiago and Veríssimo 2014). The budget breakdown is provided in the table below-
PR Materials Amount (in USD)
Press conference/ Media events $50,000
Printed handouts (press release, backgrounder) $15,000
Digital marketing (websites, social media) $25,000
Total $90,000
Table- PR Budgeting
Source- (Author)

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Evaluation
The evaluation of a PR plan is the most important part that has to be done in order to
effectively execute the plan. Firstly, the various media like the newspapers, television
coverage or articles in other sources should be studied and analyzed so that a better
understanding of the present image of the company is achieved and then worked upon that as
per the PR plan(Dozier, Grunig and Grunig 2013). Surveys should be held and an analysis of
the annual reports should be done so that the financial aspect of the current crisis is
understood and then the plan is worked accordingly. After the plan is executed, it is essential
to gather the various instances when the company has come up in the media and analyze
those to understand the impact of the PR plan. As the PR plan has digital marketing
incorporation, it is essential to understand the trend that has been created in the online sphere.
Web stats should be counted in order to understand the reach of the posts and promotional
campaigns and messages that have taken place for the company.
Conclusion
To conclude, the PR plan and its effectiveness will lead the company to better public
image and regain the trust that has been lost due to the battery issue. iPhones are one of the
most loved gadgets around the world and hence people who use it are very concerned about
the quality that they get in their device. Moreover, the price of an iPhone is higher than that
of any other in its competition and hence buyers will demand a value for money assistance
from the company whenever they face any problem.

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Reference
Apple. (2018). A Message to Our Customers. [online] Available at:
https://www.apple.com/iphone-battery-and-performance/ [Accessed 8 Feb. 2018].
Austin, E.W. and Pinkleton, B.E., 2015. Strategic public relations management: Planning
and managing effective communication campaigns (Vol. 10). Routledge.
Dozier, D.M., Grunig, L.A. and Grunig, J.E., 2013. Manager's guide to excellence in public
relations and communication management. Routledge.
John, N.A., 2013. Sharing and Web 2.0: The emergence of a keyword. new media &
society, 15(2), pp.167-182.
Lewis, T.G., 2014. Booms. In Book of Extremes (pp. 51-67). Copernicus, Cham.
Protess, D. and McCombs, M.E. eds., 2016. Agenda setting: Readings on media, public
opinion, and policymaking. Routledge.
Ritchie, R., 2015. History of iPhone: Apple reinvents the phone. Dosegljivo: http://www.
imore. com/history-iphone-original.
Solomon, M.R., Dahl, D.W., White, K., Zaichkowsky, J.L. and Polegato, R., 2014. Consumer
behavior: Buying, having, and being (Vol. 10). Pearson.
Steenkamp, J.B., 2014. How global brands create firm value: the 4V model. International
Marketing Review, 31(1), pp.5-29.
Tiago, M.T.P.M.B. and Veríssimo, J.M.C., 2014. Digital marketing and social media: Why
bother?. Business Horizons, 57(6), pp.703-708.