Blog 13: Segmenting and Targeting Markets

Apple targets people aged between 18-35 which mainly includes the youth population covering

students and young working professionals. Middle/Upper income folks who are willing to pay a bit more for a better user experience are also targeted.

People who like to have fun with technology. This includes people who like to shoot a lot of digital photos or video. It's the whole digital hub concept. People are starting to buy into it. 

Music enthusiasts and fans ages 12-35 and professionals in media and design. 

The first two groups do overlap, but it's a huge market. 

To further break this down Apple has a target market of  college and university students are also targeted by Apple Inc. These students use Apple Inc. products such as iPad's, MacBook's, iPhone's etc to quickly record notes. These notes are kept organized in their devices. Also these products are light which makes carrying devices to and from school much easier. 

Apple Inc. also targets health enthusiasts. The company now makes the health app one of the core features in their previous and latest releases on their devices. 

Blog 12: Developing and Managing Products

Apple the master of creating and developing products. Focuses on the consumer end of the business, complementing an individuals style. The key factors that differentiates Apple from that of its competitors is form utility. Developing and creating and attractive product is sort of like a religion at Apple; this is what they believe in.

Every thing about the product is beautiful from the operating system iOS and the external features of the product. The Mac book and iPhones, perfect examples.

Blog 11: Services and Nonprofit Organization Marketing

Apple Inc. offer a wide variety of services. Each differs and caters to every consumer's specific needs.
Apple's Genius bar a tech station where a special trained support team help the customers with hardware or software problems.

In every Apple store their products are set in a way that as you enter you can find what you want quickly without going through a hassle searching for it

Apple is apart of a large organization name Product Red where they raise money by creating products that feature the Product (RED) brand on it.

Apple's (RED) products

Blog 10: Product Concepts

As it relates to product concepts and apple, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus may be classified as a specialized product due to the fact that consumer will have a to relatively spend a bit more to get it. Also to go out of their way to get it and will accept no substitute. The factor of lifestyle is important too because there is a wide selection of simpler inexpensive phone to choose from.

Singer Chris Brown with customized gold iPhone 6

Blog 9: Personal Selling and Sale Management

In every apple retail store you go into there there associate there that are trying to sell you the

products. They may not be aggressive  with their technique but after a brief conversation with them they'll make to consider to buy what was being talked about or any of the Apple products. The associates are properly trained therefore they're highly competent in customer service and knowledge of the products.

For sales management Apple 

 

Blog 8: Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Promotion

Apple does its advertisement through various channels. As of late the most popular one is the use of social media, Facebook and YouTube being the two favorable.

 Apple also have TV advertisements.

Various retailers and since recently banks are advertising Apple's products and services. This is called a cooperative advertisement.

As with regards to public relations where you don't have to pay for the spread of information about the company or any of the products and service. PR can also be used to address any ongoing issues with the company. An example of this was when iPhone 4 users where having their calls dropped because of where the antenna was located. Apple used the social media to address the problem. Sine recently with the new iPhones, they were reports that the phone can be easily bent and the new operating system, iOS 8 was giving aot of trouble. Apple address the issue with the same manner.

Released statement from Apple regarding the bending issue.

Blog 7: Marketing Channels and Retailing

Apple has multiple means and ways to properly market their products advertising through various channels is one way.
Apple has their own retail stores which by the way leaves you in awe with its exquisite presentation, it is a destination store where only they can provide specifics and certain services other retailers does not offer. The company also distributes their products via retailers such as best buy and major cell phone providers.

Also Apple uses the exclusivity technique or distribution; composing only one or few dealers within a given area. When Apple first introduced the iphones it was only available for purchase at AT&T only. They had exclusive arrangements only with that phone company. The issues with this strategy is that the phones were restricted only to AT&T customers and if you wanted to have one, one would have to join the company under contract which may be costly because then you would have to terminate the current contract with other companies and it usually comes with a fee.

Now Apple uses the selective distribution strategy block dealers and retailers to eliminate all but few in any single area.

Blog 6: Consumer Decision Making

Recognized steps used when consumers are in the process of attaining a new good or service. This is entirely based on the consumer attitude towards the, whether it might be personal preference or the simply the importance of it. It can also be the consumer's lifestyle; economical factors and finally the influence of society, how or what society thinks of that product. 

With Apple, the behavior of current and potential consumers increases as year they have a wider range of products to choose from. Regarding the iPhones, there are mutitples devices, the 4,4s,5,5c,5s,6 and 6plus so this heavily influences the decision making process.

 Firstly the consumers figure out if they want a new phone or not and if they do have one what is the problem with it. 

The consumers then research which one of  the iPhones they want, in other terms one which best suits them. On the iPhones one usually research on the specifications (cameras, screen size, battery life etc.)

Often times than less  the usual alternatives the consumers reach out for are the android powered smartphones, Samsung to be more specific. 

After all that consumers finally decided to buy the iPhone, disregarding any alternatives. However, an alternatives may still be purchased if it fits the criteria of the consumers. 

The phones are then by trading it in for a later version when availabe

Blog 5: Developing A Global Vision

In an effort to expand within the global market, Apple is placing its flagship stores in many different locations across the world. According to Wikipedia it states that "with global sales of US$16 billion in merchandise in 2011, Apple leads the United States retail market in terms of sales per unit area. As of April 2014, Apple has 424 retail stores in 16 countries and an online store available in 39 countries."

World: 435 stores in 16 countries (257 US/178 elsewhere) United States: 257 United Kingdom: 37 Canada: 29 Australia: 21 France: 17 Italy: 14 Germany: 14 China: 12 Spain: 11 Japan: 8 Switzerland: 4 Hong Kong (SAR of China): 3 Sweden: 3 Netherlands: 3 Brazil: 1 Turkey: 1

Apple uses the strategy of one product, one message strategy to market its products to diverse audiences. This is a way of promoting the product for all markets the same way, with the same message.

Blog 4: The Marketing Environment

 The Marketing Environment 

What is the marketing environment? Basically it is all of the outside factors of marketing the affect the team's ability to develop and maintain successful customer relationships with their targeted customer group. 

Apple a well established brand that it is must be able to adapt to the ever changing marketing environment and throughout their existence they've continued to do so. 

An evidence of this of the release of the iPhone 5C last year.

The company introduced the phone to a specific target market; teenagers. The phone was debuted at the price of which previous iPhones would be when new ones were introduced. They 'splashed' multiple vibrant colours on the phone as seen in the above image in an attempt to attract the teen population. Each individual now has the opportunity to pick a colour that best complements them.

As mentioned in my previous blog post, Apple introduced iPhones which bigger screens. Having to conform with this generation specifics needs of having a larger phone screen they had no choice but to do it. While everyone may be 'following the crowd', majority rules. Apple did not forget but those consumers, one of the two phones they introduced had a smaller phone screen. Its a 'win win' for the company. Also the products are directed to existing Apple customers, individuals whose lives evolves around the uses of a cellphone, banks and major retail providers.

Blog 3: Ethics & Social Responsibility

Apple

Ethics & Social Responsibility

A review of Apple’s Supplier Responsibility Report from an Forbes Article in 2011 reveals that Apple is taking action to stop unethical practices among is suppliers. These have included use of underage labor at 10 facilities, dangerous working conditions at two facilities, falsification of audit materials at four facilities, and bribery at one facility. 

Apple like many other top companies strive to make themselves  the most ethical and socially responsible business there is. They each present various way in practicing good business ethics and social responsibility. 
Apple has a project going on where they are trying to drastically reduce climate change. Stating that as a worldwide company that has large production chain, they know they use alot of energy to make their products, in turn changes into green house gas which contributes to climate change. They've strategize ways to use their facilities more efficiently and use up less energy. That includes Establishing renewable energy sources; wind, solar and micro-hydro to power all their retail stores and corporate offices. Also design new buildings and refurbish old ones to uses as little electricity as possible. Even in their products such as the iPhones they are making and effort to make them thin as possible, using less electricity. In Addition Apple recycles all their products. 
https://www.apple.com/environment/climate-change/

Apple also endeavors to be committed to the advancement of equality and human rights.They believe that it is on the basis of inclusion and diversity, derives experiences and ideas that drives creativity. 

Blog 2: Strategic planning for competitive advantage.

Apple iPhone

Strategic planning for competitive advantage.

After the shocking news of the of death of Apple's mastermind Steve Jobs people from all walk of the earth began to talk about how that was the beginning Apple's downfall but then came Tim Cook Apple's new CEO dismiss all the nonsense and continued Steve's work steering them to more success. Tim had to drive to carry on all the company's visions and objectives his predecessor had left. He also a strong team behind him, each hierarchy works hand in hand complementing each other and every plan they have are strategic in a sense that they are implemented find vulnerabilities in the market and capitalize on them. This is the basis of which Apple keeps thriving.

With that being said, Apple's first factual evidence of this of the first iPod. When everybody had huge CD players and Sony walk mans, Steve decided it was time for some more portable and convenient, disregarding all the large components and CD pouches he and his team made it possible to have a "1,000 songs in your pocket"

Then Apple introduced themselves in the phone market with their iPhone. Bringing something revolutionary that no other companies had and fascinated the consumers. A move that made Apple's iPhone the talk of the town, taking over the phone market in the US.
Creating a competition, Apple went head to head with other companies thus creating a rivalry with their biggest rival Samsung. This rivalry made each company push their teams to the limit, coming up plans and new ideas every year to be on top.
Samsung has multiple lines of phones running on the android operating system throughout the market and this was troublesome to Apple due to the fact the Samsung has been skyrocketing in market shares. With all this going on Apple had to respond quickly so last year they introduced two iPhones with the intention of matching up with their rivals. And just this year they have to decided to make their phone screens larger, a move intended to draw the attention of all the 'big screen phone lovers' to buy their product. This is very beneficial to the consumers because they have a wide variety of products to choose from, capitalizing on opportunity cost.

Each strategic plan was to make a phone that differentiated itself from the others in the market. That included making a 'greener' phone that is environmentally friendly and even going as far as having the lightest and thinnest phones every year with the smallest of components.

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Every year upgrading their operating system. The new system, iOS 8 brings tons of new features to the phones which includes a default health app, iOS 8:Health; targeting individuals who pays close attention to their well-being.

Apple have integrated on their iPhones a 'pay by phone' app that was previously attempted by their rivals but failed. What the Apple team did was partnered with banks and major retail companies to integrate Apple Pay in their services.

Apple's marketing team have done exceptionally well in advertising the phones through multiple advertisements and teaming with various musical artistes namely U2 and in their new advertisement for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6+ they had Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon. 

Blog 1: Apple

Kevaun Barclay                                                                                              

Apple Inc. (iPhone)

Apple Inc, a world renowned fortune 500 company, masters in creating new modern day technologies such as the Macintosh, portable media players, tablets and smartphones. In 1986, Apple Computer then, was started by two college dropouts named Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs in Cupertino, Califonia. Apple pioneered multiple technologies into the market but whats propelled them to their success was the iPod and iPhone debuted in 2001 and 2007 respectively.
The company's mission statement is “To make the very best products in the world that really deeply enrich people’s lives. That’s what we’re about. And now it’s not to make the most..”