Promotional Strategy
Apple has been very active in its promotional endeavours. Its logo has become one of the most recognizable symbols nationwide. The company uses two primary methods of promotional strategies towards its public.
The first promotional tool it uses is advertising. Investing heavily into this area, Apple has managed to create a large amount of advertisements that can be found on any television network, in any technology magazine, and all over the Internet. For example, in 2008, the company successfully managed to create a series of televised advertisements that utilized a form of comparative advertising. Two men, an older one in professional business attire with an intellectual flare about him, the other one, younger and sporting casual attire, stand side-by-side surrounded by a blanket of white space. The older, more "traditional" man represents Microsoft Windows-branded personal computers (PCs), while the younger, more "hip" man represents Apple's Mac brand of computers. The commercials often poke fun at PCs' flaws, subtly suggesting that using a Mac is the way to go to solve all your computer problems. The "Mac versus PC" ads created such a buzz for the product, Apple even expanded this scenario globally. Televised ads were then made to play out in the same manner in Japan, only instead of two caucasian males speaking English, they were replaced with two Asian males speaking Japanese, to accommodate the culture for which it was aired to. Today, the use of advertising has proven to be a strong aid in maintaining sales and popularity among its consumers.
The second promotional tool that Apple uses extensively is personal selling. The company's Apple Stores are home to many young and knowledgeable sales representatives who are trained thoroughly in both product information and customer service. With the release of new products and upgrades the company produces every few months or so, it is important for sales representatives to stay