Apple Strategy
Marketing strategies were central to making Apple Inc. a global success: Analysing how these strategies were so pivotal to their success.
Apple Inc. made Apple brand and used it to establish an ‘Apple empire’, which accounted for many highly competitive markets, including the Smart Phone market, such as Apple IPhone. Consumer Electronics market with products, such as the Itouch and Tablet PC (personal computer) market, for instance, the Macbook Air. According to Chzain, Apple maintains more than 360 retail stores and it employs over 40,000 people, more than a million visitors come to Apple retail stores every day, Apple Stores are the best stores in retail history (2007). Apple’s success was mainly due to it series of marketing strategies. This essay will summarize these strategies by focusing on Apple store, Apple’s aim of keeping product simple, the innovation of Apple’s product, Apple’s special product promotion and brand promotion, Apple’s sales management and Apple’s customer services and illustrate these strategies, which Apple Inc. chose, and will analyse how these strategies are so pivotal to their success.
The first strategy was Apple stores. Apple made the brand experience stores, which was luxury and fantastic. Steve Jobs, the Apple’s former CEO, tried to build a brand with customers, advocated consumers give their own advices about Apple product, gave consumers more "power of speech ", which also reflected the user’s right. It was not just a "simple" store, but Apple customers exchanged their opinions and experiences. The aim of Apple stores was ‘developing and maintaining customer relationship’ (Ferrell and Hartline, 2005:12). Marketers should make more effort to maintain and expand the relationship with their customers. According to Ferrell and Hartline, since the last decade, marketers have realized that they can know their customers well, and make high profits, via developing long-term relationships with their customers (2005). Both customers and
Apple Inc. made Apple brand and used it to establish an ‘Apple empire’, which accounted for many highly competitive markets, including the Smart Phone market, such as Apple IPhone. Consumer Electronics market with products, such as the Itouch and Tablet PC (personal computer) market, for instance, the Macbook Air. According to Chzain, Apple maintains more than 360 retail stores and it employs over 40,000 people, more than a million visitors come to Apple retail stores every day, Apple Stores are the best stores in retail history (2007). Apple’s success was mainly due to it series of marketing strategies. This essay will summarize these strategies by focusing on Apple store, Apple’s aim of keeping product simple, the innovation of Apple’s product, Apple’s special product promotion and brand promotion, Apple’s sales management and Apple’s customer services and illustrate these strategies, which Apple Inc. chose, and will analyse how these strategies are so pivotal to their success.
The first strategy was Apple stores. Apple made the brand experience stores, which was luxury and fantastic. Steve Jobs, the Apple’s former CEO, tried to build a brand with customers, advocated consumers give their own advices about Apple product, gave consumers more "power of speech ", which also reflected the user’s right. It was not just a "simple" store, but Apple customers exchanged their opinions and experiences. The aim of Apple stores was ‘developing and maintaining customer relationship’ (Ferrell and Hartline, 2005:12). Marketers should make more effort to maintain and expand the relationship with their customers. According to Ferrell and Hartline, since the last decade, marketers have realized that they can know their customers well, and make high profits, via developing long-term relationships with their customers (2005). Both customers and
References: Apple official website (2012) Service and Support from the People Who Know Your Apple Product Best. http://www.apple.com/support/products/ Accessed: 03-09-2012. Chzain, S. M. (2007) Marketing Apple. http://www.MarketingApple.com Accessed :03-09-2012. Barrow, C., Brown, R. and Clarke, L. (2001) The Business Enterprise Handbook. London: Kogan Page Ltd. Doyle, P. and Stern, P. (2006) Marketing Management and Strategy. 4th edn. Harlow: Person Education Limited. Ferrell, O. C. and Hartline, M. D. (2005) Marketing Strategy. 3rd edn. Mason: South-Western. Lowensohn, J. (2012) Parts of Apple 's Genius Training Manual Leaked. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57501770-37/parts-of-apples-genius-training-manual-leaked/ Accessed:03-09-2012 Slater, S. F. and Olson, E. M. (2000) Strategy Type and Performance: The Influence of Sales Force Management, Stragetic Management Journal, 21(8), 813-829.