A three circle analysis reviews what customers want, what a company has to offer, and what the competition has to offer. “Hundreds of leaders and future leaders have quickly absorbed strategy concepts by using this simple tool and have taken it back to their organizations, where it often becomes part of the decision-making process” (Urbany, 2007, para. 2). Based on a high-level analysis of Apple, there are a few areas that the company could focus on to make the organization more competitive. The analysis also showed that Apple ideally has a great position by giving customers what they want in the products that they offer. These insights help organizations like Apple make good strategic decisions that should help to improve their position in the market.
The three circles analysis is a good tool for management. The analysis helps to pinpoint what the target market wants, what the company can offer, and what the competition can offer. This is important to really analyze from an objective point of view, so that the decision makers take a good honest look at all three of these points. "It’s all about getting down to what separates you from the competition" (California Mirimar University, 2012). If the organization has certain resources that pose a strategic advantage over the competition and it is something that customers desire, Apple can be sure to continue to focus on that strength and leverage it as much as possible to maintain or grow its market share. On the other hand, if Apple finds a weakness in that it does not have something that customers want, but maybe a competitor does they can decide whether or not it makes sense to apply resources to improving those strengths.
The three circle is also meant to show where there is overlap (or there is not overlap) between company and competitor, company and customer, and customer and competitor. It gives a company (Apple in our case) a means to understand where it may need to improve to