A Situational Analysis and Market Objective for Apple Company
Executive Summary……………………………………………………………….3
- Internal Environment……………………………………………………………… 4
- External Environment ………………………………………………………………5
- Strengths …………………………………………………………………………..7
- Weaknesses ……………………………………………………………………….7
- Opportunities ……………………………………………………………………..8
- Threats ……………………………………………………………………………9
- I. Executive Summary
- Marketing Objectives …………………………………………………………….10
- Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………….10
- References ……………………………………………………………………….1
Apple probably tops in the world list of smart phone producing companies. iPhone is a unique, unmatched, easy-to-use and up-to-date smart phone featuring internet, PDA and touch screen. To ensure market superiority and improve consumer convenience, the company designs such products with unique aptitude that is compatible with consumer wants.
The current potential competitors of Apple iPhone include Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7, Google’s Android, Research in Motion’s BlackBerry OS, Nokia’s Symbian, Palm OS and Linux.
The key strengths of Apple are innovativeness, consistency, uncomplicated, high quality and cost-effective products and the increasing trademark awareness; while the weaknesses include relatively high prices for the cost-conscious consumers, underdevelopment of the company’s image in the market and iPhone long-term effects.
Apple has the potential of gaining from continual technological developments and partnerships. The trend of consumers switching to up-to-date technological gadgets with more convenient, entertaining and effective features will definitely work for iPhones (Wooldridge and Schneider, 2010).
The major threats to iPhone service include socio-cultural factors, anti-competitive laws and amplified competition
- II. Introduction
Apple Company has gained reputable recognition in the corporate world since the 1990s when it was founded. This is as a result of the company’s sense of creativity and innovativeness. Apple launched iTunes, followed by iPod, and later in 2003 designed internet downloadable MP3 songs. Thus the company basically deals in devising, assembling and trading computers, cell phones and digital music gadgets. Apple’s aims at producing cost-effective, high quality, unmatched, up-to-date and easy-to-use products (O’Grady).
The company is committed to production of novel products which are satisfactory to all kinds of consumers ranging from students to professionals, entrepreneurs, health workers and corporate consumers. O’Grady acknowledges the company’s innovativeness in terms of introducing iPhone, the first-rate world-class phone of the time (O’Grady, 2008). This exceptional aptitude puts the company in a better position to predict consumer needs and fill the market gap. Thus a proper market plan including a comprehensible and smart situation analysis is essential. This document gives a detailed description of Apple’s situation analysis which is important for the company’s strategy to improve its overall services.
- III. Situation analysis
- a. Internal environment
The factors which constitute the company’s current internal situation include; price controls, quality production, brand awareness and innovation. These factors complement Apple’s mission of providing a convenient, secure, and flexible world-class smart phone service. Apple has developed trademark awareness through its innovativeness. The iPhone gains populace through the company’s internet advertisements, promotion of media programs, customary advertisements and promotions on social networks such as twitter, MySpace and FaceBook (Clapperton, 2009). Apple supplies iPhones through many chains including e-selling.
The product distribution chain includes: all key electronic dealers such as Wal-mart, Circuit City and Best Buy; Apple stores in Canada, Japan, the U.K, the U.S and worldwide; direct purchases from Apple online and from key third-party dealers such as Amazon; and AT&T and other key cellular suppliers such as Verizon.
The iPhone is basically intended for storage of data, communication, entertainment and multifunctional appliances. Apple targets entrepreneurs, corporate consumers, students, health workers and professionals (Maxwell et al, 2007). Principal consumers consist of middle-upper class individuals who use the device for synchronizing their hectic schedules and conversing with family and social groups. Students are secondary consumers who need multifunctional gadgets (Maxwell et al., 2007). The current market is targeted at collaborating with mega-phone providers and other software corporations. The targeted corporations would contribute to annual yield of $25 million. The marketing strategy will basically deal with creating awareness of the multifunctional gadget containing images, film, internet and music. The iPhone has unique features such as the touch screen, the PDA and internet and greater power which are not provided by other companies. The distinctive iPhone design such as OS X bring uniqueness to the gadget and makes it better than other smart phones in the market. Apple iPhone has greater battery life with five hours of video playback and recharging is simple. The iPhone contains inbuilt microphones. The iPhone is sold at reasonably affordable prices. This market superiority will ensure advancement of iPhone service.
- b. External environment
The iPhone domestic and foreign market is currently small. This is largely due to the fact that Apple has not established immense commercial links in the corporate world compared to other smart phone manufacturing companies. Even though, the certainty of its growth can be seen due to the lower prices and better quality compared to Apple’s competitors. Studying the political situation with regard to government requirements is very vital because the company will base on the stipulations to design the business plan.
Assessing and evaluating the government provisions of potential foreign market countries is equally imperative (Luther, 2011). Assessing domestic and foreign economic circumstances will enable Apple to develop informed price manipulation. The prospective market is likely to diminish if poorly assessed basing on socio-cultural, economic and political factors. It is important to consider such laws as approval of imported products in prospective foreign markets, particularly if that potential nation has got manufacturers of the same commodity (McDonald and Keegan, 2002). Socio-cultural issues could also lead to discrimination in certain regions in terms of race, ideologies, religion and beliefs. It would be very difficult for American commodities to be imported to Islamic countries due to existing discriminatory socio-cultural factors. According to Luther, analysis of socio-cultural factors is essential in terms of making demographical surveys that are required in establishing the prospective customers (Luther, 2011). The increasing population will definitely raise the demand for smart phones or rather mere cell phones for the purpose of correspondence with family and social groups. The issue of technological advancement crops in and makes the consumers conscious of which brand is the most appealing and cost-effective (Maxwell et al, 2007). It is also crucial to consider technological environment. It is obvious that advancement in technology in relation to cell phone manufacturing is drastically growing (Woodridge and Schneider, 2010). Consumers are largely using internet services with the booming e-commerce world and this raises demand for internet providing gadgets. Assessing competition patterns is crucial, basing on the many smart phone companies (Maxwell et al, 2007). The escalating demand for environmental protection indicates that Apple has to strategize on how to deal with this issue in terms of packaging and cell phone radiations. Assessing of the sales volume of iPhone is equally imperative (Operating System, 2009).
- IV. SWOT analysis
Apple’s SWOT analysis in relation to iPhone provides a significant marketing plan, through the evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the company and using the opportunities and possible threats to design an informed market objective.
- a. Strengths
The company’s strengths include; innovativeness, consistency, market superiority, trademark awareness and simple to use devices. Creativity and innovativeness is evident in the incorporation of video, PDA and internet features into a small portable device. The iPhone features an unmatched and patented touch screen. Trademark awareness of the iPhone has drastically grown over the period. Apple Company has been known for production of original unmatched devices like iPhones in line with immense innovations in the technological field. The company has gained reputable recognition in terms of lower prices, high quality and effective products. The touch screen has hard high quality surface which cannot easily be spoilt even by the viruses. The embedding of Mac OS X application provides assurance of customers’ ease to identify with the features of iPhone 4, unlike other iPhone related gadgets without the application. The gadget outperforms all smart phones sold by other companies. This has enabled Apple Company to emerge superior to its competitors thus able to counteract them.
- b. Weaknesses
Apple brand’s weaknesses include; poor marketing image, relatively high prices and user interface. Unlike most smart phone companies, Apple’s reputation for compatibility has been poorly developed in the cumulative field. The prices are not very friendly to expenditure-mindful users. Lastly, the touch screen input has the tendency of getting flat and hard if used for a long time thus causing discomfort to consumers (Bennet and Flach, 2009; Maxwell et al, 2007).
- c. Opportunities
The opportunities of iPhone are; the continuous market demand and new target fragment development. The current flogging of smart phones to the market is resulting into reduction of prices. Apple aims at attracting consumers who need convenient entertainment services (Woodridge and Schneider, 2010). Thus the company will attract iPod consumers and in the event bring them to the attention of the iPhone by magnifying the grand features of the iPhone such as the touch screen. Apple will also collaborate with other phone producing companies which will enable it to submerge the market with iPhone and manipulate marketing prices (Maxwell et al, 2007). Revenue will also be increased through long-term treaties.
- d. Threats
The major threats to iPhone service include; immense competition and anti-competitive laws. There is intense competition in the smart phone production industry. Despite the fact that Apple has managed to launch a unique smart phone, there is the likelihood of other companies such as Nokia improving on iPhone idea and coming up with a more appealing smart phone. This poses the threat of possible future reduction of prices too if the rival companies manage to manufacture a cheaper smart phone with similar or better qualities to iPhone. Lastly, the socio-cultural factors combined with anti-competitive laws would lead to under-exploitation of available market and resources. Socio-cultural factor include the negative perception of the surrounding in terms of religion. For instance, most Islamic countries tend to reject American products. It is unfortunate that smart phones by now are present in Asian markets.
- V. Marketing Objective
Apple has designed a marketing strategy for the first two years of the commodity in the market. The first year objective consists of a target for 2% share of the U.K and U.S PDA phone market through 445,000 volumes of iPhone sales. The second year objective consists of target for realization of 10% share based on overall sales. Apple also targets the extension of its brand name and link to the established significant positioning. Capitalization on the iPod to market the iPhone is a great plan since the iPod has been immensely promoted. Apple also plans on expanding its image in terms of quality, innovation and value. Lastly, measurement of the awareness and response of the consumers will be the last endeavor so as to allow for necessary adjustments.
- VI. Conclusion
Designing a situation analysis is a very vital step on the way to achieving the company’s objectives. Apple will definitely make it in the smart phone industry by filling the loopholes and working on the strengths.
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- VII. References
Guy Clapperton. (2009). This is Social Media; Tweet, Blog, Link and Post Your Way to Business Success. John Wiley and Sons.
Luther, W. (2011). The Marketing Plan: How to Prepare and Implement It. New York: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Maxwell, C. Lee, B. Suen, A. & Hofmann, J. (2007). IPhone Marketing Plan.
Kevin B. Bennet & John M. Flach. (2009). Display and interface Design: Subtle Science, Exact Art pp 16-19. CRC Press.
O’Grady, J. (2008). Apple Inc. Connecticut: ABC-CLIO.
Operating Systems. (2009). Apple Company [online] Order Here