Ch. 7 - Business Marketing

Ch. 8 - Segmenting and Targeting Markets

Ch. 11 - Developing and Managing Products

Ch. 16 -Integrated Marketing Communications

Ch. 10 - Product Concepts

Ch. 18 - Sales Promotion and Personal Selling

Ch. 17 - Advertising and Public Relations

Advertisement is method that marketers use to draw attention. It is a key component for marketing and business, being that advertising has the power to change a persons mind on a product and perhaps help them see it in a new light. If Apple stopped broadcasting advertisements how else would we be informed on what the new product is or the institutional advances that are being made by the company? We could always tune in tot he radio but that would just be both inconvenient and costly. It's cheaper for a company to invest in advertisements then to just let things get out through word of mouth.

Two main types of advertisements are used- institutional advertisement & product advertisement.

The image to the right is an example of Apple using institutional advertisement to create awareness in the choices people have. Giving consumers the opportunity to actually question: why am I using windows and not mac?

Ch. 15 - Retailing

Apple holds well over 300 retail stores worldwide, not including stores considered as resellers. 4 of those retail stores are conveniently located here in New York City on, Fifth Avenue, west 14th street, Soho, and the Upper West Side. The availability of Apple to its customers is phenomenal. Once you step into any one of these 4 retail stores all of your Apple problems will hastily be solved being that they include every item that is associated with the name Apple. Mac models, iPhones, both the iPad and the iPad 2 , iPod models, as well as Apple TV. But it doesn't stop there Apple also sells accessories for all of their products such as headphones, speakers, covers and much more.

My experience with the Apple store was phenomenal, their response to a problem is great. As soon as you enter the store you can feel the livelihood of Apple and its reputation.

Ch. 6 - Consumer Decision Making

Ch. 5 - Developing a Global Vision

If Apple isn't a prime example of a globalized company then I don't know what is. Apples choose your country Allows you to see what countries Apple Inc is currently serving, with over 100 countries to choose from Apple continues to grow.

Just yesterday Apple Inc. introduced its first store in Hong Kong, causing people to wait on line two days earlier than its opening. Another store in Shanghai, the biggest Apple store in China. Apart from opening new stores Apple already has over 100 resellers in Hong Kong alone.

Ch. 4 - The Marketing Environment

Being that Apple's latest innovation, the iPad, has a vast amount of uses, it has no primary audience. The iPad very much reminds me of the phrase, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Although it cannot fulfill the needs of all of its potential users, it's simplicity allows it to be virtually limitless.

According to an article on Gigaom ( leading provider for information on global technology innovators), Apple Doesn't Target Markets, it Targets People. Given the sleek and modern look, as well as the simplicity of Apple products such as the iPad it really doesn't need a target market to sell. what other company can make the complexities of using technology as simple as any one of its products? Very few.

Apple satisfies the wants and needs of many. From the average college student to even the college professor who is looking for a quicker, more unique way to access data. This ties in with the topic I'll be addressing in a later post about how Apple restricted from adding many features to the iPad in order to keep it's target market open.

Ch. 3 - Ethics & Social Responsibility

Apple Inc has made great leaps, ten years ago Apple was genorously proud of releasing the Power Macintosh G4, but now they have so much to be gratified about. One of those gratifications being their impact on the environment. Apple Inc's recycling program places them as socially responsible corporation.

Apple is represented as an ethically and socially responsible company, having several pages on their site dedicated to ethical issues and consumer concerns on the company as well as the product :

• Apple Supplier Responsibility
• Apple Recycling Program
• Apple and the Environment
• Mac Book Pro and the Environment

Although it may be that Apple is responsible for being a positive image in helping the environment deep down to the core Apple isn't doing as good for the Environment as they are for their image according to information on GreenPeace.com ("the leading independent campaigning organization that uses peaceful direct action and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and to promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future".).

I still tend to enjoy using Apple products but just knowing that Apple might be jeapordizing the environments well being for the quick, efficient, sleek new product makes me wonder if their image is really well lit.

Apple Inc Mission Statement

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Via Apple Inc

Brief History of Apple Inc

A video that briefly explicates the rich history of Apple Inc.

Ch. 2 - Strategic Planning for Competitive Advantage

Strategic Planning is The managerial process of creating and maintaining a  fit between the organization's objectives and resources and the evolving market opportunities.

The combined use of stratagem, knowledge of the market, and resources to develop a strategic plan is essentially what you need to develop a long-term commitment (to the specific market) based on a company's mission statement.

with the penultimate "Im a  Mac" campaign done with, Apple now introduces the  Why you'll love a Mac campaign:

In response to Windows' 2008 " Im a PC", Apple expresses how much better a Mac is in comparison to a PC.

 

The main points of the ad campaign are:

• It's designed to be a better computer 
• It comes with software you'll love to use 
• It comes with the world's most advanced OS 
• It comes with award-winning support 
• It runs Office and works with your existing PC files 
• It's compatible with your stuff 
• It doesn't get PC viruses 
• It's loaded with the latest technology 
• It runs Windows and Windows applications

Not only are Apple products different but they're campaigns really give them the extra individualism that sets them apart from competitors such as Windows