Ch. 7 - Business Marketing

Relationship with Businesses 

Apple targeted businesses since the beginning with their Mac. Producers, Artists, Graphic designers seemed to prefer their product when they actually got to experience it and see everything they had to offer for their business. Lately we have seen companies making the transitions from Blackberry to iPhones, from PC's to Apple Computers and even iPads are very popular among businesses that use hand held devices to maintain better communication with their employees.  

Apple has also made their way into institutions such as Schools, Universities, Hospitals. Being that their product tend to be more durable and have better warranty these institutions are bringing in Apple products when is time to replace old ones. We can see the change happening right at our own college, many of the lab rooms at BMCC are now equipped with Apple computers. 

Apple has definitely made their way to businesses not only from the music industry and Arts but from every kind that has technology needs from a phone being that now iPhones are available in different Mobile companies not only AT&T, to computers and Tablets.

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When you walk into their stores there are specialist just for businesses needs usually wearing black shirts, also their website has a site for them too accommodating to their needs. 

Ch. 8 - Segmenting and Targeting Markets

Segments and Target Markets 

According to our textbook Market Segment is a subgroup of people or organizations sharing one or more characteristics that cause them to have similar product needs. When Apple designs their product they have their Target Market in mind at all times. Unlike other companies that try to put everything together in one product or should I say the needs of many target markets in once product Apple stays true to their consumers and keeps their quality, uniqueness and elegance the same or they actually improve it. 

Sale of the others products might show that Apple is decreasing and by other products I mean the sale of the Samsung Galaxy against Apple's iPhone but when we look at profit and number and tittles Apple has only rise worldwide using demographic settings, age, culture, ethnicity and more. Having their product in different language , having their feature " siri " talk in many languages shows why Apple has become a successful worldwide  company. Recently Apple took the number one spot from Coca Cola and that definitely shows that they are here to stay with their innovative Products.


Aside from targeting and segmenting us the " regular " people with their gorgeous products Apple has an even bigger Market and those are professional, not only business people but the Art side of business. Their iPods and Macs are designed to go beyond and artist prefer their product to create their work. Even though at the beginning these products were targeted to the mentioned market above Apple as been able to make their product appeal not only to them but to everyone . 

Age, Culture, demographics is not such barrier for Apple anymore for every single product can appeal to anyone at any age from any culture and at any part of the world.      

Ch. 11 - Developing and Managing Products

Product Development 

 A new product takes a very long time to come to life and when we are getting a new product on the market chances are the company is already working on or has already been working on a new one.  Products define a company and if your products are as good as you claim they are and live up to the public's expectations then that company is very likely to succeed. 

Apple has been known for their product development and how exciting it is for their fans every time a new product is launched. By having unique and luxurious products Apple makes you proud in owning one of their product and make their fans go " crazy " for them to the point of making lines for days outside of their stores. 

Apple is one of the most the innovative company there is and they know their consumers well and give them what they want every single time no matter which product is launched, from their iPhones to their iPads to their Macs. They never fail to impress a big part of their Market. 

Ch. 18 - Social Media and Marketing

Apple's Lack of Social Media

Apple is knowing by its high standard, and as mentioned on my previous blog, for their uniqueness. Social Media is not something they wanted to change I assume. When you go to almost every website there many icons where you can click to " share " the product or their page on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest .. the list goes on, and they are usually visible. If you go to the Apple website, you can say that the feature does not exist even though it does. Being that they keep their image as high end, maybe all those little icons might seem " tacky " in such website. 

The lack of  use of social media has obviously not impacted Apple in any way. Apple's executive do not blog and barely use twitter and most certainly are going around advertising their Facebook Pages. Steve Job didn't even have a Twitter though their new CEO created one but as said above barely makes any use of it. 

As big as social media is these days Apple has not gotten to the point of using it and as we all know, it has not made a difference in their sale. I believe Apple's customer to the marketing for them by posting pictures of their new bough Apple products and talking about them to friends, family and on the social networks. 

 

Ch. 10 - Product Concept

Apple's Branding & Concept

Apple's key to their success has been their uniqueness.When you buy any of their product you know that you can't get anything like it at another place. From their high end physical materials to their unique software. Their " Think Different " campaign definitely relates to their products, when you are using any of them you are required to think different. 

Apple's has made their homework to make complex simple. Their products are simple to use but at the same time you look at it and it may seem complex which is what makes them different. Steve Job once said " the best technology is invisible, things work like magic " and many of the features of the Apple's software makes you feel like that. Apple has been very unique and different from their competitors and have stayed on top of their game even when not everyone agree on their uniqueness. One thing is certain, UNIQUE has worked for them . 

Apple's logo is recognized worldwide without needing to put their name under it. When you go to their retail Store most of them if not all of them only have their " APPLE "  logo in the front which lets us know how successful they are. They take branding to another level from their logo, their retail store, online store and all the way to how their products are packed. The Apple experience does not end on the purchasing, the unpack-aging experience is pretty amazing as well. 

Ch. 17 - Personal Selling and Sales Management

Selling - Personal  & Management 

In order to be successful selling a product a company's personal selling must be at its best. 

When you walk into any Apple retailer, or at least from my experience, all the employees are hands on with the products. One must know the product very well in order to have the " personal selling " side of their company well managed. 

Apple trains their employees to make their customers feel at home and even when you are not buying they make you feel very important. When you buy an Apple product their employees make you feel as if your coming into a new family where you are going to be taken care of as long as the life of the product and I believe they stay true to that . +

Apple's Genius Bar is a key element to their selling, I personally buy their product because there is a comfort in knowing that if anything is wrong with the product you purchase you can just make an appointment or walked into one of their retail store. 

Even before getting to the point of using the Genius Bar, when you buy a product Apple as stations set up so that the representative that assisted you in your purchase can help you set up the product. Apple also has workshops to help you learn how to use the product you purchase and how to transition from Microsoft Products to their Mac software.    

Ch. 16 - Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Promotion

Apple's Advertisements

I've always said that if a company can be recognized only by its logo, it means that they have been very successful not only in sale but their marketing-advertising department has been as well. Apple is one of those companies that are recognized just by their logo. Apple advertisements are simple but just like their product they catch your eyes by how delicate and sophisticated they appear to be. 

Apple uses slogans within their advertisement a lot, and they seem to stay in your head or you might find your saying them when a commercials comes on. The " Think Different " Slogan was a big one between 1997-2002. This slogan was created in their New York Office and it was used in different commercials and in many printed advertisements until Apple came up with the next Slogan, " SWITCH " which was about making the switch from Windows platform to Mac. 

For the iPod and iTunes apple uses silhouettes on their TV commercials and on their printed ones of people listening to the product and dancing, you don't even have to see their logo to know that is an Apple advertisement. On their printed advertisement apple tends to get a big spot or several spots in one location so their advertisement is all you see.  

Apple has encountered criticism about their advertisements and sometimes selling a product advertising one thing and they don't perform what they offer. They had a incident in Australia with their iPads that ended up in lawsuit since they kept advertising the 4G and they were not compatible with any carrier in the country at the time. 
Apple spends millions in marketing but at the end of the day we can see why they spend so much money, their advertisement are " very elegant and precised " 

The Apple stores doesn't have a lot of " Sales " their prices are what they are from the beginning. There are a few offers that come within buying a product for example they have a " Back to School " Promotion that happens yearly. Every year the offers changes between a few options, sometimes it is buy a Mac and get a free iPod Touch or something towards their sales to which is a iTunes/App Store Gift card. Also Students always get about $100.00 off their Mac products.