Apple, Inc. is a multinational technology corporation focused on software, consumer electronics, and online services. Founded in the United States in the 1970s, it is currently regarded as the world’s largest and most valuable IT company. Apple has become a symbol of breakthrough and innovation, however, its success would be impossible without one of the greatest marketing strategies developed by the company.
In general, the concept of marketing presupposes the satisfaction of consumers’ needs and demands by services and products offered by a seller. Apple was among companies that first understood the utmost significance of marketing for the business’s growth and competitiveness. Marketing is not limited by the product’s advertising to consumers – it determines the complete channels of the product’s introduction in the market and its promotion to encourage potential clients to buy it. Apple is excellent in the development of a need and the creation of its products’ awareness using modern technologies, revolutionizing customer experience and the market in general.
According to the concept of the marketing mix, Apple offers software, services, and consumer electronics, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod, and Apple watches. The company offers premium pricing, making products unaffordable to everyone. Apple justifies this strategy by devices’ premium quality, advanced features and technologies, and excellent user experience (Simon, 2018). In addition, the company creates an impression of exclusiveness for its consumers by purchasing its products. For accessibility and visibility, Apple uses multiple sales channels, such as Apple’s official online and offline stores, retailers, wholesalers, value-added resellers, and cellular network providers. Finally, the company’s promotion strategies include the use of traditional platforms, the creation of advertisements on point, and limited price-based offers instead of discounts.
In addition, Apple may be defined as the first company that started to support the Internet of Things (IoT) and integrated it into its marketing and buying efforts. In general, as a platform that connects digital devices with applications, the IoT is a substantial source of data collected from consumers that helps companies to respond to people’s needs. On the basis of information related to consumer behavior, brands adapt their products and services to make their marketing strategies more efficient. In general, Apple’s hardware and software are interconnected, providing multiple opportunities for consumers’ comfort and life improvement. At the same time, data collected from its platform helps the company develop new products according to people’s expectations to exceed them staying a leader in its niche. For instance, focusing on consumer experience, Apple created “a singular accessible ecosystem of complementary products” as the intrinsic parts of every person’s daily life (Moorman, 2018, para. 7). In addition, through the IoT, Apple receives information about different population groups to target them more efficiently – for example, to use understandable terms in advertising to attract potential clients.
Apple’s marketing strategy may be regarded as unique because the brand focuses on customer experience creating the product’s value using modern technologies and digital platforms. The company attracts influencers to generate positive reviews, creates short stories for advertising and inspiring consumers, and relies on customer feedback for the improvement of its services and products, paying attention to every detail, from the product’s design to packaging and the atmosphere of salespoints (Simon, 2018). All in all, it is possible to say that Apple is a customer-oriented company that focuses on knowing its target audience and staying connected with people through Apple’s hardware and software and social media platforms.
References
Moorman, C. (2018). Why Apple is still a great marketer and what you can learn. Forbes. Web.
Simon, M. (2018). How Apple’s unconventional iPhone X marketing strategy will make you want one at any cost. Macworld, 35(1), 54-57.