Executive Summary
The marketing concepts employed by Apple Inc. and Samsung are evident and considerable. They have helped both companies remain competitive in the market and enhance their competitive advantages in the electronics industry. Marketing concepts refers to how organizations analyze, understand, and meet the needs of their respective customers (Pride & Ferrell 2006, P.7).
Organizations produce and sell commodities that address such needs with precision. Evidently, Apple Inc. and Samsung have managed to address the unique demands of their customers with various products including the iPhone 4 and Samsung Galaxy S 2.
A stringent and appropriate marketing concept is a combination of values and considerations made explicitly to address customers’ needs. Nevertheless, these have conformed to the aspects of marketing concepts, market segmentation, targeting markets, marketing strategies, and positioning strategies adopted by Apple and Samsung.
Marketing Concepts Discussed with regard to Apple Inc. and Samsung
Targeting strategy
Apple Inc. and Samsung have selected their specific target markets in order to serve them exceedingly. Customers demands goods, which satisfy their needs with utmost precision and satisfaction (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel 2011, p. 274). It is from this context that the entire business prospects lie in selecting the target market.
Additionally, the need to have efficient production mechanisms has always helped Apple Inc. and Samsung in delivering their business objectives as they address their targeted customers’ demands. In this regard, both companies are aware that consumers usually go for products, which are of considerable quality and widely available at affordable costs.
By understanding these provisions, Apple Inc. strives to produce quality and affordable electronic products that address their targeted customers’ demands. It is possible to stay afloat in the market if a company considers the needs of its clients. This is an important provision in various contexts.
Additionally, emerging with novel products, which embraces the aspects of technology among other provisions is a considerable move to both companies. It is crucial to consider the production capabilities of such clients in the entire context.
Importantly, the products namely iPhone 4 and Samsung Galaxy S 2 among others target a wider range of customer segments. They have been given a wider market distribution to enhance their accessibility and help in reducing their costs at various marketplaces as they address specific market demands.
Target markets
In this context, Apple and Samsung have a specific population, which they target with their products. The aspects of market segmentation, business strategies, and target marketing usually contribute constructively. For example, Apple Inc. has to analyze its target markets in order to produce products that will address their unique demands.
Concurrently, iPhone 4 has various features that meet considerable demands of various customers. It targets customers belonging to some social class and literacy. In this context, it has been possible for the company to analyze its market segments and produce products that are appropriate to them.
The need to meet the market demands with novel products usually plays critical roles in this context. Another concept in this phenomenon is the pricing and distribution capabilities of the company involved immediately after designing and producing its products (Drummond & Ensor 2005, P. 75).
They need such pricing capabilities to address the economic capabilities of the target market. For example, Samsung has managed to attain massive business opportunities with its Samsung Galaxy S 2 due to fair pricing, appropriateness, and extensive distribution. From this concept, it is evident that companies require massive business opportunities in order to attain their marketing concepts with appropriate production mechanisms.
Contextually, increasing the volume of production will eventually reduce the costs, cut prices, increase sales, enhance revenues, and augment profitability as it sells massively to the target market. Both Apple Inc. and Samsung have managed to structure their target markets and production systems to attain low cost products mentioned earlier. Contextually, this is an important occurrence in the business realms.
It is from this concept that numerous organizations exist (Ferrell & Hartline 2011, P. 25). Managing to uphold the aspects of business production and capabilities in order to reduce costs and other characterizing factors is an important provision in the business realms.
Determining the target customers, market segment, and the appropriate market strategy for such customers have enabled both companies to enhance their sales and customer focus in various contexts. From this argument, the entire business prospects for Apple Inc. and Samsung have managed to thrive in the global limelight despite the threatening challenges and stringent competition from other contenders.
Strategic marketing
Apple and Samsung have managed to attain their strategic goals through appropriate strategic marketing. This relates to focusing of inadequate resources on identified opportunities in order to increase productivity, sales, and profitability (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel 2011, p. 35). This has allowed the companies to attain considerable competitive advantages. In this context, both companies have managed to embrace the aspects of product concept.
Evidently, customers require products that meet their demands with appropriateness. This helps in curbing unnecessary product rejections by the customers. Customers usually demand quality products (Blanchard 2010, P. 42). They are also able to assess the quality and performance provisions of the concerned product.
This can massively affect their buying trends. As a marketing concept and a component of strategic marketing, the product provisions must be considered by the concerned company to ensure that it only provides appropriate products that address the demands of targeted clients.
Apple and Samsung have strived to provide products that precisely meet the quality standards desired by the customers. Consequently, they have investigated what the customers demand with regard to quality and other provisions evident in this context. Additionally, it is important that both companies consider the provisions of performance in their products.
Additionally, the ability to provide the targeted customers with more than what they expected as evident in the iPhone 4 and Samsung Galaxy S 2’s context is of some considerable provisions. Additionally, it is important to augment the aspects of quality as witnessed in the Apple Inc.’s products as a component of strategic marketing.
The aspects of quality act as promotional agents regardless of countless advertisements. Whenever customers realize that what the concerned company provides is of quality, they will remain loyal clients (Gupta 2006, P. 65). This is a crucial provision when considered critically and evaluated contextually with regard to the two companies.
Both companies have equally managed to position themselves favourably in the market hence rendering them quite competitive. It is imperative to consider such aspects with precision. Strategic market positioning helps the concerned company reach its clients promptly and decisively (Vilcox & Mohan 2007, p. 16).
From this context, it is apparent that the concerned organization must observe product concepts as a promotional strategy in the entire context. Managing to address the market demands is a considerable marketing strategy in the global limelight.
Most products produced by both companies have managed to meet the product concepts as argued in this context. Additionally, the need for more elaborated market share and visibility helps the concerned companies to address their market targets upon segmenting their target customers with precision.
SWOT Analysis
Upon SWOT analysis, it is evident that both companies have considerable strengths, some weaknesses, bountiful business opportunities, and considerable threats. For example, ability to produce quality products has acted as strengths to the mentioned companies. Such quality provisions have also acted as opportunities through which the business prospects lie.
Since clients would prefer commodities that embrace quality, performance, and innovative features, this becomes a critical provision in this entire context. On strengths, both companies have adequate resources, experienced human capital, technological provisions, well-established brand names, considerable market share, and ability to expand among others. Consequently, it is important to consider various aspects of these provisions (Bohm 2009, p. 10).
Since Apple Inc. and Samsung (the concerned companies) have rocked the electronic industry with innovative products, they have a considerable chance to grow tremendously if the current trends continue (O’grady 2009, P. 26). This is with regard to their marketing strategies, market segmentations, and other marketing provisions that will render them profitable.
Noticeable weaknesses of the companies in the realms of their business incorporate some hitches in the distribution network, quality aspects, and huge business networks that delay the aspects of decision making. Accordingly, both companies have managed to improve quality, performance, and features of their products in order to rock the market with appropriateness despite the mentioned weaknesses. It is through this provision that entire context of business orientations and market visibility relies.
This might render them disadvantaged and incapable of meeting the demands of the divided market segments and other appropriate provisions. Contextually, it is important to recognize that customers have the obligation to choose products that meet their demands with utmost fulfilment (Jain 2011, P. 30).
Opportunities in this context incorporate expanding market for their products, globalization, expanded international business, reduced global business restriction, emergence of technology, and strong brand names indicated earlier. Conversely, threats incorporate piracy, stringent competition, economic hitches, some unfavourable international business regulations, and others. Nonetheless, both companies have massive business strategies proposed by periodic SWOT analysis on their performance and customer satisfaction globally.
Positioning strategy
Apple Inc. and Samsung have established novel foundations of their marketing activities. The companies have installed marketing campaigns, loyalty programs, and new marketing materials. All these have followed similar positioning and marketing strategies as evident in this context.
Evidently, consumers have always shown a normal tendency to resist. This indicates the essence to have aggressive promotional programs and positioning strategies to enhance their tolerability. As a marketing concept, ability to induce consumers is of a massive consideration. It is important to enhance such aspects as indicated earlier.
Apple Inc. and Samsung have managed to uphold the aspects of selling concepts and positioning strategies in order to capture a considerable market divide, global presence, and market saturation (O’grady 2009, P. 56). Evidently, both companies produce quality products; nonetheless, these can only sell if the company enacts appropriate marketing and positioning strategies that will induce customers to buy the concerned products.
Contextually this is an important provision when considered decisively. It is appropriate to consider such provisions before approaching the market with novel products. Due to emergence of technology and other beneficial product provisions, both companies have been introducing fresh product into the market with due appropriateness.
Concurrently, they have established appropriate marketing concepts to help them rock the concerned markets with profitability (Rajagopal 2000, P. 1). This means that the aspects of selling relates to the provisions of advertisements, positioning strategies, and other promotional procedures.
bility to enhance sales depends on how the company has handled its marketing concepts and other promotional provisions relevant to the concerned products. It is important to consider such provisions in various contexts. Consequently, it is apparent that both companies used appropriate promotional vessels to ensure that they remain relevant in their business endeavours and reach numerous potential clients globally.
From this context, it is apparent that most business orientations are favoured by appropriate promotional strategies. In order to allow iPhone 4 and Samsung Galaxy S 2 to sell in the global market, both companies have enacted stringent and appropriate selling concepts to ensure that both products sell in the global market. This relates to the aspects of suggestible mass advertisements and appropriate positioning strategies.
Evidently, if clients are left to decide on their own, they will not purchase enough products from the concerned company. This might lead to massive losses due to reduced sales. From this concept, it is evident that the concerned companies must promote their products. This allows the targeted market segment to understand the features and benefits of the concerned product.
Consequently, they will tend to buy the product with a massive success (Jain 2011, P. 31). The marketing concepts must consider the aspects of promotion in order to realize any remarkable results. Nonetheless, the concerned companies will find it hard to attain the desired business prospective. Upon considering these factors, both companies have been selling their products aggressively in various markets globally in order to attain remarkable revenues and register appropriate profits.
Micro-environmental forces
There are internal forces that have hindered Apple and Samsung from meeting the business and marketing objectives. Considering such aspects (micro environmental forces) within the concerned company have enhanced the aspects of decision making either to Samsung or Apple Inc. depending on the concerned business aspects.
Additionally, the efforts by the companies to alleviate these micro environmental forces have contributed to the witnessed companies’ success indicated before (Hoffman & Bateson 2009, P. 30). Precisely, it is the aspects of aggressiveness (in the realms of sales) that contributes to these desired promotional provisions. Both businesses have addressed these issues with ultimate precision.
Consequently, both companies have been registering massive sales, turnovers, and profitability despite the micro environmental forces. Upon application of appropriate targeting strategies, it has been possible for the concerned companies to realize massive business results. This has contributed significantly in the entire contextual consideration.
Micro environmental forces incorporate the aspects of internal workforce diversity, economic hitches within the company, technological challenges, resistance to change, unfavourable business environment, and hitched management among others (Richard 2009, p. 214). Nonetheless, the companies have managed to overcome these factors as evident from their globalized success.
Macro-environmental forces
These are factors, which affect the economy as a whole. Obviously, the aspects of GDP, inflation, employment, expenditures, monetary and fiscal policies have affected both companies significantly in the realms of business (Richard 2009, p. 204). Nonetheless, both companies have focused on the customers’ demands and provide them with the demanded products despite the challenges.
By focusing on the customers’ demands, the companies have introduced novel products into the market despite the witnessed macro environmental challenges. Conversely, if both companies focus only on the products, they might produce commodities, which do not sell in the market.
For this matter, there is need to address critical business eventualities in such aspects. While considering these provisions, it is evident that Apple Inc. and Samsung studied the demands of their customers in the realms of product specification regardless of the macro environmental forces.
Consequently, they emerged with the most appropriate products for clients. Additionally, it is crucial to consider such provisions in the realms of customer satisfaction (Vilcox & Mohan 2007, P. 61). As indicated before, both companies have managed to enact appropriate business concepts in their endeavours to curb the challenges fronted by the macro environmental forces.
Despite such forces, it is crucial to learn what consumers want, produce it, sell it to them, satisfy their needs with appropriateness, increase sales, and enhance profitability in order to capture substantial market presence. This is helpful in attaining the company goals with exactness. It occurs in the realms of expansion, global presence, market saturation, and productivity.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Conclusively, Apple Inc. and Samsung have managed to enhance their market presence and profitability through establishment of appropriate marketing concepts. Additionally, favourable strategic marketing, macro/micro-environmental forces, market segmentation, targeting markets, marketing strategies, and positioning strategies have equally contributed to their success.
It is recommendable to uphold such provisions in the spheres of effectiveness, appropriateness, and prosperity. This is a vital consideration in various contexts. Addressing marketing concepts appropriately augments profits, customer satisfaction, and loyalty.
Reference List
Blanchard, D 2010, Supply chain management: best practices, John Wiley, New Jersey, US.
Bohm, A 2009, The SWOT Analysis, GRIN Verlag, London, UK.
Drummond, G & Ensor, J 2005, Introduction to marketing concepts, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, UK.
Ferrell, O & Hartline, M 2011, Marketing strategy, South-Western Cengage Learning, Sydney, AUS.
Gupta, D 2006, Marketing library and information services international perspectives, K.G. Saur Press, Mùˆnchen, Germany.
Hoffman, K & Bateson, J 2009, Services marketing: concepts, strategies & cases, Cengage Learning Services, Ohio, US.
Jain, S 2011, Handbook of research in international marketing, Edward Elgar, New York, US.
Lamb, C, Hair J & McDaniel, C 2011, Essentials of Marketing, Cengage Learning, Ohio, US.
O’grady, J 2009, Apple Inc, Greenwood Press, Connecticut, US.
Pride, W & Ferrell, O 2006, Marketing: concepts and strategies, Houghton Mifflin Co., Massachusetts, US.
Rajagopal, P 2000, Marketing: concepts and cases, New Age International Publishers, New Delhi, India.
Vilcox, M & Mohan, T 2007, Contemporary issues in business ethics, Nova Science Publishers, New York, US.