Introduction
Following the current trend of globalization, the international markets have become very competitive among industries today. As it has been observed, the electronic industry is one of the most prospective global industries with the high level of information technology across the globe.
According to Lipczynski et al (2009: 31), international marketers need to give special consideration on the global trends in order enables them to establish viable and reliable strategies for their growth and development. Particularly, the current international trading environment for electronic commodities is highly competitive due to the trend of globalization taking effect in the global community.
Moreover, the currently increasing competition in the global environment has necessitated the establishment of legal regulations of the contemporary business practices in order to uphold consumer welfare. This paper will discuss the external environment facing Apple Inc in the current international trading environment in terms of its markets, competition and business regulations.
As it has been observed, Apple Inc is one of the potential electronic multinational companies in the United States, operating in more than 5 countries in the western region. Considering that the company specializes in the production of electronic products, its highly competitive engineering body has placed the company high in its performance.
Notably, the company has established good reputation in the international market due to its quality-oriented production. Particularly, the company’s products have been quite unique in the global market due to the way the company has employed special technology to produce them with an aim of meeting the needs of the global consumers.
For instance, the release of ipad by Apple into the market has aroused a lot of its demand following its unique features. According to Daniels et al (2008: 39), “…the ability of an international organization to provide unique products which are capable of meeting the needs of its clients forms a competitive advantage for its success’.
More so, fiscal policies like reduced tax rates on the electronics industry have impacted a lot in the Apple Inc. As a result, low production costs, most of the company’s products have been fairly priced in the global markets. With many international markets becoming highly liberalized, it has been quite cheap for Apple to offer its products in such markets due to low custom duties.
This has largely impacted positively on the company, making it to remain highly competent in the global markets. For instance, in spite of ipad being instigated outside US, rendering it an international commodity, Apple made enormous amount of the sales of ipad within the first month of its release due to its exceptionality and reasonably priced rates.
According to Brooks (2004: 13), one of the most efficient international marketing strategies is entirely embedded on pricing, in addition to the brand name. Since Apple Inc is a very reputable brand name internationally, the affordability of its products has enhanced its prosperity in the global markets.
More so, the strengthening of safety measures in the information security has improved efficient marketing of Apple’s products in the global security. Particularly, the massive advancement of e-commerce laws has facilitated safe business transactions between the company with its clients.
According to Wolf (2005: 24), the enormous increase in the computer usage in the society has created expanded market for Apple’s products in two perspectives. First, the already established computer networks have enhanced easy marketing of the company’s products in the global market by far.
On the hand, the company has been making huge sales of its computers since the demand of computers has been increasing significantly. It is important to note that, the current trend of digitalization has not only been effective, but also necessary in the currently revolutionized society towards the use of information technology.
The high income levels associated with the electronic industry have impacted largely on the level of GDP in United States. As reported by Wenderoth (2009: 51), the currently witnessed large expansion of the electronic industry has directly contributed to increasing GDP in US.
With world becoming more interconnected through trade, business people have been observed to be frequent users of online services. As revealed by Brooks (2004: 17), online businesses are becoming the major source income in the electronic industry due to their frequent usage of the websites to market their products. This has been an added advantage to the Apple Inc as it has steady and reliable market for its products.
It has been observed that, the US electronics industry has the potential to develop its channels across the world to be the most competitive. Being technologically oriented country, US has the potential to come up with the most sophisticated devises which would further ensure the economic development of the country (Lipczynski, J., Wilson & Goddard (2009: 33).
This is a very great opportunity of Apple Inc to facilitate its higher and reliable performance in all times of the economic situations across the globe. More so, the electronic industry has the opportunity to utilize government allocations in the country which are made to each sector annually.
In this regard, the performance of Apple Inc Co has been facilitated by favorable fiscal policies in US, as well as within the western region where the company has other branches.
As revealed by Arikan (2008: 55), Apple Inc Co has been managing its sales quite competently through the use of its stores and retail services. The company has various stores in US, where most of its outstanding products are made available to their customers. It has also been observed that, the company has various retail stores in the western region, which made its interaction with the customers closer.
As a result, the company has acquired competitive advantage of winning the confidence and trust of its customers. With reference to Lenscold (2003: 81), “…retail marketing is one of the most potential selling techniques among global businesses to acquire the confidence of the consumers”.
On this basis, the success of Apple Inc Co can be attributed to its underlying tendency to embrace the changing marketing strategies as necessitated by the increasingly competitive business environment.
According to Papadopoulos (2010: 111), social factors like cultural integration and multiculturalism are one of the most significant factors which can affect the demand of the products offered by a company. Considering the technological nature of the products offered by Apple Inc Co, the changes in social behaviors have been quite influential in determining the demand of electronics it offers.
Having full understanding of customer attraction and retention techniques, the company has been in touch with the world’s technology in order to update its products with the currently experienced technology. More importantly, the technology applied in the company’s products ought to be socially acceptable among the people in order to enhance their demand.
Generally, consumers are often swayed by external influences about the products available in their local markets on this basis therefore; external influences from outside US would greatly affect the ultimate performance of Apple Inc Co in the market.
Importantly, Rugman & Collinson (2006: 89) considers the alignment of firm’s resources and capabilities of the firm with regard to the highly competitive business environment. It has been observed in Apple Inc Co that, most of its tangible and intangible resources are allocated quite appropriately with an aim of reducing costs while maximizing output.
Being aware of the existing rivalry in the electronics industry, the Apple Inc Co has strategically organized its resources most effectively by having numerous outlets both in whole and retail stores to enhance its competence in the market. As it has been observed, retail selling is one of the most powerful marketing strategies as it enhances a closer relationship between businesses and their customers.
With regard to Lowes (1994: 158), the closer the relationship between business organizations and their businesses, the more competitive and organization will be in the market.
With reference to the Porter’s 5 forces model of analyzing markets for successful entry and continuity, the Apple Inc Co has largely employed this model in its strategic corporate competitive advantage. It has been observed that, the electronics industry is growing most rapidly in the world with higher global electronics demand.
On this basis, there is high likelihood of new entrants in the electronics sector, following the high demand of electronic products. As a result, Apple Inc Co has largely comprehended this factor and has incorporated competitive advantages to bar new entrants in the industry. This has been enhanced through mass production where the organization has invested heavily to enhance economies of scale.
As a result, the company has been enjoying large economies of scale, making it to acquire comprehensive cost leadership advantage (Porter 2004: 35). Through this strategy, the company has largely realized its objectives and goals of being one of the leading companies in the industry by providing its customers with quality products at fair prices.
As noted by Guy (2009: 81), the current trend of economic changes will soon necessitate the use of energy efficient products, rather than relying on energy intensive electronics. Being aware of this implication, the Apple Co has been engaging in new innovations in producing electronics which are capable of utilizing very little energy, as opposed to the previous products which consume high energy.
To enhance its continuity in the future, Apple Inc Co has been engaging in the production energy efficient and portable, but very powerful electronics. For instance, the release of ipad by Apple was a great success for the product since it was highly powerful and quite efficient in energy utilization.
As a result, the company has largely encompassed the needs of the society with regard to the climatic changes to enhance reliability of its products in the long-run (Stiglitz 002: 17).
Nevertheless, with the current high competition in the contemporary markets, the legal framework in global markets has been restructured to regulate marketing effectively, while at the same time upholding consumer welfare (Morrison 2009: 11). It should be noted that, most organizations’ production strategies are largely guided by the specific market requirements with an aim of satisfying the consumers.
In this case the establishment of competition laws has impacted a lot on the Apple’s performance in the markets. It is presumed that, consumers need high quality products which are fairly priced, necessitating business organizations to align their production strategies with the needs of the consumers.
As it has been observed in Apple Inc Co, consumer welfare is highly upheld since this company has its philosophy based on customers’ satisfaction.
As revealed by Stiglitz (2002: 19), the European Union competition law focuses to maintain regulated competitive markets to enhance production efficiencies and optimal-resource allocations. With the society becoming highly dynamic, the competition law facilitates technological progression through innovations and inventions in the industrial sector.
In this regard, the Apple’s Inc Co strategy of enhancing sustained resources allocation to minimize costs seems to conform to the law in pursuit of promoting consumers’ welfare. More specifically, efficient allocation of resources among business organizations facilitates fair pricing of the consumer products, which acts as a very efficient strategy to promote and safeguard consumer welfare.
On this basis, Apple In Co has largely experienced allocative efficiency which has in turn has attributed to the consumer’s welfare through fair pricing of its final products.
As depicted by the European Union Law, large market shares more than necessary assumes market domination by the firm, which is unlawful. According to Dunning & Lundan (2008: 29), abusive practices among organizations seem to undermine fair competition in the market, which to an extent may contribute to violation of consumer welfare.
For instance, the act of copywriting other firms’ production techniques or commodities may seem abusive and is ultimately not accepted by the law. More so, unfair pricing to undermine the other firms within the market is also considered as unfair practice among business organizations.
As a result, the EU Commission Law imposes huge fines to firms which try to practice dominance activities in the market, which may interfere with market coherence and cause unnecessary competitions. As observed in the Apple Inc Co, such malpractices in its marketing practices are not evident, as it considers the welfare of their other firms as an ultimate strategy to success in the entire industry.
With the establishment and enacting of the competition law, the buyers are indirectly empowered to ensure that suppliers and companies provide the best products at the given prices. As noted by Wenderoth (2009: 57), the reinforcement of the competition law facilitates development of market-oriented policies, which in turn triggers higher competition among producers with the aim of enticing the consumers.
Since competition will be high and fair, development of innovation and invention will be facilitated, especially with the current liberalizations in global trade. With regard to the Apple Inc, the establishment of the EC Competition Law has enhanced its full devotion to provide consumers with quality products as indicated by its brands. As a result, the company has been observed to promote consumer welfare largely.
Particularly, the competitive law has given the buyers the ultimate power to decide willfully their seller choices with regard to their preferences and tastes.
Conclusion
As it has been observed, the currently competitive global markets have necessitated restructuring of corporations to enhance their competence in the market. With the massive globalization in the contemporary society, Apple Inc Co has been focusing its products to conform to the global needs.
As the information technology advances, the company has bee found to have strong potential market in the long-run, since its products are largely conforming to the global trends.
More so, the recently developed Competition Law has facilitated its innovations to meet the needs of its consumers. As a result, success has largely been achieved in the company due to its responsiveness to the global needs and effective marketing strategies.
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