MKT571 Phoenix Apple Inc Communication and Brand Strategy Paper

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Purpose of Assignment

This assignment is designed to help students understand the interrelationships between brand strategy and the communication message to the target audience. It is a continuation of the marketing plan and students should review the Week 3 Learning Team Assignment for assistance in product brand strategies the team has developed.

Assignment Steps

Develop a minimum 700-word branding strategy and marketing communication plan in Microsoft® Word. This document should address at least 5 elements of the Situational Analysis and the Product, Place/Distribution, Promotion, and Price Strategies (modified below) sections of the marketing plan (from the Situational Analysis and the Product, Place/Distribution, Promotion, and Price Strategies lists below). The five elements you select should only come from the options provided below. You must include a measurement of customer loyalty and retention in your strategy document. You may include more than the minimum to provide clarity and coherence to your document.

  • Situational Analysis:
    • Vision, Mission, Strategic objectives, Values
    • Strengths/Weaknesses
    • Competitor's Strengths/Weaknesses
    • Market Segments
  • Product, Place/Distribution, Promotion, and Price Strategies:
    • Creating a Brand Image
    • Maintaining Brand Image
    • Branding Concerns
    • Promotion/Integrated Marketing Communication
    • Advertising Strategy/Objectives
    • Push and Pull
    • Media Strategy
    • Advertising Execution
    • Public Relations/Strategies

Note: Charts/graphs/tables do not count toward the word count.

The plan will be a continuation of your global or multi-regional business you chose in Week 1. This will be incorporated into your overall marketing plan for Week 6.

Cite a minimum of three peer-reviewed references.

Format your assignment consistent with APA guidelines.

Click the Assignment Files tab to submit your assignment.

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Running Head:RESEARCHING MARKETING QUESTIONS Researching Marketing Questions Chad J. Don MKT/571 Professor Meraj Khan July 24th, 2017 1 RESEARCHING MARKETING QUESTIONS 2 Researching Marketing Questions The following analysis is based on information provided by Apple Inc. The major areas of increase for the organization are the number of sales made in both Japan and Europe among others. Regarding Japan, revenue in the fourth quarter of 2016 saw a 10% increase while Europe saw a 3% increase also in the fourth quarter. On the other hand, the major regions that saw a decrease in revenue are Chine with a 30% and America saw a decrease of 7%. Regarding products, the iPhone saw a 13% decline, while the MAC saw an even bigger decline of 17% (Grant, 2016). The increase in production units for both the iPad and the Mac rendered a loss for the Apple company. The organization would be able to address this challenge by reducing the total numbers of units sold. This method pursues to minimize the production costs leading to the loss regarding this case. By causing shortage would lead to a level of demand and the market would respond by increasing price of the commodities therefore by enhancing the revenue by the company (Heracleous, 2013). The company has seen a considerable decline in income that has been accrued by the organization from the third and fourth quarters. The income regarding the iPhone and Mac have extremely lowered while the returns on the iPad has seen a 6% increase. There was also a significant increase of 24% regarding the services offered by the company. Also, the other products made by the company have seen a significant drop of 22% in generated income compared to the third quarter (Grant, 2016). By enhancing research will help establish vital aspects on the protection and promotion of the interests of consumers. It is a strategy that can be adopted by the company to promote growth for the company. This approach is meant to established products that match consumer preference thereby helping the company compete favorably with others. Another strategy that RESEARCHING MARKETING QUESTIONS 3 can be used by the company in this regard is innovation to establish approaches that are efficient and effective in production. This helps in minimizing the cost of production as well as the suitability of products to the market. Engagement of feedback from clients and integrating it in production is another approach that can be used by the company in this case (Heracleous, 2013). The establishment of new products can be used in this situation as well. The company has the ability to lean on the strong brand identity within the market. The research is the prerequisite for this because it provides the company the ability to research different aspects in the market place. They include consumer preferences, financial ability of existing firms and that of the target market. Exploring the aspects of the culture of target market would assist in the incorporation important aspect that informs on consumer preferences (Grant, 2016). Other vital understandings that can provide support in stimulating the growth within the company via investigation of new markets. This serves to enlarge the pool from which the company can search for clients. A case in point of such markets includes regions of Africa (Heracleous, 2013). You have discussed well the following areas: • • • • Major areas of increase and decrease in revenue or type and/or category of business Trends that are evident in terms of revenue or type and/or category of business Insights that would help formulate marketing strategies to either continue growth or reverse decline Additional analysis you (if you were SVP) would like to build a marketing goal and strategy or strategies (and why) The company that was selected for this portion of the assignment was Apple Inc. Apple Inc. corporate headquarters are located in Cupertino California. The product that has been selected for discussion in this report is the iPhone. The Apple company has manufactured 306,661 units in 2015 vs. 276,592 units in 2016. The company has a 92,600 employees on a permanent basis along with an additional 4,400 temporary employment. The company was found RESEARCHING MARKETING QUESTIONS 4 in 1976 by Ronald Wayne, Steve Jobs, and Steve Wozniak. You can visit apple.com for company information and current products for sale. The data that was utilized for this report was from 2015 and 2016 (Grant, 2016). The device selected for this report was the iPhone which is considered a smart phone that currently accounts for the highest number of sales. At this point the Samsung mobile company is Apples biggest competitor. The Apple company’s main strategy used in marketing the product is extensive use of innovation to establish a high quality product. By marketing and sealing high quality products assists in creating and maintaining a strong brand identity that draws customers to them. The highest number of sales are currently in America and Europe. Africa is a market available for potential growth and expansion(Grant, 2016). The revenue made from the iPhone has seen a small decline from 2015 to 2016. You have well incorporated and discussed the items requested in the instructions for the assignments as a part of the summary for the product. APA guidelines require papers to be formatted with level, I, III and IV headings and subheadings to make the presentation of the paper better. RESEARCHING MARKETING QUESTIONS 5 Reference Grant, R. M. (2016). Contemporary strategy analysis: Text and cases edition. John Wiley & Sons. Heracleous, L. (2013). Quantum strategy at Apple Inc. Organizational Dynamics, 42(2), 92-99. http://images.apple.com/newsroom/pdfs/Q4FY16ConsolidatedFinancialStatements.pdf http://images.apple.com/newsroom/pdfs/Q4FY16DataSummary.pdf http://investor.apple.com/secfiling.cfm?filingid=1193125-14-383437 Grading Guide Partially Content Comments: Met Student analyzes the dataset and provides insight and commentary in the form of a Not Met Met Good job! 10 memorandum. (10) Student’s analysis includes major areas of increase and decrease in revenue or type and/or category of business. (10) Good job! 10 RESEARCHING MARKETING QUESTIONS Content 6 Not Met Met Met Student’s analysis includes trends that are evident in terms of revenue or type and/or Partially Comments: Good job! 10 category of business. (10) Student’s analysis includes insights that would help formulate marketing strategies to either Good job! 10 continue growth or reverse decline. (10) Student’s analysis includes additional analysis you (as SVP) would like (and why) to build a Good job! 10 marketing goal and strategy or strategies. (10) The memorandum is a minimum of 525 words Good job! 10 in length. (10) Student selects a global or multi-regional (does Good job! business in more than one country) company 10 and one of its products or services that will serve as the basis for your marketing plan. (10) Students prepares a summary document and sends it to the instructor that includes but is not limited to: • Name of Company Good job! 5 RESEARCHING MARKETING QUESTIONS Content • • • • 7 Partially Not Met Met Met Comments: Location of Company Headquarters Name of Product or Service selected General description of company (number of employees, revenue, type of ownership, web page, etc.) General description of product or service. (5) The summary document is a minimum 175 Good job! 5 words in length. (5) Total Total Available Earned 80~3 Writing Guidelines 80~3 Partially Not Met Met Met Comments: The paper—including tables and graphs, Please refer to the headings, title page, and reference page— comments in yellow. is consistent with APA formatting guidelines and meets course-level requirements. (4) 3 RESEARCHING MARKETING QUESTIONS Writing Guidelines 8 Partially Not Met Met Met Comments: Intellectual property is recognized with Good job! 4 in-text citations and a reference page. (4) Paragraph and sentence transitions are present, logical, and maintain the flow Good job! 4 throughout the paper. (4) Sentences are complete, clear, and Good job! 4 concise. (4) Rules of grammar and usage are followed Good job! 4 including spelling and punctuation. (4) Total Total Available Earned Assignment Total Additional comments: # 20~1 19/0.95 4 3.95 RESEARCHING MARKETING QUESTIONS 9 Marketing Plan Outline and Timeline MKT/571 Version 10 University of Phoenix Material Marketing Plan Outline and Timeline Marketing Plan You are expected to develop a marketing plan, according to the outline below, for a product or service of your choosing. The product or service must be identified by the end of Week 1. The product or service you select is used to develop the assignments for Weeks 2 through Week 6. References must be included for each section. There are no defined standards for the length of the marketing plan; however, your plan must disclose complete marketing strategies and provide reliable and valid references and data supporting the strategies to convince the target audience. The plan must be written in plain language that would be easily understood by stakeholders. Marketing Plan Outline Your final marketing plan must consist of the following sections. Refer to the timeline for due dates for each section and subsection. Assignments may include modifications to these lists. Please use lists provided in assignments only. • Executive Summary: o o o o • Situational Analysis: o o o o o o o o • Vision, Mission, Strategic objectives, Values Internal Analysis Strengths/Weaknesses Capability/Capacity Competitor’s Strengths/Weaknesses Technological Competency Product or Service Analysis Market Segments Research o o o o o o o o o o o • Strategic Objectives Products or Services Resources Needed Projected Outcomes Primary Research Secondary Research Consumer Analysis Customer Profile Continuous Consumer Monitoring & Research Environmental Scanning Identify Market, Economic, Technological, Regulatory, Legal, Social, and Ecological Forces Current Opportunities Potential Future Opportunities Current Threats Potential Future Threat Target Market(s): Copyright © 2017 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. 1 Marketing Plan Outline and Timeline MKT/571 Version 10 o o o o o • Demographics Psychographics Ethical Issues Legal Issues Social Issues Product, Place/Distribution, Promotion, and Price Strategies: o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o Product Descriptions and Product/Service Mix Strategies Product/Service Determinants Creating a Brand Image Maintaining Brand Image Branding Concerns Distribution Strategies Channels, Mass, Selective, Exclusive Promotion/Integrated Marketing Communication Advertising Strategy/Objectives Push and Pull Media Strategy Advertising Execution Sales Promotion Direct Marketing Public Relations/Strategies Positioning Dynamic/Static Pricing Strategies Marketing Plan Timeline Week 1: Marketing Plan Topic • Consider your company and product or service selection in Week 1. You may select an existing type of product or service or a new product or service but it must be global or multi-regional. Once you have selected your product or service, you must define the size and type of company that provides the product or service (available from annual reports). This need not be elaborate but must include total number of employees, production volume, distribution methods, and so forth. Company and product or service selection is a critical part of this project. You must ensure your proposed company can implement the marketing methods discussed in the text. • Key to creating an effective marketing plan is the ability to analyze the environment in which the product or service will be offered. The Week 1 assignment allows you to begin to understand various reports and how they can be used in your marketing plan. Week 2: Understanding Target Markets • To develop effective relationship marketing, a company must first understand its targeted consumers’ buying influences and behaviors. In Week 2, create the Research section of your plan. In addition, create the first two parts of the Target Market section, which includes performing the demographics and psychographics analysis. Week 3: Promotion and the product life cycle • All products/services go through a life cycle of NPI (new product introduction), growth, maturity and decline. These various stages affect the marketing strategy and promotional efforts. In Week 3, you will incorporate a promotion strategy that addresses at least three areas of the product life Copyright © 2017 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. 2 Marketing Plan Outline and Timeline MKT/571 Version 10 cycle. Week 4: Price and Channel Strategy • How one goes to market and the influences of the channel (channel power, strength of channel, speed of channel, etc.) affects the pricing strategy of the product or service. In Week 4 your pricing and distribution strategy will be incorporated into the marketing plan. Week 5: Marketing Communication and Brand Strategy • Brand strategy and the communication of the brand is essential to understanding the various phases of a product or service (viz a viz the life cycle). Brand recognition is based in the marketing communication efforts of the firm. When you hear or see the word Coke, you immediately know it is Coca Cola. When you see five interlocking rings of different colors you know that is the symbol for the Olympics. In Week 5, you will develop a brand and communication strategy for your product. Week 6: Executive Summary, Legal, Social and Ethical Issues, Final Plan • Review your final plan. Does the plan effectively analyze market strategies? Are the social, ethical, and legal considerations valid and accounted for? What is the relationship among quality, price, satisfaction, and perceived value within the plan? Copyright © 2017 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. 3 Marketing Communication and Brand Strategy Grading Guide MKT/571 Version 10 Marketing Copyright Copyright © 2017, 2016 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. University of Phoenix® is a registered trademark of Apollo Group, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft®, Windows®, and Windows NT® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Use of these marks is not intended to imply endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation. Marketing Communication and Brand Strategy Grading Guide MKT/571 Version 10 Edited in accordance with University of Phoenix® editorial standards and practices. 2 Marketing Communication and Brand Strategy Grading Guide MKT/571 Version 10 Individual Assignment: Marketing Communication and Brand Strategy Purpose of Assignment This assignment is designed to help students understand the interrelationships between brand strategy and the communication message to the target audience. It is a continuation of the marketing plan and students should review the Week 3 Learning Team Assignment for assistance in product brand strategies the team has developed. Grading Guide Content Met Partially Met Not Met Total Available Total Earned 6 #/6 Student develops a branding strategy and marketing communication plan that addresses at least 5 elements of the Situational Analysis and the Product, Place/Distribution, Promotion, and Price Strategies (modified below) sections of the marketing plan. Choose 5 elements from the lists below: • Situational Analysis: o Vision , Mission, Strategic objectives, Values o Strengths/Weaknesses o Competitor’s Strengths/Weaknesses o Market Segments • Product, Place/Distribution, Promotion, and Price Strategies: o Creating a Brand Image o Maintaining Brand Image o Branding Concerns o Promotion/Integrated Marketing Communication o Advertising Strategy/Objectives o Push and Pull o Media Strategy o Advertising Execution o Public Relations/Strategies Student must include a measurement of customer loyalty and retention in your strategy document. The branding strategy and marketing communication plan is a minimum of 700 words in length. Note: Charts/graphs/tables do not count toward the word count. Comments: 3 Marketing Communication and Brand Strategy Grading Guide MKT/571 Version 10 Writing Guidelines Met Partially Met Not Met Total Available Total Earned 2 #/2 8 #/8 The paper—including tables and graphs, headings, title page, and reference page—is consistent with APA formatting guidelines and meets course-level requirements. Intellectual property is recognized with in-text citations and a reference page. Paragraph and sentence transitions are present, logical, and maintain the flow throughout the paper. Sentences are complete, clear, and concise. Rules of grammar and usage are followed including spelling and punctuation. Assignment Total Additional comments: # Comments: 4 Running Head: Price and Channel Strategy Price and Place/Distribution of Apple Inc Chad J. Don MKT 571 Marketing Professor Meraj Khan August 14th, 2017 1 Price and Channel Strategy 2 Introduction In the recent past, Apple Inc. has made tremendous marketing efforts aimed at ensuring that the organization’s activities are aligned with the prevailing market conditions as well the consumer needs. It, therefore, becomes very critical to conduct an evaluation of .the company’s pricing distribution strategies. The utilization of effective channels as well as the ever growing portfolio has been very important in ensuring success of the company in the global market. These marketing elements have played a vibrant role in the understanding of how and why the company has been experiencing expansion in the different parts of the world. Distribution Strategies Apple Inc. greatly depends on a holistic distribution model (Heracleous, 2013). This model takes an advantage of the diversity in the available distribution channels. Consumers should always be able to access the services and products in any part of the world and during any period of the year. The channels and outlets that the company uses should be widespread so as to ensure that the entire distribution process is fruitful. Traditionally, Apple utilizes a very selective strategy in its distribution which ensures smooth supply of the goods and services to the end user. The company also give some retailers the power to take control over some marketing tools and strategies. In the distribution strategy of Apple Inc., it has availed its services and products in online stores, apple authorized stores, retailers, and offered fulfillment services. This is a strategy that has been very fruitful thus earning the company notable and big profits. Channels, Selective Apple Inc. employs the use of selective distribution models. These models have been very effective in the marketing of its products. The selective approach involves a certain degree of exclusivity that can restrict the company’s market reach and coverage. The company uses Price and Channel Strategy 3 online and non-online channels to distribute its products and services to its clients. It has been exploiting multi-channels that have been useful in increasing and improving overall sales for the company. The company has got more than 200 stores all over the United States of America (Chen & Ann, 2016). However, this is lower than other multinationals such as Coca-Cola. Nevertheless, these stores record more productive and effective per unit. It has been able to experience expansion in their retail sales per a single store which has played a major role in the expansion and promotion of the company’s revenues. Additionally, the company has partnered with a retailers who work with the stores so as to increase the sales level. Dynamic/Static Pricing Strategies Apple Inc. exploits a static pricing strategy (Chen & Ann, 2016). This is because the company’s main focus is on the delivery and production of premium products that are sold at similar prices in every market. Unlike other similar companies, Apple has standardized its prices for some products in various foreign stores. This implies that the company is focused on the premium clients. This pricing is done in an effort to influence the middle and lower class individuals. The pricing strategy includes the breaking down of the prices and the discounts offered to consumers. This strategy has put the company in the frontline in the market due to its effectiveness. Daily Pricing, Promotion Pricing Apple Inc. utilizes a premium pricing strategy which shows that the marketing elements of the company are very essential in its pricing strategies (Chen & Ann, 2016). This premium pricing approach focuses on maintaining high-end replication of the company and its products offerings. This strategy also works to attract and targets a smaller marker share which includes Price and Channel Strategy 4 the middle and upper social classes in the society. The premium pricing strategy used by Apple Inc. has helped the company in maintaining higher revenues and profits from its operations. Practically, the company does not provide any discounts through the sales direct channels. The discounting has been effected in the furnished products only. Moreover, the company maintains the reseller pricing at a stable level despite the many legislations and policies that have illegalized the setting of dealer pricing by companies. In some cases, the company has worked to ensure that the prices of the products and services are maintained at a reasonable level through implementing lower dealer margins, zero discounting and ensuring that the terms the reseller pricing are consistent with the products they offer (Khan, Alam, & Alam, 2015). Additionally, Apple Inc. has got very exclusive online and retail stores that are very attractive to the consumers. Conclusion On a conclusive note, it is crystal clear that Apple Inc. has put in place very efficient and effective strategies in its placing and pricing. These strategies have been implemented with the aim of enhancing the marketing of its products. The company has been able to effectively manage the stabilization of the retail prices. Therefore, the integration of the various channels as well as the ever growing portfolio has aided the company in ensuring successful existence and operations in this very competitive market. 5 Price and Channel Strategy References Chen, C. M., & Ann, B. Y. (2016). Efficiencies vs. importance-performance analysis for the leading smartphone brands of Apple, Samsung and HTC. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 27(3-4), 227-249. Heracleous, L. (2013). Quantum strategy at Apple Inc. Organizational Dynamics, 42(2), 92-99. Khan, U. A., Alam, M. N., & Alam, S. (2015). A critical analysis of internal and external environment of Apple Inc. International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management, 3(6), 955-961.
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Running Head: BRAND STRATEGY

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Brand Strategy
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BRAND STRATEGY

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1. Situational Analysis for Apple Inc.
Mission
Apple's vision explanation and mission statement are bases of the organization's
prosperity as a standout amongst the most important organizations on the planet. Established
in 1976 in Cupertino, California, the firm has turned into an image of advancement and
polish in outline. These qualities are connected to Apple's mission statement and vision
statement, which keeps on motivating the organization's workers to help and add to its
competitive advantage. Its mission statement is; “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 has
reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App store, and is defining the
future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.” (O'Grady, 2009).
Vision
Apple's vision statement is significantly detailed and mirrors the organization's farreaching approach in guaranteeing continued development and growth. For example, the
vision statement counts va...


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