Roles and responsibilities of Marketing in Context of Apple Inc.
In today’s competitive business environment, Marketing is a significant tool for the business organizations. This report includes the discussion about the Apple Inc. in United Kingdom. It determines the roles and responsibilities of marketing and its different elements and their interrelation with other functions of Apple Inc. Apple is a multinational organization which was founded in 1976 in America (Apple Inc. 2017). The company is operating its business in information technology and smartphone industry and it offers different products and services like hardware, software, operating system, consumer electronic and digital distribution.
Marketing management is the process of planning and implementation of different marketing and promotional processes. Marketing plays an important role in the business environment of Apple Inc. UK. The primary roles and responsibilities of marketing are stated below:
The major role of marketing function is to create marketing and branding strategies for Apple Company. Under this function, the marketing managers at Apple need to identify the requirements and expectations of its customers and manufacture the products accordingly. For example, considering the needs of customers towards high-tech smart phones, Apple has introduced iPhones with iOS operating system. It helps this organization to balance its marketing objectives and opportunities.
In the process of market research, marketing plays an important role. In this process, marketing department at Apple collects the information about changing needs and preferences of customers towards IT products and smartphones (Kanagal, 2015). It assists the organization to provide the most appropriate products to its customers.
Generally, the people tend to be attracted towards the companies which provide more value for their money and products. Thus, marketing function establishes a positive image and creates a strong value of Apple’s products among population (Huang & Sarigöllü, 2014). At Apple Inc., marketing will help in increasing the sales of iPhones and other products that will eventually increase profits and revenues of Apple.
The marketing function includes different processes such as finance, distribution, promotion and advertising etc. The key elements of marketing function and their relation with functional divisions are given below:
Effective segmentation of market is a major component of marketing function. In today’s competitive environment, market is changeable so it is very important for organizations to perform appropriate segmentation. At Apple Inc., marketing division can help in recognizing the right customers for its right products. For instance, Apple targets its customers by looking at their demographic variables i.e. age and income of people. For iPhones, the company targets the population of 30 to 55 years old who are from the higher income level group (Baines, Fill & Page, 2013). This market group is determined by the marketing department with the help of research and development department.
Strategy Formulation and Implementation
After collecting the data about target market, it is used to evaluate the possible strengths and weaknesses firm’s operations. It enables the Apple Inc. to create effective strategies which can be used by the firm. These strategies assist the organization in gaining more competitive edge over its competitors i.e. Samsung and Nokia. This element of marketing is related to the finance division as Apple needs funds and other economic sources for development and implementation of marketing strategies.
It is the most significant element of marketing process as the company cannot grow without this process. This element shows the relationships among different departments i.e. marketing, R&D, finance and human resources (Sheth & Sisodia, 2015). It helps Apple in gathering important data about different factors of its operations. Along with the market data, this research can assist Apple in gaining the data about other functions like resources, supply chain and logistics, finance and operations. In this way, it is interrelated with other functions.
After market research and strategy formulation, the next marketing element is strategic planning. The marketing department at Apple Inc. considers different actions like communication, distribution, sales estimation, financial planning etc. In this process, human resources play a major role in developing supply chain and logistics process effectively so that Apple’s products can be reached to the final customers (Wolf & Floyd, 2017).
In the process of marketing, the marketing manager at Apple Inc. plays an important role in developing marketing information system that can give the data regarding company’s product offerings, marketing planning, execution and evaluation. For example, at Apple Inc. management information system shows the information about product distribution, logistics or supply chain on predetermined time. By this, company is able to manage its distribution channels effectively (Laudon & Laudon, 2016).
Conclusion and recommendations
It is hereby concluded that marketing plays an important role in the life of an organization. The above report shows that marketing functions are interlinked with other units of company. Apple can use marketing function and processes to enhance its business operations. Furthermore, it can be recommended that Apple should upgrade its marketing process by analyzing its strengths and weaknesses. Considering the market competition in UK, the company should make changes in its strategies and introduce new products and services according to the needs and preferences of targeted customers.
Marketing mix is a significant framework of an organization that includes various strategies which are used by the organization to attain its marketing objectives. Different firm use the elements of marketing mix in different ways to attain its objectives. For comparing the marketing mix of Apple Inc., Samsung is taken into consideration. Samsung is one of the leading firms in consumer product industry that is also using marketing mix elements in different manner (Pike, 2015). The comparison of both marketing mixes is given below:
|
Marketing Mix Tools |
Apple Inc. |
Samsung |
|
Product |
In its product development process, Apple Inc. is adopting effective strategies. Conducting market research enables the firm to understand the needs of customers. By the use of this strategy, it makes efforts to enhance and introduce improved products like iPhone, iPod, Apple watch, Mac OS, iPad etc. It always manufactures the products by incorporating innovative and advanced features like Apple electric vehicle (Apple, 2018). |
As compared to the Apple’s product strategy, the products of Samsung are manufactured in 6 design centres. The best thing about its products is that it has established trust among people towards its products. The company offers a diversified range of products i.e. smart phones, tablets, televisions, camera and other consumer electronics (Chang. Kim & Joo, 213). |
|
Price |
Apple Inc. is offering its products on premium prices. It has set the prices by considering its costs of manufacturing. Due to increased cost of technology, it is offering its products on higher prices than Samsung. In addition to this, it is charging the prices as per the functions and features of products. |
Whereas Samsung offers its products by using different pricing strategies like skimming pricing, competitive pricing. It can be noted that is offering the products on lower prices than Apple Inc. |
|
Place |
In United Kingdom, Apple has established showrooms and owned stores where customers can shop their Apple products. Moreover, Apple products are available on online sites like e-Bay, Amazon and Flipkart. Additionally, it has partnered with many independent stores. |
Like Apple Inc. Samsung has created an extensive distribution network by including retailers, distributors, service dealers etc. Samsung locates its business via many channels in market to provide the products. It is using both offline and online channels. |
|
Promotion |
Apple offers its each product with an attractive slogan. For instance, the tagline for iPhone 6 is “the only thing that has change is everything”. In addition, it places the ads on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter to take the attention of tech savvy people. |
Same as Apple Inc., Samsung is very popular for its promotional strategies. It uses both online and offline promotional and advertising techniques to approach its customers (Gupta. Kim & Levine, 2013). |
|
People |
Human resource is one of the primary factor at Apple Inc. The people at Apple Inc. are effectively trained for manufacturing products with advanced and innovative features. |
Same as Apple, Samsung trained its staff very well so that they can understand the needs of customers. It is very much focused on interpersonal skills of staff. For the new staff, it offers training regarding stress handling, problem solving, handling customer complaints etc. |
|
Processes |
The processes play a significant role in development of company. Apple Inc. is practicing a systematic manufacturing process which is eco-friendly. All the functions and operations are organized and managed in effective manner. |
Samsung always provide efficient and good process towards its customers. It uses an effective manufacturing and supply chain process to deliver its product to final customers (Jaworski, 2017). |
|
Physical Evidence |
Apple has established a wonderful Apple store that gives a customer a great experience. The website of company is user-friendly and it entices the premium customers with more art and less words (Luo, Roach & Jiratchot, 2015). |
Samsung always improves its physical evidence with the introduction of new products. With the physical evidence, it is able to make its users confident and reliable towards its products. |
Market Research
Conclusion and Recommendations
From the above analysis, it can be concluded that different firms use marketing mix elements in different ways. The above comparison table indicates that the way to use marketing mix elements is different for both Apple Inc. and Samsung. By using these elements, the company will be able to attain its final objectives. It can be recommended that companies should enhance its marketing mix elements. Apple should focus on its pricing strategy and Samsung should focus on the quality of product offerings.
Marketing plan is an important program for an organization that includes different marketing aspects of organization. In the process of marketing, developing an effective marketing plan is essential when an organization plans to launch new products in the market. It plays an important role in the life of a company. This section of report consists of the marketing plan of Apple Inc. that is planning to enhance its brand awareness among population. Different aspects of marketing plan are given below:
For its products and services, Apple Inc. will establish some marketing objectives that it desires to achieve in duration of next three years (Cassidy, 2016). The marketing objectives are stated below:
- To enhance brand awareness among population in United Kingdom.
- To increase the market share by at least 30%.
- To enhance its customer base by introducing new products and services in the market.
- To provide 100% customer satisfaction to targeted audiences.
It is one of the most important components of the marketing plan of any company. Under its segmentation and targeting, Apple Inc. is targeted its audiences by considering their demographic characteristics i.e. age and income of people. The target market of Apple includes the people of 30 to 60 years old and who belong to the higher level income group (Malhotra, Birks & Wills, 2013). This group is the major reason behind the significant growth of Apple Inc. Furthermore, it is also targeting business professionals also who use iPhones and other products to communicate with their friends, colleagues and family.
SWOT analysis is a major tool for conducting situational analysis for an organization. It includes different internal and external factors of an organization which affect the growth and success of organization. SWOT analysis of Apple is given below:
|
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
|
· Innovation and use of modern technology · It has established a strong brand image. · Huge customer loyalty · Diversified product range · Leadership position in the industry · Extensive distribution network (Cassidy, 2016). |
· Prices of iPhones are higher than its competitors. · Incompatibility with other operating systems. · Apple’s products are not user friendly so people are facing various issues while using the iPhones. · Decrease in market share due to higher prices. |
|
Opportunities |
Threats |
|
· Strategic collaboration with other strong firms in the industry. · Business expansion in emerging markets. · More use of advanced technology · Product diversification (Foo, 2011) |
· Market penetration in the smart phone market. · Increased competition in the industry · Downward pricing Pressure |
The above situation analysis of Apple Inc. indicates that company has a strong position in the consumer product and smart phone industry. The company can use its strengths and opportunities to overcome its weaknesses and threats.
To achieve the above marketing objectives, Apple Inc. should implement more effective marketing strategies which are given below:
However, Apple is offering its products with advanced technology, now it should design and manufacture by including updated and modern technologies. The company should use the Internet of Things in its products like iPhones, iPod, iPad etc. It should focus on the durability and quality of its products and it should upgrade its products in a periodical manner (Khan, Alam & Alam, 2015).
Brand Equity
Currently, the company is using different types of pricing strategies like skimming pricing, premium pricing and geographical pricing. The company should set the prices by considering the prices of its competitors. It should look at the prices of competing brands for similar products. It will assist the organization in increasing its customer base (Yeung, 2017).
In United Kingdom, it should open more stores and increase the number of distributors. The products of company should be available on official website of company also. It should tie up with different network service providers that can assist it to enhance its customer base.
In addition to above promotional tools, it should sponsor sports events so that it can increase brand awareness among a large population (Lilly, 2014). They should launch their products in annual events and promote on social media sites like Twitter, Youtube channels, Facebook, Instagram etc.
In United Kingdom, it should hire the employees from the best universities in UK. Apart from manufacturing process, it should train the employees to become more kind and supportive so that they can assist its customers.
Apple is using some complex processes for manufacturing the products and services. It should develop simplicity its products and processes. It should develop the after sales support processes also. Through this, it can attract more customers towards its products (Kotler, 2015).
In today’s modern era, the company does not need to focus on enhancing its physical evidence as people prefer to buy the phone from online websites. Apart from this, it should open more attractive stores in United Kingdom.
Thus, it can be concluded that this marketing plan will assist Apple Inc. in attaining its above-mentioned marketing objectives in United Kingdom. The organization should focus on enhancing its marketing strategies.
References
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Cassidy. A. (2016). A practical guide to information systems strategic planning. US: CRC press.
Chang. Y, Kim. J, & Joo. J, (2013). An exploratory study on the evolution of design thinking: Comparison of Apple and Samsung. Design Management Journal. 8(1). pp. 22-34.
Foo. F. (2011). Apple’s iPhone leads Australia’s huge smartphone growth. Retrieved from https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/apples-iphone-leads-australias-huge-smartphone-growth/news-story/1a34011cb7eba93850480fb9a47eb33f.
Gupta. P, Kim. M, & Levine. D, (2013). Insight: Apple and Samsung, Frenemies for Life. Reuters Business & Financial News. 10
Huang. R. & Sarigöllü. E. (2014). How brand awareness relates to market outcome, brand equity, and the marketing mix. In Fashion Branding and Consumer Behaviors. New York: Springer.
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Kotler. P. (2015). Framework for marketing management. India: Pearson Education.
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Lilly. M.C, (2014). Content marketing essentials for small business. Create Space Independent Publishing Platform.
Luo. A, Roach. S, & Jiratchot. C, (2015). The effect of the 7Ps of the marketing mix on air freight customer satisfaction and repurchase intention. Journal of Supply Chain Management Research and Practice. 9(2). pp. 28-36.
Malhotra. N.K., Birks. D.F. & Wills. P. (2013). Essentials of marketing research. UK: Pearson Publication.
Pike. S. (2015). Destination Marketing: Essentials. UK: Routledge.
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Yeung. M. (2017). The marketing strategy of Apple: A concise analysis. Retrieved from https://www.versiondaily.com/the-marketing-strategy-of-apple-a-concise-analysis
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