MARKETING PLAN

Marketing Plan of the Apple Brand

Introduction1

Situational Analysis of Apple's Current Market Position1

Strengths1

The Brand Loyalty1

Strategic Innovators2

Development and Expansion of Product2

Great Distribution Network2

Quality Products2

Advanced Technology2

Controlled Eco-System3

Apple Experience3

WEAKNESSES3

High Price3

Apple Partnerships3

Not Shareholder Friendly4

Components outsourced4

OPPORTUNITIES4

THREATS5

Fuzzy Competitors5

Technology Switching and Substitution Effect5

Competition from Microsoft & Google6

Competition from Android and Blackberry OS6

Proposed Strategies and tactics with their Implementation for the next year6

The Collaboration7

Competitiveness8

Technology8

High Price Justification8

Advertising9

Targeting and Expanding towards different types of Consumers11

Availability11

Apple Stores and Sales Representatives12

Product Secrecy12

Innovative Products13

Major Findings of the proposed strategies14

References15

Marketing Plan of the Apple Brand

Introduction

Apple Inc. accumulated a substantial success in the past years and focusing to achieve more success in the coming years. Analysts relates these achievements to their persistent their ability to foresee the trends of market and design their marketing plan and strategies to act accordingly. Apple's success factors include simplicity that made it possible for the Brand to strike the chords of its target customers in the past. Apple was also able to drastically enhance its market share greater than its competitors in the mobile phone industry, which is a growing competitive market. Achieving the high popularity, brand status, and market share, Apple Inc. is more concerned about its marketing plan and strategies in the next year. To design plans and strategies for the coming year, there is a need to analyze existing situation of the Brand in the market.

Situational Analysis of Apple's Current Market Position

The analysis of the current market position of the Apple brand, the traditional SWOT analysis is effective to identify the major weaknesses, strengths, opportunities and threats. These investigations may help to propose new marketing strategies for Apple in the next year (Glenn, 2009; Apple Computer Inc., 2006).

Strengths

The Brand Loyalty

Apple has a very high brand loyalty among its users and this is the reason why we often find a single apple user owning more than one apple product.

Strategic Innovators

 Apple has always created a market of its own, whether it is transforming Personal Computers (Macs) or redefining music through iPods or introducing next level Smartphone iPhone and iPad.

Development and Expansion of Product

Apple has always focused on improving its products and this is why it is always able to beat the market. Apple products set high standards for the market. It has always come up with array of products for different user segment. Launching iPod Shuffle and Nano to target less income group worked well for them.

Great Distribution Network

Today, most of Apple's product is sold by its own authorized Apple Stores and online stores. This in turn has taken care of the distribution problem and Apple's reliance on its distributors.

Quality Products

Steve Jobs has always focused on even the minute details of its products. It is this quality which appeals to the consumers and gives a tough fight to the competitors.

Advanced Technology

Apple has always been the first one to create a new product and bring it into the market. This has always given it a first mover advantage which has allowed it to charge premium price for its ...