Introduction
Apple Inc. is a leading and most valuable technology-based corporation, a trendsetter within a modern innovation market. The company is known for building its prominent history and fortune on the grounds of innovation that significantly transformed humans’ digital experience of their daily lives, starting from the personal computer revolution and smartphone takeover. This research examines Apple’s life-changing innovation in products and its principal marketing mix that led the corporation to international success.
Defining the Marketing Mix of Apple
Marketing encompasses the company’s central activities to enhance selling and buying the products or services to the target customer. Therefore, the leading marketing strategy is an inherent element of overall business management and commerce. The marketing mix, or marketing 4Ps, refers to the fundamental business model comprising the key processes structured around product, price, place, and promotion to promote them in the market (Jackson and Ahuja, 2016). As a technology innovation leader, Apple Inc. has successfully developed its core marketing strategy around 7Ps, including “product, price, place, promotion, people, process, physical evidence” (Mas, 2018, p. 2). Nevertheless, the basic 4Ps of the global company imply international operations in the consumer electronics market, information technology market, Internet services market, and the digital content distribution market. Such a marketing mix fosters critical diversity within its business management and strengthens Apple’s competitive advantage.
Apple products are easy to use, intuitive, secure, and have a simple interface and elegant design. The main product mix of Apple Inc. includes Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch, Apple TV, digital content, software, cloud services, and irreplaceable accessories for these products. Concerning the next 4Ps element, price, Apple holds the view that their products are an “aspirational item and not a utility” (Mas, 2018, p. 7). The company adopts premium and geographical pricing strategies by introducing different prices for its products across the globe. The third marketing mix element involves place and distribution, wherein Apple stores are world-famous for their architectural style and interior design. Apple’s distribution strategy encompasses four key aspects: store locations, company-owned websites, authorized sellers, and telecommunications companies. The final element of Apple’s promotional mix includes advertising campaigns, sales support, personal selling, and public relations.
Product Innovation: iPhone
Product is a marketing mix component that illustrates Apple’s evolution from a computer technology enterprise into a globally diversified business with a particular emphasis on information technology. The transformative launch of the iPhone in 2007 made a striking revolution in the technology market, as it made society switch from mobile phones to mobile computers, which activated the mobile economy worldwide. According to Lucka (2016), Apple’s iPhone symbolizes innovation and represents “a paradigm shift in the mobile phone industry” (p. 13). Moreover, the successful concept of the iPhone was also applied to devices that were not developed for telephony, such as the iPod MP3 player and the iPad. Such a prominent business strategy positioned Apple’s products in direct contest with other popular gaming devices.
Currently, iPhone users cover the dominant industries from advertising to music and logistics, meaning that almost every business worldwide has this product. Many technology companies are increasingly adopting the iPhone’s business model to achieve similar success (Merchant, 2017). The iPhone’s positioning is viewed as a function of the “product functionality and design, price level,” and the corporate identity of Apple (Jackson and Ahuja, 2016, p. 172). The product’s sales comprise about two-thirds of the company’s annual revenue. Most importantly, iPhone initiated the advent of smartphone evolution and created a portable mobile device with a continually developing infrastructure.
Conclusion
The research revealed that Apple has a complex yet effective marketing mix, including multiple strategies and tactics implemented in the international arena. Apple Inc. incorporated the primary approach that concentrates on premium branding and ensuring that each of the 7Ps components of the marketing mix aligns with maintaining a strong brand image, loyalty, and voice. As one of the most innovative technology products, iPhone was a transformative device because of its primary technology, excellent and simple user interface, and the brand’s vision and courage.
References
Jackson, G., & Ahuja, V. (2016). Dawn of the digital age and the evolution of the marketing mix. Journal of Direct, Data and Digital Marketing Practice, 17(3), 170–186. Web.
Lucka, T. (2016). iOS game development: Developing games for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. CRC Press.
Mas, S. (2018). The seven p’s of the Apple watch’s marketing-mix. GRIN Verlag.
Merchant, B. (2017). The one device: The secret history of the iPhone. Random House.