Marketing: (A case study of Apple Inc.)

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Question One

1.0  The theory of marketing planning gaps

Presently, the relevance of marketing is increasingly rising; Apple Inc. has dramatically increased company's investments in creating powerful marketing tactics and promoting them effectively. In reality, Apple Inc. has adopted various theories of marketing tactics and strategies so that to create a platform that has managed to give the company an edge over close competitors (Yeung, 2017). First of all, the company has successfully implemented segmentation; as such, products and services are designed to meet the demands of customers as well as solve their problems. It is significant to acknowledge that customer needs can be dissimilar, and so market segmentation has presented the products of Apple Inc. to segments that want and can afford them. Apple Inc. has successfully managed to identify the customers' segments based on desires, behaviors, and demographics for that reason the company concentrates the marketing efforts on potential buyers. 

 Secondly, Apple Inc. has adopted marketing mix as an idea so that to establish the various facets of marketing plan around the desires, psychology, and habits of the potential customer base. Tapp and Rundle-Thiele (2016, pp. 137) assert that marketing mix is an orientation that regards and depends on marketing as it heavily borrows from the theory of the ‘4 Ps'. The first P stands for the product that takes into consideration competitors, structures, and designs. Price is represented by the second P, revealing it is a factor that is dependent on demand, so that to determine the profit margin and enhance the market share. The third P is the promotion; it is an element that seeks to find the suitable media to engage in so that to reach all the potential customers. Placement is the fourth P, it an aspect that determines how and where potential customers can access the products. According to Yeung (2017), Apple Inc. recognizes that young people often want to browse, buy and pay online while others prefer personalized services. 

            Finally, alignment is an essential factor that characterizes the marketing practice at Apple Inc. as the company concentrate towards creating an effective marketing strategy. As a result, the company ensures that the benefits and features of its flagship products are communicated efficiently subsequently increasing demand (Yeung, 2017). For that reason, Apple Inc. requires that marketing team align its strategy with the company's ‘generic strategy' in a way to bring about the cohesion of ideas. For example, marketing for iPhone focuses on exceptional quality or remarkable reputation, overlooking its primary use. Although the primary benefit of an iPhone is to enable the owner to reach various people, communication is not considered as the motivating purchasing factor.

2.0  Marketing tactics

a)      Complimentary products

Apple Inc. is characterized by extensive but controlled product portfolio; as a result, the company creates a unique and uniform consumer experience complemented by unparalleled product usability. For example, the App Store or an iTunes complemented the iPhone or an iPod. Besides, concerning MacBook the sleek metal-based aesthetics depicts a sense of uniformity when used alongside other Apple Inc. products. Normally, the user interface of electronic devices utilizes the similar design and functional principles reflecting on simplicity consequently establishing a sense of familiarity (Yanocha, 2014, pp. 513). Also, Apple Inc. devices possess the provision of using the same Apple ID, and so a particular user can take advantage of this homogeneity. Besides, the products issued by Apple Inc. create a halo effect considering the products are complementary, for that reason, consumers have chosen to stick the Apple Inc. devices. In consequence, the promotion and development of additional products have played an essential role as part of the marketing strategy utilized by Apple Inc.

b)     Unique...