Apple’s effective use of the extended marketing mix
Apple’s marketing success is easily achieved through their Promotion strategies. They use several different promotion strategies to achieve this success such as Advertising, Media, Personal Selling, and Sales Promotions. Each of these strategies is throughly thought out by Apples best hired managing bodies to adapt to our current economy and most importantly the consumer. Apple keeps all their P’s relatable to consumer’s everyday life, targeting our thoughts, emotions and daily behaviours. By doing such, it allows us to feel connected to their product, makes us as the consumer understood, and reaches out to our current technological needs, which then makes Apples products a necessity rather than just a want or another gimmick. In todays consumer world, everything must come easy, and be easy to use.
Apple has created a world of products that trigger our natural behaviours,
they simplified the use, created a visually attractive product, and created products with applications which help us connect to the world in many different ways.
When we take a look at Apples advertising throughout time, it has changed, on several occasions.
Like in every company, testing out the advertising waters to understand who we are targeting, and what the consumer wants is essential. At the beginning of Apple’s journey their ads were simple, to the point. Using the obvious as their advertising tactic. They shifted focus in several later advertisements to show the consumer they are targeting, or showcasing their product, and using different famous body figures. However, that simplicity format was always there, creeping behind, or in between, with just one sentence ads. Apples advertisements identify simplicity, a common sense to their products.
Their to the point ads waste no time of the consumer, which allows everyone to understand their message in a simpler format. At a time when so many of us are rushing through life and its events, consumers want to buy quick, purchase products that are easily explained, and offer us a quick solution we are looking for, to capture our life’s moments quickly enough so we don’t miss them, and have them stored in our memories via iCloud. Apple has successfully achieved such in advertising and providing us with such products. Each advertisement is created with value, its visible through drawing attention to how the product functions in comparison to what is out there on the market such as software accessibility and security, application downloads and use, and storage availability.
Although, media is a sister of the advertising strategy, when it comes to Apple it sure is worth mentioning, as Apple took the reins in the right direction when it tapped into media promotion with their ‘Think Different’ Campaign, by tugging on the heart strings of the consumer in relating their products to worlds greatest, most unique minds, and most achievable known bodies on planet earth who made a difference.
The ad showcased how Apple thinks different and is here to change our mind when it comes to technology. Apple continues their media journey through similar ads, showcasing how different they are, and how the technological thought process is diverse and how much they value that in the consumer, as it allows them to create better and more unique products. From the moment you wish to purchase an Apple product, their promotion continues throughout the ownership of that product, as they use their personal selling strategy to guide you through the purchase, and ownership of that investment.
The moment you walk into an Apple store, you realise the Apple Store showcases only their most current products, which successfully attracts consumers to make an easy hassle free purchase. Having one type of a specific product makes the purchase easy as there is no choice, no comparison, which brings value to what they are currently showcasing, showing that what they have is the best and worth its value.
When approached by Apple staff you are never asked “Is there anything I can help with?” instead you are asked “What would you like to do today?” it is an open question for your mind to access whatever it desires. Even through their personal selling, you continue to be appreciated for your different thought process.
Apple supports all consumers with a solution that you will understand, whether you are buying a product or need help with a more complex issue from the Apple Genius Bar. The continued support and information you receive promotes Apple as the Solution to all which gains more value to the price you are paying for their product.
Purchasing an Apple product can seem costly to some, but for Apple that is a sales opportunity. Apple isn’t concerned if consumers will find their products too costly, as they create Sales Promotions to benefit their consumers.
Although, Apple will never lower the sale of their current product they give buyers sales promotion opportunities to consider buying their most current product, by either trading in your old iPhone for a value to use towards a new one, or complementing their products in bundles to get a better deal for your moneys spent. Apple understands that once you discount a product, you depreciate its actual value, their products come with a freedom of choice, a lifestyle for some, sometimes consumers will never turn back from.
Apple is continually adapting their promotions over time to show its evolution to meet market forces such as customer needs by allowing you to tailor your purchased Apple product to your specific needs. When Apple’s first Mac came out it was the first fully mainstream computer with a graphical user interface, the first computer to be networked, the first one to have an application that created stacks of on-screen cards with text, images and hyperlinks, it provided users with word, excel and powerpoint. Throughout the years Apple’s development in technology advanced to touch-pads, and bluetooth technology as well as Siri a virtual assistant. Apples Apps Store allows consumers to adjust their software to their specific needs, with applications essential for the consumer, whether you are a graphic designer or a business owner.
As a company, Apple never seems to show they are bothered by competitors activities, as they have a huge advantage, all their products are several years ahead of time, so each change or addition is always unveiled at the last minute, which makes competitors have to constantly catch up to them. Throughout the years Apple has unveiled a product to us which offers something new and unique, but behind the scenes Apple is already creating something newer and better. Competitors feed off the current Apple trend trying to customise it to their own but in reality they will never be able to be ahead and present something original.
Apple strives on innovation and invention which is something that lacks in many technology brands.
Apple takes risks, and great things never came from comfort zones.
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