Community Relationship Management and Social Media - Case Study Example

Apple brand Student’s Name Subject Professor University/Institution Location Date Apple Inc. brand is a multinational corporation founded in 1976 and headquartered in California which basically deals with designing, developing and selling of consumer electronics, personal computers and computer software. Apple best known hardware includes Mac computers, iPod, iPhone smartphone, iPod tablet computer, Apple TV and various software like; OS X, iOS, iTunes and other creative products. It is the second-largest IT company by revenue and third-largest in mobile phone making in the world. It has around 400 retail stores in 14 countries and an online Apple and iTunes Stores. In terms of market capitalization, Apple is the second-largest world publicly traded corporation and by January 2013, it had an estimated value at US$414 billion. In 2012, it worldwide revenue totaled $156 billion. By September, 2012, its full time employees totaled 72,800 and temporary employees at 3,300 in its operation worldwide (“Waymarking” 2013). Persuasion in marketing communication; As Keller (2009) points out, Apple has had intensive advertising strategies in the last two decades which have made it well known company in different parts of the world. In 1990s it used “Think Different” and “iPod people” in 2000s as campaign slogans. Apple persuasion has taken many traditional and contemporary forms to communicate to its customers in different parts of the world about their products, prices and advances. It has taken mimicked imagery, maintained a homage style for contemporary visual arts to support its famous ad campaigns. Apple marketing campaigns have linked its products with famous icons such as John Lennon and Mahatma Gandhi. The most notable slogan used by Apple in its advertising campaigns were “Byte into an Apple” by 1970 and “Think Different”, from 1997-2002. Specific Apple products has different slogans such as “iThink, therefore iMac” used in 1998 for iMac product. iPhone advertisement has used “Say hello” and “Hello” “Switch”, "Get a Mac" to others like iMac, iPod and Newton. Its logo is widely recognizable. (Mickalowski, Mickelson & Keltgen (2008) argues that, almost all Apple customers interact with the products before the actual buying from marketing communication. Apple has maintained its sales process through designing the processes. This is linked to customer buying trends where persuasive techniques are suited according to the buying trends where they refine the marketing strategies as the sales become counterproductive or intrusive. The considerations of the products, price, promotion and place have then influenced and encouraged personal interactions in persuasion model. As Keller (2009) argues, Apple employs some techniques in marketing communication such as product reciprocity, consistency and commitment, building consensus with customers, ensure liking and credibility, scarcity and assuming authority for its decisions. Apple product commercials has launched and sponsored musicians getting them to stardom through catchy tunes and eye-popping graphics. Apple used Feist’s a Canadian singer, song “1234” for its ad campaign and “New Soul” by Yael Naim in promoting MacBook Air. In a span of weeks they had sold hundred thousands copies through musicians supported ads. According to Linden, Dedrick & Kraemer (2009), Apple approach to communication through its worldwide adverts has unique elements of marketing mix. The most critical emphasis Apple uses in marketing is the product. Every single product Apple develops uses its unique process in advertising, selling and customer target. Apple is overly concerned about the customers to whom they develop a product for. The software and hardware are split in marketing and specific product pushes forward by its expertise. Secondly, the element of promotion has been core in marketing communication. Apple Stores are filled with young, knowledgeable sales representatives. They are efficient in customer services and product information and very adaptive to changing technology as many of them are fro generation Y and X age range. New upgraded products released after few months are entrusted to these young employees who further promote their use, acceptance and promote the sales. Thirdly, as a worldwide corporation, Apple emphasizes on place to target some core market. The 2008 televised advertisement with an old man and a young one conversing about PCs- for old man and Apples’ Mac- represented by “hip” man were successfully used to support the use of Mac. It was expanded globally where in Japan two Asian men who spoke Japanese were used to accommodate the culture. The fourth element identifiable in Apple marketing is price to target most customers and primarily when a certain product is in transition. Market segmentation Apple has used advertising since 1972 through agency with broad experience in creating and producing advertisements in newspapers, electronic media, and web, broadcast and outdoor. The staff in advertising is experienced professionals. Apple task is defined by their clients. Their clients includes from various businesses such as banking, real estate, law and other professions who have maintained long-term relations through marketing communications. Apple marketing is a process that is builds critically on preliminary homework before they start campaigns. Their effective advertising and marketing is built on research and planning. Apple ads work through combining their services and campaigns with MAPS. Apple promotional strategy is based on advertising and personal selling. Most television networks, technology magazines and Internet have Apple’s ads (Dahlén, Lange & Smith 2010). As Ang (2011) observes, customer driven marketing has been critical for Apple. Apple’s marketing communications emphasis on the resulting public relations. They use a marketing ethos based on less is better. Product ads rarely focus on product features such as speed, memory or slimness but on efficiency of using their products. The ads communicate more on how to use the product, entertainment and news access. Intuitive designed ads acts like instructional-manual to most people who rarely read the instructions to use the phones. This has successfully been used in Apple iPad. Apple iCloud unveiled in 2011 as an online storage service has offered Apple customers more of photos, music, software and files. Customers further engage with Apple products through online stores and adverts carrying messages, photos and motion pictures of products. According to Muñiz, Jr & Schau (2007), Apple has effectively enhanced its marketing communication capabilities through marketing research, networking with marketing networks and agencies, deploying resources and continuous scheduling. This has preceded the implementation process promoting positive results. Apple has used most worldwide Expos and conferences drawing crowds of thousands of people. As Dahlén, Lange & Smith (2010) argues, an earlier research outcome by NetRatings, 2002 indicated that Apple consumers were better educated and more affluent compared to other consumers of PC Company. The correlation indicated that the products of Apple Inc. are expensive in comparison with other PC products and thus marketing communication must be the main reason for their continuous dominance in the market irrespective of their prices. Marketing research for Apple is traced from Worldwide Developers Conference where consumer interests are included that mark the process to effective advertising and products marketing. This research also promotes the development of variants products to suit different market segments and to be efficient in marketing communications. Through the use of visual images, sound and animation, Apple has interacted with people’s logic, emotional as well as psychological aspects enabling customers to engage with products at advertising level. Apple IMC practices Apple has successfully used significant messages through various media to enhance their communication with the market. Advertising has moved from brochures to recent social media platforms (Mangold & Faulds 2009). They have also used branding and brand languages to refine their products target and emphasis on areas of operation. The significant large and young sales team has promoted its direct marketing and different channels and networks ensured sales and sales promotion. Apple has extensively engaged with the market through online marketing, promotion of public relations and sponsorship activities. The company’s integrated marketing communication is based on context analysis, promotional goals, promotional strategies, coordinated communication, control and evaluation (Tsai 2005). To stay competitive, context analysis is very critical for marketing outcomes. It brings together the internal and external environment. Apple sells high cost technological products through its engagement in its products strength, opportunities and threats in the market to work with successful avenues. Apple employs ad-hoc, regular and continuous context analysis for its marketing communications and the effects of communication to specific products (Muñiz, Jr & Schau 2007). Promotional strategy and goals in marketing communication involves designed and implemented company’s corporate, marketing and communication goals as very significant for the campaigns outcomes. Apple marketing has dominantly been based on its corporate culture which fosters excellence and individuality and considered goals are effectively considered in marketing. The goals of promotion guide in understanding and deciding the most important promotion strategy based on pull, push and company profile. Apple strongly ensures creating awareness, provision of information, explaining its actions, inducing product trials and intermediaries for stocking its products. It also ensures that promotional goals are directly used to retain loyal customers and reduce sales fluctuations. Coordinated communication is made through cooperation, consultation and demand within the market. This ensures that marketing communications are done to a certain limit and ensures reporting requirements. Apple has marketing operates through its established structure that authorizes engagement in marketing communication activities. This ensures that communication is carried out by Apple team, authorized staffs or mandated agents. As Ewing (2009) observes, control and evaluation revises outcomes against the laid down marketing communications plan. This allows the company to evaluate the effective strategies and improve them in future. Apple has been consistent in communication through adoption of various slogans in its production. References Ang, L. (2011). Community relationship management and social media. Journal of Database Marketing & Customer Strategy Management, 18(1), 31-38. Dahlén, M., Lange, F., & Smith, T. (2010). Marketing communications: a brand narrative approach. Wiley. Ewing, M. T. (2009). Integrated marketing communications measurement and evaluation. Journal of Marketing Communications, 15(2-3), 103-117. Keller, K. L. (2009). Building strong brands in a modern marketing communications environment. Journal of Marketing Communications, 15(2-3), 139-155. Linden, G., Dedrick, J., & Kraemer, K. L. (2009). Innovation and Job Creation in a Global Economy: The Case of Apple’s iPod. Journal of International Commerce and Economics, 3, 223-39. Mangold, W. G., & Faulds, D. J. (2009). Social media: The new hybrid element of the promotion mix. Business horizons, 52(4), 357-365. Mickalowski, K., Mickelson, M., & Keltgen, J. (2008). Apple's iPhone launch: A case study in effective marketing. The Business Review, 9(2), 283-288. Muñiz, Jr, A. M., & Schau, H. J. (2007). Vigilante marketing and consumer-created communications. Journal of Advertising, 36(3), 35-50. Tsai, S. P. (2005). Integrated marketing as management of holistic consumer experience. Business Horizons, 48(5), 431-441. Waymarking: Apple Inc. Waymarking.com: Retrieved April 22, 2013. Read More