Apple Case Study Essay

Revenues are recognized in a net basis and only commissions they retain from each sale are reflected under the company’s financial statements.

It is quite obvious from the case that Apple is facing many obstacles. It has way more competitors today than it had two or three decades back. Part of it has to with the highly globalized environment that companies are operating in these days. Another major obstacle is the technological environment which is rapidly changing compared to the one that Apple experienced when it first emerged on the global scene. But the most important of it all seems to be a mental thing. It appears that Apple, over a period of time, developed a rigid mental model that related success of Apple with sheer innovation. This same mental model has lead to demise of many companies in the past, Xerox Corporation being the prime example of that.

One of the major challenges facing Apple was to get the appropriate replacement of the company’s visionary Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Steve Jobs who died on October 2011. The CEO was responsible for turning Apple into what it is today. Apple is in this case challenged to purse the strategies employed by Steve, that propelled the company to new heights, and which saw the company become a

All of these elements are key factors in Apple’s Strategy. Apple has also provided competitive prices compared to other companies like Android. Apple’s products started at much higher prices and are now competitively priced based on comparable products. These key elements fit together to complete Apple’s ever changing competitive strategy. Apple has clearly been successful in adapting their strategy based on internal and external changes. Apple has been able to create strong customer loyalty and maintain ambitious leadership. Buyer power, rivalry and treat of substitutes are also key elements in Apple’s strategy. Music, internet and computers are all areas for long term development.

4.7. Which of Porter’s four competitive strategies does apple engage in? Explain. Out of the four competitive strategies according to Porter, Apple engages in a focused differentiation strategy. Apple has been very successful by creating different products and services from competitors that are innovative, high quality, and user-friendly. From their unique product designs, to their state-of-art development of operating systems and software, Apple’s has continuously exceeded the evolving consumer demand in the current market. Furthermore, due to their open and inviting sales floor at their retail locations, genius help desk, and well trained sale peoples, Apple has welcomed more than a billion customer

Apple came back from near extinction to become one of the most revered technology companies in recent memory. They achieved this status by developing innovative design products and pushing the limits of their marketing prowess. Apple is known for their ability to listen to consumers and revolutionize market segments by providing modern design laden and feature rich alternatives to the target markets. They employ strategies that might contradict normal convention by keeping their prices high to build a brand image of prestige and promote their products through word of mouth. The impact on marketing is hugely noticeable by other companies following suit with store models

Issue 01: Steve Jobs is now gone - can they do it without him in the long term?

In the early 1980s the top competitor in this industry was IBM due to its open system and ease of being cloned. During this same time, Apple struggled to keep pace and changed its competitive strategy multiple times. From 1980 to 1993 Apple positioned itself in the computer industry as the company that provides easy to use desktops with superior software and hardware. Unlike its competitors, Apple did

Even though Apple has encountered many setbacks, it continues to bring new and improve products to the market. Apple’s competitive strategy has been innovation. They have made an extraordinary effort developing, implementing, and executing its very unique strategy through innovation which has resulted in new product, and the enrichment of the existing ones. More specifically, Apple attempts to meet and supply the needs of a global market, by offering eager and enthusiastic consumers with innovated and high-quality products and services. Apple has employed a differentiation strategy linked to innovation with its three core products (computers, personal media player, mobile phones, tablets and other accessories). A key piece of their strategy involves meeting the needs of the converging digital electronics and computer markets. Apple has elected to implement its strategy by designing and developing proprietary operating systems and software technologies, thus allowing for strict protection of its intellectual rights.

1. What are the chief elements of Apple’s overall competitive strategy? How well do the pieces fit together? Is the strategy evolving?

It is beyond all doubt that Apple Inc is one of the most successful and well-known companied all over the world nowadays. What’s more, the company is considered to be the leader of the industry The Apple products are of high quality and in high demand on all the markets. Apple services and stores are the gold standards for all the followers and niche players of the industry. Moreover, the majority of Apple customers are extremely loyal to the brands. Once they started using its high-technical products they keep doing it. At the same time the market share of the company is increasing constantly. Probably all the competitors are questioning what is the key to Apple Company’s success. It is important to note that the whole strategy determines the success of the business and the strategic analysis of the company can help to identify the main criteria. Thus, the object of the research paper is to develop a strategic analysis of Apple Inc, including its internal and external environment.

Apple Inc. has launched its iPhone in January 2007 (telegraph) as a new product in the market with latest technology and it was the first multi touch smartphone adding the feature of iPod and received an overwhelmed response by selling 270000 units. It had created a new record for a new company like apple, iPhone had laid a stepping stone for the success of Apple and till this time iPhone is the best seller product of Apple Inc. during first quarter of 2016 apple has sold over 74 million iPhones worldwide. (statista, 2016).

For the past 30 years, Apple, Inc. has been the pioneer in the computing industry with its landmark products. In 1976, the founders Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak introduced Apple Computers, Inc. to the American public which revolutionized the industry. The logo for Apple, Inc. F.K.A as Apple Computers, Inc. is possibly the most recognizable logo in history. It is just pure marketing genius on how they made this company a household name. For more than 3 decades, Apple, Inc. has introduced groundbreaking products and accessories that truly defy the technological barriers such as its Macintosh line of Mac computers and Mac OS X software

* Apple has the customer base mainly in the United States that is devoted to the company and its brands.

'When Apple's IPhone first went on sale in Europe six months ago, hopes were high that the device would be just as big a hit is it had been in the U.S. But analysts are now raising concerns that the iPhone may not translate as well overseas, with sales sluggish in Europe because of the device's high price and strong competition from Nokia and others'