Ch. 11 - Developing and Managing Product

One of the biggest challenges faced by product managers and product companies is to ensure that they create valued product that users/ customers want. For Apple most of its current product are considered a modification of the previous version of all of their products. Apple’s product development strategy does not involve releasing breakthrough technologies, year after year. Rather, disruptive innovations—such as the iPod, iTunes, iPad, and the iPhone—are unleashed, collapsing entrenched market competitors. Then, the world’s most innovative company improves on its advance product by implementing stable releases, adding features and functionality that delight its customers

 

Ch. 8 - Segmenting and Targeting Markets

Finding and attracting new customers is usually if not a far more difficult task than keeping your current customers. Apple the leading innovating tech company has been able to do it seamlessly. Lets’ switch gear a little bit. Think about how much time and energy you spend when you’re move into a new neighborhood looking for a perfect hairdresser or the perfect dry cleaners. Why was it so important to find the perfect one? The answer is simple, we need that one place, that one thing or one device which is worry free hassle. I think that’s why Apple is so successful. Their strategy enables them to study the market segmentation. As oppose to simply trying to stuff a product, in a burrito-style. Creating one product for a particular use case -- an iPad for reading, an iPod for listening, and an iPhone for apps). Apple‘s success is   not because it has become the biggest company in its various industries, but because it has thought carefully about how to sell products.

Ch. 15 - Marketing Communications

Apple basically control the media period. They can access their customers whenever they needs them.  Have you noticed what they’re doing here? Apple isn’t content with being a leader in sales alone, they want to own the market itself, which explains why they’ve planned iTunes as the major music provider that it is, and why the iPad, having the luxury of being the first. It is very rare that a company could turn an ordinary press conference into a live global event. Their secret lies beyond expectations. Their product lines and design standards are the core philosophy of their communicating success. Which is the user doesn’t always know what they want. To conclude Apples' communicating strategies involve both paid and earned media

Ch. 10 - Product Concepts

 Apple Company has always been admired among all ages, various countries, and cultures. They managed to distinguish themselves from their competitors by creating and innovating new ideas in the tech market. Apple’s purpose is to introduce luxury lifestyle trough high quality, creativity, colorful themes, and unique feature products. The company is well aware of its targets market and use it towards the planned adolescence style of branding. Started with only one product the computer " Apple 1" now had sold a range of products like Mack Book air, iPod, iPad, iPhone, Apple watch, TV, etc... Apple built their brand trough consistent designs. They keep it simple and classy. 
 

Ch. 17- Personal Selling and Sales Management

Steps in The Selling Process Of The iPhone 7  

     

Ø  The first step is generating a lead:  (i.e. When Professor Joel Evans, visited the Oculus Apple Store was there communication between him the potential buyer & the salesperson)

Ø  Qualifying leads: (was he equipped to buy the product, were they receptive to him) that has to be determine by the salesperson

Ø  Approaching the customer and probing needs: (when Prof.  Evans went in the Apple store did the salesperson study him or any research on him i.e.… what he likes as a customer, needs assessment …genre…etc...)

Ø  Developing and proposing Solutions: (When Prof. Evans needed a change in the watch bracelet did they give him a better solutions or ideas for his need?)

Ø  Handling objections: (There were some objections but the salesperson did lose the deal in the end he/ she did not do well) you should always try to negotiate a deal so you may keep your customer

Ø  Closing the sale:  (there was no deal made)

Ø  Following up: (Prof. Evans did not tried to follow/up) he was not well received he left…they lose a big potential buyer!

Ch. 16 - Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Promotion

Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1939

Advertising industries had long holding the cards in consumers’ decision making. Marketers are realizing that offering more copy, complexity, and more information – isn’t working like it once did. With estimates that the average American sees anywhere from 250 to several thousand ads or marketing messages every day, there’s simply no way to keep pace if your strategy is to be ‘bigger and louder’. Instead, brands need to think strategically about how to stand out among the clutter. Apple is my favorite example of simplicity in marketing. Take their Mac versus PC ads: 2 guys just standing and talking, set against a white background. No lengthy list of product features, no mention of price, no professional voice actors with emotional voice-overs, or even information on how to buy a Mac. Each ad aims to make one point, and one point only: one way in which Macs are better than PCs.

Ch. 6 - Consumer Decision Making

 

After Reading chapter six from “MKGT 10”, and watched “The Merchants of cool” from Frontline in PBS I was stunned. I could not believe how far both the media and marketers would go to win the teens markets. The documentary was very informative. As a mother myself, I never taught corporations and advertising industries had any interest in our teens / youth. Chapter six describes the importance of consumer behavior which the documentary did an extensive research on teens as well. My conclusion is that culture and trends plays a significant role on our decision making. Their impact on society have made it the ultimate target for lunching any new product. An example of that would be the release of the I-Phone 7.   Whenever Apple sets a new dates for the I-Phone 7 or a new product it always boil down to consumers camping out the night before in front of the main store.