Introduction
Marketing has undergone massive transformation over the years because of the rising level of competition in the market. Many firms are finding themselves in situations where they have to fight for the market share with competitors who have superior products or strategies that give them an edge in the market. For this reason, firms are forced to employ some of the latest marketing strategies that can enable them achieve success.
Apple Inc is one of the leading electronic firms that have embraced the twenty-first century marketing strategies in order to manage the market competition. This giant electronic firm has been keen on meeting its customers’ needs in a better way than its competitors as a way of maximizing the satisfaction of its employees.
According to Capon and Hulbert (56), the only way through which a firm can promote its profitability is by increasing its sales volume. Sales volume can only be increased if the customers are satisfied with the products. As one of the customers who have benefitted from the superior products offered by this firm, I believe that it has been using the modern marketing strategies in order to maximize the level of its customers’ satisfaction.
Marketing Practices of Apple Inc
According to Keillor (23), many multinational corporations in the past centuries used production marketing approaches. During this time, the level of competition was very low and the consumers had no choice but to buy the products that were presented to them. The concern of many companies was to manufacture products and make them available to the consumers in the market. They would be assured of positive sales and high profitability.
However, this has completely changed in the twenty-first century. In the electronic industry, firms like Apple are facing stiff competition as new entrants flood the global market. It has forced firms in this industry to re-evaluate their marketing strategies in order to determine the best approaches that can enable them withstand market competition. The marketing practices that Apple Inc uses in the market today are a true reflection of the marketing trends in the twenty first century. Below are some of the specific marketing practices that this firm uses in order to promote its products and brands in the market.
Social media marketing
As one of the loyal customers of this firm, I have noticed that Apple Inc has been shifting its focus from the mass media marketing to social media marketing. In the past, Apple Inc popularly used the mass media in order to reach its customers. It relied on television commercials and the print media to reach out to its audience. However, this firm has changed the policy to be in line with the twenty-first century marketing approaches. Social media marketing is one of the popular marketing approaches that Apple Inc is currently using to promote its products and brand.
The research by Capon and Hulbert (78) shows that in the twenty first century, social media marketing cannot be ignored. Firms need to find the best ways of maximizing on these platforms in order to reach a wide range of customers. This strategy compares closely with the approach that Apple Inc has been using in the market. The management of this firm has realized that in the current competitive market, social media marketing is one of the best ways of reaching out to the customers.
Facebook remains the most popular social media marketing platform. According to Keillor (63), Facebook has about one billion followers all over the world who visit the site regularly. Given the fact that the firm has global market operations, Facebook offers it a rare opportunity to reach out to the global audience through a single advert as long as the language barrier is eliminated.
This reduces the costs associated with marketing in the global market. Tweeter marketing has also become popular because it has over seven hundred million followers who visit the site on a regular basis. YouTube also offers a unique platform because the firm is able to upload its audio visual advertisements that cannot be supported by either Facebook or Tweeter. This strategy used by Apple Inc compares closely with the twenty-first century marketing strategy.
Other online marketing approaches
Apple Inc has also embraced other online marketing approaches that have emerged in the twenty-first century. E-mail marketing is one of the most popular marketing approaches of the twenty-first century. According to Keillor (27), this marketing approach involves identifying the customers who are interested in a firm’s products and sending them custom-made messages about the products that the firm offers, their process, and any other details that may be relevant.
This marketing approach compares closely with the strategy that Apple has been using in the market. This firm has been actively using Yahoo and Google as its main e-mail marketing platforms. These two platforms enable this firm to reach out to its global clients with messages about its new or existing products. The marketing unit of this firm targets specific clients with information that they consider may be necessary to help in guiding their decisions when they plan to make purchases.
Sponsorships
According to Keillor (34), many people are growing weary of the constant advertisement in the media or online platforms. They have learnt the art of ignoring such messages because they consider them a nuisance to them. For this reason, many firms in the twenty-first century are looking for alternative methods. One of the marketing strategies that firms are slowly finding to be useful is sponsorship of some of the popular sports.
By sponsoring sporting events, the firm will become popular among the lovers of such sports. Sponsorship has come up as the best alternatives to advertising. Firms are now sponsoring games in order to win the trust of the clients. This twenty-first marketing strategy compares closely with the strategy that Apple Inc is current using in the market. Apple Inc has been sponsoring the American bowl games for some time as a way of advertising its brand. This has earned it popularity among the Americans who love this sport.
Conclusion and Recommendations
From the above analysis, it is clear that marketing in the twenty-first century has dramatically changed from what it used to be in the past centuries. In order to manage the market competition, Apple Inc should consider the following recommendations.
- The marketing unit of Apple should consider using corporate social responsibility as a strategy of promoting its brand.
- The firm should consider avoiding unsolicited messages when using e-mail marketing because it may lead to irritation of the potential customers.
- The marketing unit should engage in research to understand the changing environmental factors in the market.
Works Cited
Capon, Noel, and James M. Hulbert. Managing Marketing in the 21st Century: Developing and Implementing the Market Strategy. Bronxville, N.Y: Wessex Inc, 2007. Print.
Keillor, Bruce D. Marketing in the 21st Century. Westport, Conn: Praeger, 2007. Print.