Promotion and Leveraging: Apple Inc.

Apple Inc. (Apple), incorporated on January 3, 1977 is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Cupertino, California, that designs, manufactures and markets mobile communication and media devices, personal computers, and portable digital music players, and sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications.

The Company’s products and services include iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod, Apple TV, a portfolio of consumer and professional software applications, the iOS and OS X operating systems, iCloud, and a variety of accessory, service and support offerings.

Apple Inc. uses the Apple brand to compete across several highly competitive markets.  Apple's brand has evolved as it has expanded its range of products and services.  Originally starting in the late 1970s with desktop computers and then laptops in the 1990s, it took over 20 years before the company expanded into its first major new product area with the launch of the iPod in 2001, followed by iPhone in 2007, iPad in 2010, and now Apple Pay and Apple Watch in 2014.

Promotion of the Apple watch

The Apple Watch is a brand-new Apple product, the first from-the-ground-up product line since the iPad. This watch is, in a way, a new type of wrist-worn super-iPod. It's also a symbiotic iPhone companion. And, it's a fitness device.

Coming off the heels of yet another successful Apple launch debut, for a product this unique and one of a kind, it is increasingly clear that Apple is on top of their game in a way like no other only because of their promotional strategies.

Brand Personality: Unique, innovative, and user-friendly.

Experiential Marketing:

Sense, think & act marketing: Through their promotional tools and campaigns including display in Apple Stores all over the globe, billboards and print ads they are focusing on sense, think (cognitive) and act marketing.

Relationship Marketing:

Mass customization: Through their uninterrupted rapid updates in technology, they are referring to mass customization of products to provide maximum satisfaction and convenience to customers. They built their relationship with the consumers by organizing PR events where expert speakers interacted with the audience about the Apple watch.

Advertisement appeal:

Apple uses the informational appeal mainly to create a mindset in the customers.

It Focuses on consumers practical, functional or utilitarian needs. Like the need to constantly keep updated via the Apple watch, also emphasizing on benefits/reasons why a consumer should own the Apple watch. The benefit or special feature in this case is the health benefit synchronized with the usage.

Advertisement Execution:

•  Straight/Factual Message: Apple watch focuses on the benefits/features that the consumers will receive upon purchasing it. It is the first wearable technology that in advanced in such an enormous extent. As it says on their website:

• Scientific /Technical Evidences: Mainly technical and technological info, like how the Apple watch connects to the Apps on iPhone and iPad when in use.

• Animation: The wide range of Apple watched available are in an animated form on the website that people can have a look at it from every angle.

• Combination: Combination of both the iPod and the iPhone.

Internet Marketing:

Search engine marketing : Apple mainly promoted this new device by means of updating their official website with both informative and pictorial representations.

Social Media Marketing: Updating their Facebook page and YouTube channels with Promotional videos.

Leveraging

When it comes to Leveraging the Apple Watch, as a wearable line-extension of the iPhone, Apple will be the smartwatch leader & generate billions of new dollars. However, to deliver the growth warranted by a company of its size it must break the wearable tech boundary and extend its brand to capture significant share of the watch market.

Company:

The Apple watch is a Combination of existing and new brand. Existing brand includes the iPhone, the iPad and the Apps.

One important consideration of an Apple Watch app is that it serves as an extension to the existing app both figuratively and literally. iOS 8 introduced the notion of app extensions and Apple Watch apps are built in a very similar fashion. Watch apps themselves are built as Watch extensions to the existing app so the interaction and data that will be present on the watch is very closely coupled with the data and information that is available on the existing native app running on a paired iPhone/iPad app.

Country of Origin and Perception:

With 80% of Brand Perception, Apple are the leading brand in gadget and technology. Apple originated in USA specifically in the Silicon Valley, which is home to many of the world’s largest technology corporations as well as thousands of small startups. Silicon Valley continues to be the leading hub for high-tech innovation and development to date. Silicon Valley companies are always under development and face unpredictable competition, which resulted in companies always innovating and developing new product. In short, Silicon Valley = technology & innovation.

Channels of Distribution

Apple limits their distribution channel to only premium reseller. Apple has more than 300 outlets worldwide, and Apple have their way to attract consumer to their retail store. Apple trains its retail staff to be consumer oriented and are passionate fans of its product. Apple Premium Reseller store interior incorporate an open, clean, and spacious concept in order to make its customer feels special and comfortable.

Events

Apple always held events when they want to introduce new product, and a lot of Apple fans are excited to attend Apple events because of the way they interact and present their new devices to the world to experience. Currently the PR event is conducted by Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook.

References:

1.   “5 Ways The Apple Watch Changes Marketing.” Marketing Land. N.p., 15 Sept.     2014. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.

2.   “Apple’s Branding Strategy.” Marketing Minds. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.

3.   “Apple Watch.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.

4.   “APPLE WATCH.” Apple. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.

5.   Chapters: 5,6,7 from mkt465 PowerPoint Slides