Apple - Total Brand Management

Apple Inc., is an American multinational corporation start with a focus on designing and manufacturing consumer electronics and closely related software products. Established by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, in Cupertino, California on April 1, 1976.

Apple develops, sells, and supports a series of personal computers, portable media players, mobile phones, computer software, and computer hardware and hardware accessories. As of December 2007, the company operates about 200 retail stores in five countries and an online store where hardware and software products are sold. Apple employs over 20,000 permanent and temporary workers worldwide and had worldwide annual sales in its fiscal year 2007(Sept ’07) of US$24.01 billion

Apple Inc’s revenues come from the computer hardware, software and consumer electronics industries. It’s competitors are Dell, HP, IBM, Microsoft, Sony.

Apple Inc. has undergone a sea of change over the years, from being PC creators to IPod, the revolutionary digital media player. This write-up will discuss the article Total Brand Management, Choices Again and vis-à-vis Apple Inc (AAPL).

Article 1: TOTAL BRAND MANAGEMENT

When a product is designed as a brand business system, brand management cuts across different business function streams. It requires decisions and actions at every point along the value chain. This leads to total brand management.

KEY ISSUES:

- Major escalation in the amount and kind of investments necessary to support a successful brand. Total brand management takes a variety of forms: Heavy investments in information systems, customer service which contribute to marketing of the core product, Leveraging innovations, marketing investments and trade promotions over a coherent brand port...

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...tors will find it difficult to compete against the company if Apple continues to strive for innovation, as it is its mission, continuing its well-developed marketing plan, further developing more high quality products, and taking advantage of its opportunities

RECOMMENDATIONS:

-Apple should not overprice their products. This hinders the sales of the product line. This will also help avoid an iPhone fiasco.

- To increase customer base, Apple should make their GUI (of Mac OS) more user friendly. This is essential when a customer makes the transition from Windows OS to the Mac OS.

- Apple must increase its R&D efforts to really minimize the number of products with faulty components. Thus, customers would not be lost and customer loyalty would be maintained.

- Apple should start paying dividends. This will increase stockholder loyalty and also increase sales.