Ch. 5 - Developing a Global Vision

Although an American company Apple manages to see the bigger picture in global marketing. The company has been doing very well up to recent years, infact it claims to have had a revenue of over $2000 (in millions) in just the 4th quarter of 2010. That is 30% of it's revenue! (numbers from apples official website). However Apple is ambitouse and it is making a push on it's global marketing. With stratagies like releasing its Iphone brand earlier over seas like in Europe and some places in Asia. As a result the Iphone is Apples most selling abroud product.

Apple is currently purchasing more billboards for ad's in foreign countries such as downtown Bai-jing (picture to the right). Apple has also stated that half of the the 40 new stores it opened this year were located overseas as opposed to in the U.S.A.

Apperantly the companies new marketing plans are working as Apples COF said "Apples international numbers are killer" refering to Chinas 144% growth in Mac sells this year and a 59% growth in sales in Spain. http://appleinsider.com/articles/10/07/20/apple_international_numbers_are_absolutely_killer.html

Ch. 4 - The Marketing Environment

Apple has never truely had a solid target market. The company is aware of its slightly higher prices compared to its competitors such as Microsoft, Intel, and Google so it expects more of its products to be in homes of people with a more disposable incomebut yet it understands that there is an other side to the coin. People with a less resonable income are willing to sacrifice money for quality and ifficiency that is expected out of an Apple product.

Many succesfull companies like Sony and Intel spend from 10% - 20% of their revenue on Research and Development because it is important to gain info on the want and needs of the constantly changing market such as the 110 million people in the minority populations culture and how it connects to their product, or the key values of the different classes of generations such as generation y or the baby  boomers. However Apple spends far less on their R&D then most companies. In fact Apple spends roughly 3% of its revenue on R&D (http://seekingalpha.com/article/262877-apple-not-spending-enough-on-r-d). In fact in early 2007 Apple had spent only as much as 540 million on R&D mind you this is a multi billion doller company.




     Apple however relies on it's highly noted customer service to further the appeal of its product to any generation or ethnic group. I have put this to the test by entering an Apple store and pretending to know very little english. I was welcomed in by a young and atractive caucasion women who imedietly called over an hispanic co worker. After giving me his name he asked for mine and that he hopes to be of service to me. I told him I was interested in an ipod after previously breaking my current one. The man was confident and very patient in explaining all the latest features of their itouch fourth gen. He asked if I had family back home (Mexico) with internet service. after I said yes he tought me about the face time feature and how easily I can keep in touch and how much more saticfying it is then being on the phone. All in all the man persuaded me to buy it and he seemed to be worried about my individual need and not treating me as a target market.

Ch1 - Mission Statement

Apples mission statement as posted on their official website Faq: Mission statement

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Ch. 1 - Overview of Marketing (Brief History and Mission Statement)

In the last 36 years of it's excistance Apple Inc has turned itself into the worlds largest technology company and one of the worlds largest companies in market capitalization only a very close second to Exxon Mobile. Apple inc designs and manufactures computer software, hardware, and other populer consumer electronics such as the Ipod, Iphone, and most recently opened up a new market for computer tablets when it announced its first Ipad back in early 2010.

Apple's first head quarters was in a garage in Jobs hometown of Cupertino, CA. Jobs friend
Steve Wozniak had been experimenting for a few years on computer design until he had finally designed what was to become the Apple 1 in 1976. Jobs bulieved in his heart that the future was going to be bright for computer hardware/software. He insisted that they try to sell the device out of their homes ( about 200 units were produced) and thus in April of that year Apple inc was born.

Jobs (left) and Wozniak (right) working on their first line of computers.

 The companie tasted its first sample of succes in 1977 by having the company reach its first when it introduced the Apple 2. It was one of the first ever computers to have a color display and stylish design that proved to give Apple a competative edge.

Now in the modern times of the 21st century apple is a a major commercial power house. It continuesly is renovating the way people use personal notebooks with its stylish and top of the line hardware along with its advanced multi tasking software. Now a days Apple Shares of Apple reached an all time high of $330.26 during 2011's first regular trading session and expect to surpass Exxon later this year with the realease of the much anticipated Apple 5.

Apple - Ethics & Social Responsibility

It has been proven over the years that major corporations around the world have become global icons, for certain people when you buy a companies product you are commiting to a cult in which becomes part of your lifestyle. a prime example of this is Apples many users who commit to this companies products and morals which puts a great social responsability in the company, which it has responded well to with it's adopted enviornmental friendly ethics over the last few years. As a matter of fact Apple states on their website that they were the first to report their entire carboon footprints.  (Apples enviornmental code of conduct ) while the fallowing link grants the public access to it's entire public footprint http://www.apple.com/environment/

In addition to that Apple also highlights the enviornmental friendly features on its newest Macbook Pro (Macbook pro enviornmental report ). The company states that their new notebook is not only highly recyclable but it also had mercury free display, has arsenic free display glass, and has achieved a gold rating from the EPEAT.