Ch. 12 - Services and Nonprofit Organization Marketing

Business store Home (apple.com)

Apple is not only known for the products that are sold at the stores. However, a lot of people are aware of the services the company offers to every single consumer. When a person buys a products, the Specialist on the sales floor offers the service of extending the warranty on the devices the customer is buying. Meaning, consumers will have the ability to bring in their devices and have the technicians serve that particular device. The service has already been sold when the customer first purchased the device, but let say they did not get the extended warranty. So, in this particular case, the customer will have to pay for whatever repair the technicians have performed on the device. Any customer can come in and have the technicians inspect or check their device out, and they will not be charged, at all. What some people do not understand sometimes is that even though they have bought the service, they still have to pay a small fee or what it is known within Apple a deductible if the device has had a physical damage. Keep in mind though that this only applies to mobile devices including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and iPod. On the other hand, whenever a customer buys Mac with the extended warranty, they do not have to pay any deductible, whatsoever. The so-called extended warranty has also a more professional name, and it is known as AppleCare. AppleCare also has different categories; AppleCare+ for mobile devices, and AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac, Apple Thunderbolt Displays and AppleTV.

Apple has also created a special team that helps business with their devices. This team has taken the name of the Business Team. They are trained to work with the companies enrolled with this team to find solutions and/or fulfill their needs. The business customers are not charged anything extra, at all and they all have the great opportunity to work with one specific Specialist throughout the time that they are enrolled with Apple. The Business Team also prepares special workshops in which companies are invited to learn more of the service that this Team offers. Business customers also have the opportunity to finance their new devices, especially when the companies want to update the products they used at their offices.  

Apple Store for Business at apple.com

AppleCare Products at apple.com

Ch. 11- Developing and Managing Products

iPad mini4, iPad Air 2, and iPad Pro (apple.com)

Apple Inc. has always had its Special Events where Tim Cook, the company's CEO, introduces to the world the latest devices that Apple has worked on. Usually, when the device is revealed, Tim Cook explained to the audience why such products have been created. The explanation sometimes has been that they've heard the users and wanted to please them. But if you think about it, you understand that companies compete with one another. Let's go back to when Apple first introduced the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S Plus. It was quite understandable that a two-size iPhone was in the works since companies like Samsung has stepped their game up by developing two-size smartphones before even Apple designed them. The new iPhone 6 and 6S Plus were going to be marketable products after the announcement, and somehow that was foreseeable.

The other device that Apple has always wanted to increase sales of has been the iPad. Apple keeps making this tablet faster, more portable, and has even introduced them in three different colors. The latest iPads do a little more than older generations, so users do have to give some credit to Apple for that. But it will still be the same tablet that was first introduced back in 2010. This past September, the company introduced an advanced device the Apple Stores expecting to test them and see its capability. The iPad Pro launch was never announced by the company. It was a surprise that the iPad Pro was in store for sale out of the blue, and was not on display for customers to interact with. Perhaps this was a test marketing that the company had started, but it was still odd since it was first time such thing has happened within the Apple world. One product that probably the company wanted to test market was the Apple Pencil. Although it was in store for sale on the first day, it has not been available at any location for the past three weeks. If customers were told that the Apple Pencil was going to give them a better experience while using it with the iPad Pro, why has Apple made customers wait for it? For some customers, it has been a big disappointment because the Pencil is not in stock, and all they can do is wait for it to become available online. This was a simultaneous product development, but it is, until now, unfortunate that many Apple fanatics cannot have a full experience yet.

Apple Pencil (apple.com)

Example of what users can do with the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil (apple.com)
Paper App by FiftyThree featured above

Ch. 8 - Segmenting and Targeting Markets

Compare iPad models at apple.com 

In this present time, we see a lot of great designs around us. Those designs were created to promote something that a particular group of people will find interesting. Those designs, obviously, have not come to life out of the blue. Therefore, there are people working behind scenes, they are, for instant, great designers, and some of them go even beyond within the same creative world.

Nowadays, many tablet manufacturers see the needs and want of those agencies that utilize great technology to develop their products. One of those manufacturers is Apple Inc. Apple have been developing great products since the beginning of the company. It has stated in the company's Mission Statement, and its executives have worked upon those words since they just keep designing more amazing and user-friendly devices.

Since the introduction of the first iPad, Apple has tried really hard to make it the device that companies can use to design their products. The very first iPad perhaps did not allow users to utilize it like they would have wanted. It was not until Apple announced the iPad Air that some photographers, graphic designer, and publishers laid eyes on it. The iPad Air was designed to allow users to do more graphic work compare to previous generations. When such product was announced, it was explained to the public that it will grant designers the ability to continue their work on-the-go. Such presentation was pretty much telling the target markets that it was not going to be necessary to have a computer near them. This came from the idea of having a computer in our pockets, like the iPhone. So now, the iPad has pretty much the same power that a MacBook Pro has. Year after year since the first day of the iPad Air, Apple has integrating more and more processing power because the company knows that there are agencies out there that will willingly obtain them. A huge improvement that Apple has made thus far was when Tim Cook introduced the resigned iPad. Such iPad took the name of iPad Pro. This iPad was created to help those in need of a more powerful product to generate better designs. With this product, costumers can get the Apple Pencil. This pencil is the Apple's stylus, and what makes it unique is that it helps costumers to have a more firm and clean work when utilizing it on the iPad Pro.      

Apple Inc, as a company, has designed these tables for it has always known that there are agencies out there willing to buy these kind of products.

iPad Pro Technology at apple.com

Ch. 15 - Marketing Communications

iPad Pro and Apple Pencil (Apple)

It is clear that when a company releases a new product, they want to immediately put it out in the world. Therefore, these companies create a numerous of ads to attract the consumer's eyes. These ads are the first way of communication between the marketers and the potential buyers, and such ads also demonstrate features that certain consumers might benefit from.


Since Apple Inc. is constantly releasing new products, the executives first introduce them at their Special Events. At these events is when the consumers first learn about the benefits of the up-coming products. Then, at a specific date, Apple will begin to display its innovative products at their retail stores. At the stores, the message about the latest products spread out since the Specialists present them to every single customer that comes in looking for that particular device. This is also a way to make everyone aware of whatever is new on those new devices. For example, when the latest iPad Pro and iPhone 6S were announced, Apple released ads that promoted these products. Apple's website was also updated, so that the consumer could explore the various options of the products. Once the products were available at the retail stores, the company kept presenting the newest iPad and iPhone to the rest of viewers. Meaning, Apple kept emphasizing the theme for the new iPhone, "The only thing that's changed is everything." At this point, it can be said that media has become an ally to Apple since it is one the message channels the company utilizes to promote every product that exists in the Apple world. This way of communication will more or less help Apple get more owners since consumers will have already explored their options. Of course, this does not prevent consumers from visiting an Apple Store and interact with the products before making their final decision.

iPhone 6S (Apple)

     

Ch. 10 - Product Concepts

Apple Inc., as a company, was committed to create products that will benefit people in different areas of a business. When the iPad was first introduced back in January 27, 2010, it did not seem to do much for a lot of people. It probably took Apple a while to realize that a machine, as portable as the iPad was, could do so much more for those who live around the graphic design world. This was a great opportunity for Apple to re-introduce its tablet to the world. In October 22, 2013, Apple introduced to the world a redesigned machine. Such machine was going to allow a variety of users to have a better experience. It was a tablet that met customers' needs. More designers, engineers, architects, and businessmen would use the latest Apple tablet. The iPad Air was created for those who needed a machine capable of supporting graphic work. It was the ultimate tablet that many would seek to perform work on-the-go. The thin and light-weight enclosure made the iPad Air so much better than the previous generations of iPads. Obviously, Apple did not only think that the iPad would benefit businesses since the iPad became a tablet used by students and educators in the classrooms. Apple word processing applications or also know as iWork became a tremendous add-on for the iPads, especially since Apple announced it to be available for free. Apple has always introduced an advanced version of its products at their annual Special Events, so the iPad, obviously, was not going to be left behind. The company would introduced a more advanced iPad, and not only that, it continued making its iPad mini (introduced in Sept. 2012) better and with similar features like on an iPad Air.

Of course, the iPad Air 2 was not the end for Apple to extend its product line. In September, 9, 2015, at the the latest Special Event, Tim Cook (Apple's CEO) introduced a much larger tablet that entails the same iOS experience, but that is capable of performing the same work a regular MacBook Pro with Retina Display would. This new device took the name of iPad Pro. Apple's latest tablet has completed the family of iPads thus far.

Current iPad Family (Apple.com)

            

Ch. 17 - Personal Selling and Sales Management

Apple Store, Carrousel du Louvre (Paris)

Apple Inc., as one of the greatest technology company, believes that people can benefit from its line of products. Executives at Apple strongly believes that its people are truly important and Apple's goals could not be achieved, if it was not for its entire team of Specialists and Experts. Consequently, the company has always educated its people before they hit the sales floor for the first time. Management wants to guarantee that customers, as well as the employee, conceive a great experience at the Apple Retail Stores. Specialists and Experts, at the Apple Retail Stores, provide great explanations to customers about the products they are interested in. Apple seeks to meet customer's expectations by presenting solutions to the concerns majority of the customers come in with. Solutions could be exposed by selling a new product, repairing the customer's device(s) or answering questions about iCloud, AppleID and more. But how does Apple know if the customer's exceptions were met? Majority of the customers, after shopping at the Apple Store, will receive an e-mail inviting them to take a small survey in which customers can write about their experience at the store. This gives the company an idea on how the stores are doing on their customer service. From this survey or feedback provided by customers, a lot of innovative solutions are made to better the experience at the Apple Retail Stores.

Apple, too, knows that a lot of business are emerging and its goal is to reach out to them. Therefore, Apple created a team that focuses on contacting those small or large businesses that come to the store seeking for innovative technology. This relationship begins on the sales floor since the customers could easily show interest in talking to a Business Specialist. After the information is communicated to the Business Team, the Business Specialists will reach out to the business and present the various solutions and opportunities.

Although one of the company's goals is to sell products, this great company strives to make more users put their trust in Apple's hands.

Apple Online Store

 

Workshops at the Apple Store

Ch. 16 - Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Promotion

When the iPad was first introduced, Apple Inc. developed a variety of ads to make consumers familiar with whatever was new on this product. Nowadays, these ads have sort of vanished. Two or three years ago, whenever a viewer click play on a youtube video, he or she would experience the introduction of the iPad. It was quite interesting because the viewers could have a better perspective of what this new device could help them accomplish. Perhaps, this strategy had made consumers be more aware of the advantage of the iPad. Although there are no a lot of ads to present the iPad, Apple has striven to better this particular device. They have developed it to be more like a computer rather than just a simple tablet. This takes us to the newest tablet that Apple will launch later this month, the iPad Pro. Since this is one of latest product, Apple has not really advertised it. However, it does not mean that Apple is not doing anything to attract the consumer's attention. Lately, Apple has introduced newer ads that promote the Apple Watch and iPhone. It is known that iPhones is the number product that helps the company meet it revenue goal throughout the year, so it does make perfect sense why Apple advertises it. Since the first introduction of the iPhone, Apple Inc. has presented a variety of ads that demonstrate some great ways of utilizing an Apple smartphone.

Since Apple Inc. is not the only company that sells smartphone, other companies like Samsung and LG strive to achieve what Apple has been able to accomplish throughout all these years. Recently, Windows has responded with advocacy advertising to Apple's latest tablet, and Samsung has used product advertising to exhibit a particular feature of its latest Galaxy.        

  

iPad Air (Apple)