Apple Marketing Strategy

Apple owes its overwhelming success to the smart iPod + iTunes product combination, a combination of a great hardware piece with great style, great software, great performance, user friendly interface, with a great e-business service. The iPod + iTunes halo effect and new great Mac computers and Mac OS software did the rest in increasing Apple revenue stream.

In the last 5 years the Apple share value increased 25 times, from $7.5 to $180 per share. At july 2008 prices Apple stock market capitalization is $160 billion.

But even the best companies with the best products have bottleneck factors which often avoid full exploitation of the opportunities.


The Apple iPod.

Few people are aware - and few market analysts too - that for the first 3 years the iPod was an absolute flop. The iPod was launched in october 2001, and between 2001 and 2004 iPod sales were between 100-200 thousand units per quarter, very far from today's 10-20 million units per quarter, and the iPod sales were not even covering the product research & development costs.
Then, in June-Aug 2004 something happened, and iPod sales began to grow strongly, quarter after quarter. Today, we all know where the iPod stands, and what a remarkable success it is.

The iPod made the fortune of Apple, and it stands out as the major turning point in the company growth.

Few people know that the iPod + iTunes business idea was not conceived inside Apple, but was proposed to Apple by an outside source, a music lover and Engineer named Tony Fadell.

More on Tony Fadell and on the iPod marketing on iPod Marketing Strategy

The iPod marks another outstanding result in marketing:
the annihilation of competitors. To know more see the analysis on
The iPod competitors

It should be noted that, since the second generation of iPods in 2002, the iPods were made compatible not only with the Mac operating systems but with Microsoft Windows operating systems as well.

We should ask ourselves (and to Steve Jobs): how many iPods would have been sold if the iPods would had been compatible only with Mac operating systems?

Where the iPod is manufactured and assembled


The Apple iPhone.

The pipeline of new products which came out from Apple in the last years is impressive, and overwhelming. In 2007, with the successful launch of the iPhone, Apple has marked another milestone in its development and growth.

And moreover, the iPhone enters a market - the market of mobile phones - a market which is mature, and saturated. Nonetheless, Apple has been able to develop a revolutionary product, and to change the paradigm in the mobile phone market.

The iPhone is 5 years ahead of all its competitors. A wonderful product, amazing user interface, great design. It is not only a mobile phone, it is a product between a mobile phone and a laptop computer. Even calling it a smartphone is not enough.
And on July 11, 2008 Apple has launched the second generation iPhone, the iPhone 3G. More on the iPhone on iPhone Marketing Strategy

The iPhone 3G Price in Europe


Apple did great. no doubt. However Apple has done some serious mistakes.

The most serious mistakes Apple has done concern marketing and distribution strategies in Europe.
Apple has overlooked the European markets, and missing big numbers in unexploited sales. With better marketing strategy, better communication and distribution, Apple could have made 300% more revenues in Europe in the last 4 years.

Apple Marketing in Europe

We met with with Erik Stannow, Apple Vice President of Marketing for Europe & EMEA. We have been talking with Erik Stannow about the marketing and distribution issues of Apple in the European markets and we gave some valuable suggestions to improve the Apple marketing strategy and distribution in Europe.

Well, it seems that in Cupertino they don't care so much about Europe.


Steve Jobs

If we talk about Apple success, about Apple great products, we need to talk about Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs has been and is the great mind behind all this.
Steve Jobs is a genius, he is a magician, too. He is the most skilled guy in introducing new products - "... one more thing" - the most skilled in presenting the key features, and he is a great communicator.

Even more important, Steve Jobs has Vision. Vision in the strategy, Vision in the product development, Vision in the alliances.


Apple Communication

Apple communication is sober, intriguing, simple, clear, minimalist and clever. And it has a style of its own. Both in the tv ads, both in print ads, both in the online communications. A lesson to be learned by many companies in the world. Well, of course when you have great products it is much easier to entice the costumers, but nevertheless doing it with style and cleverness is a very good point. It boosts sales, but enhances the brand value too.

The famous "I am a Mac, I am a PC" tv ads are a milestone in communications. Smart, simple, effective and humiliating (for Microsoft ...).

More on Apple Communication and on the Apple Tv ads "I am a Mac I am a PC" on the Apple Communication page.


Update:

Google Chrome. The New Browser From Google.

On September 2, 2008, Google launched its new browser, named Google Chrome. Analysis on Google Chrome at Google Chrome Browser special page.

Google Chrome. The new Browser from Google.