The Various Apple Products Available on the Market - Research Paper Example

Introduction Brand loyalty refers to a situation whereby consumers make a conscious assessment that a particular brand or service satisfies their needs to a greater degree than others and make a decision to buy the same brand repeatedly for that reason. In essence, brand loyalty emanates from very positive reinforcement of a performance-related choice tactic. Thus when brand loyalty occurs, consumers buy the same brand repeatedly because of a strong attachment to it (Hoyer & MacInnis 2008, p. 258). Apple is one of the brands whose customers exhibit brand loyalty globally. Apple customers are known to have a loyalty towards the Apple or Mac brand. The customers exhibit a religious-like zeal toward the various Apple products available on the market (Kumar 2008, p. 195). Various studies have been conducted on brand loyalty to Apple products. Against this backdrop, this research will focus on brand loyalty to the Apple iPhone smartphones. These products are chosen because they are the latest in the market, and have a range of powerful competitors including Nokia and Samsung. The study will investigate the aspects of brand loyalty which make the Apple community to stick to Apple products in spite of the existence of strong competitors. Research question The study will be based on the research question: What makes customers prefer the iPhone smartphone? The reason could be that the iPhone has smarter features compared to competitors such as Nokia and Samsung, or simply because of the fact that the customers are loyal to the Apple brand and will therefore buy the iPhone regardless of whether other products are offered on the market. Background information on Apple Apple was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, driven by their vision of a computer for personal use. Incorporated as Apple Computer, Inc. in 1977, the company faced competition from others such as Commodore and Tandy when it introduced its first commercial computer dubbed Apple II. However, Apple saw itself as much as a marketing firm as a technology innovator. The company differentiated its product with the addition of a color graphical screen, which the existing products did not have, as well as an amazing application called VisiCalc. VisiCalc was the first computerized spreadsheet, and suddenly, anyone who wanted to do an analysis would combine the power of the personal computer and the spreadsheet. The combination of VisiCalc with stylish consumer-focused marketing drove Apple into a leading position in the market (Hurwitz 2011, p. 50-51). Later, apple ventured into making software and phones, and today it is the third largest phone manufacturer after Samsung and Nokia. Before his death in 2011, Steve Jobs described Apple as the world largest “mobile device company” against Nokia, Samsung, and Sony, rather than a computer company (Hamel 2012). List of sources to be used in the research 1. Brand Experience: What is it? How is it measured? Does it affect loyalty? By Brakus, J J, Schmitt, B H & Zarantonello, L (2009). This article examines several brand experience dimensions based on sensory, affective, behavioral and intellectual scales. The authors examine six brands among them Apple, and state that brand experience affects consumer satisfaction and loyalty directly and indirectly through brand personality associations. It is relevant because it directly touches on Apple’s brand loyalty. 2. The value of participation in virtual consumer communities on brand loyalty. By Shang, R, Chen, Y & Liao H (2006). This article examines the impacts of consumers’ lurk and posting behaviors in virtual consumer communities on specific brand loyalty. It is relevant to the study because it contains information on a test that was conducted on Apple computer users based on their involvement, loyalty, participation, attitudes and trust towards the brand messages within the community. 3. Apple's secret of success - traditional marketing vs. cult marketing. By Schneiders, S (2011). This book discusses Apple’s various products and more importantly, the iPhone, which is selected for this study. It gives details of the various aspects of the Apple brand that connect consumers with the brand such as innovativeness, use of slogans and advertising and marketing strategies. 4. Brand credibility, customer loyalty and the role of religious orientation. Alam, A, Arshad, MU & Shabbir, S A (2012). This paper starts with the line “Customer experiences are major driving forces behind their decision-making related to brand re-purchase and re-use (p. 583). It studies various brands, Apple included in terms of brand credibility, customer loyalty and the impact of religious orientation in Pakistan. The paper therefore shows that Apple is popular not only in the West but also in the Arab world. 5. In from the cold: How Apple has blossomed. By Emerald (2008). This article gives an account of how Apple has been able to play a leadership role in spite of major competition from players such as Nokia, Samsung and Motorola. It mentions Apple’s features such as the design perspective which have continued to propel its brand loyalty. Research methods The study will employ mixed research methods (both qualitative and quantitative research). Qualitative research involves an interpretive and naturalistic approach to the subject matter Trumbull (2005, p. 101) while the purpose of quantitative research is to make valid and objective descriptions of phenomena (Taylor 2005, p. 91). Appropriateness of methods Both methods will be used since there will be collection of qualitative information such as why consumers prefer Apple, and quantitative information such as number of customers using the apple iPhone and so on. The theories that will be applied include cognitive dissonance theory, adaptation-level theory, and exit-voice theory (Fjermestad & Romano 2006, p. 38). Description of sample population The sample of study will be both students and staff in the university. This sample is chosen because the university population is one of those that use the latest technologies in phones and smartphones. These gadgets are used for communication, research, browsing social media sites and so forth. A sample of 100 people who own Apple products will be targeted. Questionnaires will be prepared with questions to reveal why these people buy Apple products and specifically the iPhone. Limitations of research methodology The use of questionnaires may not produce ideal results since it is not possible to prod the responded. In addition, some questionnaires may be filled by people who are not targeted in the research. As regards the sample, some bias is likely since the research will be conducted on only one institution – meaning that the results may not be generalizable. Finally, since secondary sources will be used to complement the study and its findings, the analysis may be biased by the authors’ opinions. References Alam, A, Arshad, MU & Shabbir, S A 2012, ‘Brand credibility, customer loyalty and the role of religious orientation’, Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 24, No. 4, 2012, pp. 583-598. Brakus, J J, Schmitt, B H & Zarantonello, L 2009, ‘Brand Experience: What is it? How is it measured? Does it affect loyalty?’ Journal of Marketing, Vol. 73 (May 2009), pp. 52–68. Emerald 2008, ‘In from the cold: How Apple has blossomed’, Strategic Direction, Vol. 24, Issue 3, pp. 13 – 16. Fjermestad, J & Romano, N C 2006, Electronic customer relationship management, M.E. Sharpe, New York. Hamel, G 2012, What matters now: How to win in a world of relentless change, ferocious competition, and unstoppable innovation, John Wiley & Sons, New York. Hoyer, W D & MacInnis, D J, 2008, Consumer behavior, 5th edn, Cengage Learning, New York. Hurwitz, J 2011, Smart or lucky: How technology leaders turn chance into success, John Wiley & Sons, New York. Kumar, V 2008, Managing customers for profit: Strategies to increase profits and build loyalty, Pearson Prentice Hall, New York. Schneiders, S 2011, Apple's secret of success - traditional marketing vs. cult marketing Diplomica Verlag, Hamburg. Shang, R, Chen, Y & Liao H 2006, ‘The value of participation in virtual consumer communities on brand loyalty’, Internet Research, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 398-418. Taylor, G R 2005, ‘Quantitative research methods’, In Taylor, G R Integrating quantitative and qualitative methods in research, 2nd edn, University Press of America, New York Trumbull, M 2005, ‘Qualitative research methods’, in Taylor, G R Integrating quantitative and qualitative methods in research, 2nd edn, University Press of America, New York. Read More