The Main Goal and Objective for Launching iPhone - Essay Example

A PRODUCT LAUNCH Executive summary Apple Inc. is a worldwide computer manufacturer aiming at the different es of person as customers. However, the company is under pressure to maximize revenues, and at the same time, it has to improve operating efficiency. There are different challenges that are hindering the achievement of the growth targets and this comprise of frequent changes in consumers’ demographics, emergence of new arrival causing competition and the low success of the new brands. The current market situations call for the new era of innovation. The company needs to plan on how to serve the customers effectively; there should be a strategy to be used when introducing new products into the market. It is necessary to strategies on how to monitor the progress of the product and ensure efficient allocation of products to the right market (Cavanagh 2012). Tables of Contents A PRODUCT LAUNCH 1 Name: 1 Executive summary 2 Tables of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Main findings 4 1.Goals and objectives for launching the iPhone 4 2.Product to be launched 5 3.Prepare a launch budget 5 4.Planning process 5 5. Product Launch Plan 6 14. Evaluate the launch 9 15. Competition 9 16. Recommendation 10 17. Conclusion 11 References 12 Introduction Apple Inc. is undergoing increasing difficulty in managing time-to-market and to reduce the cost of introducing the new products. Apple Inc. Is a technology company, with frequent changes in the mode of doing business. This paper will focus on how launch effectively a new iPhone for the Apple Inc. The company will be launching a new product in the market. The product itself is the new iPhone which was introduced recently in the market. This report will include all the requirements, the planning process, implementation and the effective means of monitoring the implementation process (Comments on “A New Product Growth for Model Consumer Durables The Bass Model 2011). The iPhone that will be launched soon is expected to meet customers expectation since it contains all the features in it. The key features are that the iPhone itself is a mobile phone, contained software for playing music, mini personal organizer and it contained other software that can be used in various sectors. Main findings 1. Goals and objectives for launching the iPhone The main goals and objective for launching iPhone is to create awareness of the iPhone in the market. It is essential for the potential customers to know that the new iPhone has been released. The launch of this product will also assist in distributing the product in the market. Furthermore, the process will help to get feedback from the target segment for a pre-launch, win the customers interest so that they can place pre-orders and get the chance for product demonstrations. Besides, the company will be able to introduce iPhone in the new market. To be effective, it is essential to be objective and be specific when launching the iPhone. For instance, it is necessary to deliver the number of iPhones in the launch event (Holroyd & Barclay 2012). 2. Product to be launched The iPhone to be launched is designed in a unique way. It contained software which is compatible with both the apple computers and software. iPhone is expected to deliver quality services to the entire market, and this will position the company as a market leader. The product will only succeed the competition in the market if the implementation process is followed has it is planned before launching it. 3. Prepare a launch budget It is essential to budget for the launch so that enough resources are allocated for the entire process. It allocates vital the resource to avoid the shortage during the launching process. Furthermore, the company will decide what to market first depending on the financial strength (Hutsko & Boyd 2012). 4. Planning process Launching process needs careful planning so that the company can achieve its objectives. To ensure that the launching process is effective, the following process needs to be followed. 4.1 Ensure a launch process for the iPhone is in place – according to various scientific managers, for a launch to be successful it need to be treated as a process and not an event. Many companies, after launching a product suffer immense losses due to lack of sales goals. Furthermore, they disappoint early customers because they are no support. To ensure that the entire process: launching process, is successful, managers need to include buy-in from the entire company. This is vital because it will synchronize and integrate efforts from all levels of an organization (Ninomiya 2012). There should be a well written launch action plan. This action plan will help define the responsibility of each in the company, and will also show the objective of the company and the strategy which will be used to attain those goals. The knowledge practice should devise so that the skills are shared and thus, encouraging team work. 4.2 Set objectives and success measurements up front- this is the most vital step in launching process. One needs to know where you are going and how to arrive there. Besides, there should be a way to ensure that you have gotten there. It is necessary to gather and analyze market intelligence. In addition, it is vital for the company to determine where it is in terms of market share. It is also necessary to determine what you want your launch to accomplish within the market, the organization and with the prospects of the organization. Finally, it is necessary to gain consensus of all stakeholders who have invested in the plan (Karol & Beebe 2012). 4.3 Develop an official and complete incorporated Product Launch Plan- this is necessary in the planning process because it will ensure sales integration, facilitate accountability with actions so as to focus all the resource to the required sector. 5. Product Launch Plan To achieve success in the product launch plan, it should focus on the following elements: 5.1 Define launch objectives- it is vital to define the objectives of launching the product. There, various objectives such popularized the product, increase the sale of that product, or to attract potential customers. 5.2 Measuring performance- launching the product is necessary so that the company can estimate the future performance of that product. 5.3 Develop critical marketing and sales tool- when the product is marketed, it will position the product in the mind of the potential customers. 6. Monitor and track execution - this is much more effective when the launch team is working on it, and should be supported by the management especially in tracking the progress. After this, it is necessary to keep communicating with the team regarding the progress of the iPhone in the market. 7. Ensure requirements for success – success is always guaranteed when the proper tools are in place. Management should know that when the iPhone is launched it will require six months to handle all unexpected issues, delays and other stuffs that are likely to arise. Furthermore, the process will call for sufficient resources, budget, and above all, the good relationship and teamwork when executing the process. It is vital to ensure that any broken relationship is repaired because broken relationships are time eaters (Rao 2012). 8. Invest upfront in the right positioning- the current world is full of technology and furthermore, the product being launch it is a technological product. It is, therefore, vital to research on the message you intent to pass. It is a must to identify the prospects, media and the analyst before launching the iPhone. Managers need to ensure that the beta version of the iPhone works and it are directed to the right reviewers. This is because message conveyed will act as the promotion tool for the iPhone and it will be promoted across the world (Sande & Sadum 2012). 9. Develop an appealing public relations strategy and plan – it is necessary to work with the relevant parties and ensure to capture their attention through educating the bloggers, pundits and the editors. These groups of people are the one carrying the company’s flag. These people are the determinant on whether you will gain the credibility and the acceptance from the marketplace. This will make the selling process simple, and at the same time, it will maximize the chances of hitting your goals (Rao 2012). 10. The selling channels adopted must be effective - the sales channels are crucial just like the customers or the product itself. It is necessary to train the sales force concerning the product, what the product does and features contained in that product. A trained sales force will be able to convince the customer to product in the market. 11. Involve the company. Ensure that everyone is part of the launching process. This can be done by encouraging the employees by giving those items such as T-shirt with the iPhone logo. The company can even consider selling the product to the employee at subsidized prices. During the launching day, the iPhone should utilize the function so that it can be a unifying factor for the entire people present. 12. Disseminate best practices – at this stage, it is essential to analyze the process so that non-working plans are eliminated and the working one is maintained. The team, selected to monitor the process must be flexible so that they can make the changes whenever they realize that some of the plans are not working (Yuece 2012). 13. Accelerate the launch – many people or the companies give excuses on the reason as to why the plans are not working. This is wrong, and the company should not entertain such. They should not succumb to them. Instead, they should monitor the process closely. iPhone need to be marketed seriously because competition is high. 14. Evaluate the launch Evaluating the launch will help to determine whether the objectives and goals set before launching has been achieved. This is the indicators that can be used to determine the future performance of the iPhone. Effectiveness of the launching process can be determined by monitoring the sales which will be made on iPhone after the launched campaign is over. Finally, it is necessary to follow up the customers after the launch campaign is over. There is a need to seek the customers feedback regarding the iPhone (The iPhone Book: Covers iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, and iPhone 3GS 2012). 15. Competition Competition is high in the technological sector, and the company needs to keep in mind that other companies offering the same products are also promoting theirs. From the research, it clearly indicates that the Apple Inc. Is facing stiff competition from other companies that are producing similar phones with the same features in it. Fighting competitors will require thorough market research so that the company can establish what the competitors are doing in terms of price and packaging of the product. New products should be priced slightly below the normal price so that they can attract new customers. The graph below shows the market trend for the company’s products and its close competitors (Sande & Sadum 2012). 16. Recommendation It is, therefore, necessary for the company to launch the product ensure to communicate the features of the iPhone as a way of differentiating the product. Because of the competition, it is vital for the company to position the iPhone as a unique product as compared to other phones. From the graph above, it is evident that the HTC Vivid closely competes with the iPhone. HTC Vivid seems to be attracting more potential and new customers than the iPhone (Hutsko & Boyd 2012). Apple Inc. Need to prove to potential customers during the launch process that their company is the leading company in manufacturing of android phones and the variety of them depending on the social class of a customer. 17. Conclusion In order to launch a product successfully, there should be well established planning process. Managers should plan well considering the available resource to be used in the launching process. Furthermore, there should be a well-defined responsibility of all the individuals who will be present during the day of launching the iPhone. Launching process is crucial and, therefore, it requires maximum cooperation from the entire organization. Finally, the message conveyed is extremely vital, and the company must analyze the message sent about the iPhone to ensure that the public receive the correct the message concerning the product. Media can publish any information without thinking of the effect caused. It is, therefore, necessary to consider the way the information is framed. Finally, the packaging of the iPhone is also vital because it will develop an image in the customers mind. Packaging will position the product well in the market and can improve performance in the market. References Cavanagh, E 2012, How to Launch a New Product Faster: 5 Secrets to Tight Project Management, Comprehensive Project Plans, and Effective Change Management, Rockland Publishing, New York. Comments on “A New Product Growth for Model Consumer Durables The Bass Model 2011, Management science, vol 6, pp. 147-149. Holroyd, P & Barclay, I 2012, New Product Development, 2nd edn, Routledge, New York. Hultink, EJ, Griffin, A & Hart, S 2012, Industrial New Product Launch Strategies and Product Development Performance, Product innovation management, vol 9, p. 48. Hutsko, J & Boyd, B 2012, iPhone 4S All-in-One For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, New York. Karol, R & Beebe, N 2012, New Product Development For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, New York. Ninomiya, K 2012, Marketing a Great New Product: Learn How to Launch a New Product from 30 Page University, CreateSpace, New York. Rao, A 2012, The Price of Launching a New Product: Empirical Evidence on Factors Affecting the Relative Magnitude of Slotting Allowances, Marketing science, vol 7, p. 29. Sande, S & Sadum, E 2012, Taking Your iPhone 4 to the Max, Apress, New York. The iPhone Book: Covers iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, and iPhone 3GS 2012, 5th edn, Peachpit Press, New York. YU-Chung, K 2011, The Investigation of Online Reviews of Mobile Games, Springer Link, vol 7, pp. 1-5. Yuece, L 2012, Impact and Role of Market Research in New Product Launch Process, GRIN Verlag, Ney York. Read More