Consumer Behavior of Apple Company - Case Study Example

Consumer Behavior Study of Apple Company

Introduction

The company is an American technology business which engages in designing, developing and selling electronics, computer software to the consumers and as well offers online services. The hardware products found in the organization are thesmartphone iPhone type, Apple Watch, the iPad tablets, the portable media player of iPodand the Mac processers. The consumer software systems include the iTunes media player, the iLife, the OSX plus the iOS functional systems, the iWork and the Safari browser. The iLife and the iWork are productivity and creativity sites. The services Apple Company offers online are the iCloud, the iTunes App, the Mac Store application and the iOS application site.

The company has manufactured some items which have been rejected in the market such as the penile and that resulted in a loss. The company did not give up on the product, but instead, they restricted it to meet consumer satisfaction. It is their determination to make their customers happy that has led to the company being the rated as the most colorful as they ensure their consumers are happy with every product or service they purchase (LINZMAYER, 2004). The mobile devices have not disappointed the company when compared to the computers. It is because thorough research has been carried out before innovating any device. The second leading in the company is the portable music players and then personal computers.

Shopping and purchase environment

When a customer buys a good at Apple Stores, they are wrapped in a plastic bag. It is a way of make customers fell welcome in the shops, but it has raised an environmental concern. Plastic is a non-degradable material and when release in the environment it will not decay thus causing environmental pollution. The company is thus advice to use paper which is environmentally friendly as they strive to make their customers happy. Following the environmental laws and going green will earn the business more customers as they will see the company cares for the healthy living of everyone.

While shopping online, the consumer is offered some terms and conditions which they can adhere to without extra charges. The purchase program is to ensure that neither the company nor the consumer will be left unfair thus each of them becomes satisfied. The company offers a return policy to the consumers if they are not satisfied with the good they buy. They are a given a period of 14 days from the time they purchase the item. Not all items are given the return policy by the apple company. Security is usually placed in the Apple stores to ensure the customers feel safe whenever they go to purchase a product (O'GRADY, 2009).

Perception

Brand perception is important to the consumers and applies companies has done it right by ensuring all the applications a consumer would require in the devices they purchase will satisfy them. For instance, mp3 player in iPods ensures consumers can listen to music anytime as the application is on the smartphone. Designing devices which resemble another prominent product is a way Apple has used to brand its items to give the consumers a good Perception. For instance, the iPad mini which is smaller in size but has all the qualities of an iPad and it is less costly.

The leaders of a company can give it either a negative or a positive Perception according to their leadership strategies. For instance, the Perception of consumers about Apple improved after Steve Jobs resigned. The attention and the reputation of the organization increased; thus, the company became better placed in its sales (LÜSTED, 2012). This shows that the decisions of a consumer to purchase goods at an organization is determined by how the company presents its brands, the people in power and their satisfaction with the devices they buy. When Tim Cook became the CEO of Apple Inc. the company grew by 17 percent in different ways such as offering job opportunities.

Motivation and values

The apple company influences the motivation and values of consumers through carrying out consumer analysis and exploiting it to their advantage. They analyze the behavior, the affect and cognition and the environment of the consumer. On the effect, they analyze the response of the consumers to a certain brand. For instance, the logo of the company which is meant to ensure people love and respect the organization. The consumer behavior results from the services offered and how the company is carrying out their leadership. When happy, people respond positively and consume more of the services and goods offered by Apple.

The company affects the values of the customers through their cultural environment. Apple has carried out consumer analysis and understood their culture which they incorporate it while manufacturing their devices; it encourages consumers as they see the organization has their interests. Considering the social classes is important for Apple, and they do so by producing devices which range from most expensive to those which can be afforded by people of low social classes. Manufacturing devices considering the cultural and social trends is significant as it will ensure the consumers are satisfied every time despite the changes in their social activities and beliefs (LASHINSKY, 2012).

Attitudes on marketing communication

Communication at Apple Inc. is meant to inform on the existence of the products and services, persuades customers to buy, and remind potential purchasers of a good so as to get an opinion or response. The advertising language Apple employs has convinced people globally that no other organization can produce or come close to producing Apple’s best products. Using the audience language is a strategy Apple has applied to explain how the devices they produce operate and as well while selling to people. No need to apply complicated language which people do not understand such as megabytes, instead a standard language that is understandable will make consumers feel welcome (BACH, 2007).

Apple has hidden its product page as they have included the specifications of their items and technical information which may scare potential clients away. They make sure they use language which the customers can relate to easily. The employees stationed at the Apple stores have a good relationship with consumers to make them feel welcome and be able to ask any questions they may have concerning Apple products. Communication is the key to success in business and Apply have to find methods they can use communicate effectively, for instance, use of manuals to explain the working of a device (APPLE COMPUTER, 1985).

Apple Decision making on products and services

The first decision is on design to be used on goods and services which are handled by several components of the organization and officials. For instance, Macs design and production is dome by two Engineers both for hardware and software. They coordinate the operations for its manufacture. Quality management decision is important as it is through producing high-quality products that the consumers are satisfied thus rating Apple, the best company in America (BACH, 2007). Location strategy decision in the company is selective and involves several selected sellers. The stores are located mostly in urban centers which are a strategic place for most consumers.

The layout strategy and design decision are meant to emphasize the expectations of the clients. Many devices of different types should be produced to serve customers at all levels. Satisfaction of customers can also be achieved through ensuring that the consumers can get the Apple devices at strategic places. Human resource decision is very important because the way clients respond to the services is important and can be used to improve how the organization operates. It is through the human resource that opening work opportunities are opened in the company which will improve the economy of the people (ZYLLA-WOELLNER, 2013).

Conclusion

The current success of Apple Inc. is associated with the ability of the organization to apply its strengths to overcome the weaknesses and threats it faces and exploit the opportunities at its disposal. The SWOT analysis of the business activities of Apple offers insight into the organization's operations to ensure maximum growth based on the opportunities and strengths. The consumer is the most important aspect of the company, and they have to be analyzed carefully, know what will make them happy, how to relate to them the language they will understand best and how to deliver the services and devices to them.

The strength of the brand image should be maintained and ensure the innovation process is effective to produce goods and services which will be received positively by clients. The entire business process should be planned being based on the mission and the vision of the founders of the company to make sure that the company does not only offer quality products and services which achieve consumer satisfaction but as well maintain profitability (LASHINSKY, 2012).

Recommendations

The strengths of the company should be employed to address the weakness. Each opportunity should be exploited to expand the distribution network by reaching to more consumers which will result in more sales and profitability. Different methods can be used to reach the consumers for instance promotions which will show people that the company is friendly to them and offering goods and services which will benefit them. Language barrier should be overcome in different ways such as publishing manuals which contain several languages to suit clients from different language groups.

Apple group should ensure that they cope with the changing environment in technology and update their devices to compete fairly with other competitors. The company should improve their operating competence. They should carry out enough research before producing and releasing an item because if it received negatively, it might destroy the reputation of the company. While choosing their leaders, Apple should include clients representatives in their leadership counsel to make sure customers’ needs and opinions are listened and considered.

Reference

APPLE COMPUTER, INC. (1985). Apple IIe technical reference manual. Reading, Mass, Addison-Wesley Pub. Co.

Some customers talk time to understand how the Apple products such as phones and computers operate. To ease this, the business has produced manuals which have been given to all the buyers of the products to make it easy for them to operate the implements. The manuals are a step-by-step guide on how to each computer or phone operates.

BACH, B. (2007). Implications of enabling technologies for Apple Inc. Cybermarketing& enabling technologies. München, GRIN Verlag GmbH. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:101:1-2010082127784.

The growth in technology affects every business, and Apple is not an exceptional. They have to make sure that their products have a competitive market in the field as each company with similar goods is using technology to improve their products. E-marketing is an example of the improved technology where Apple Inc. should apply to reach to more customers.

LASHINSKY, A. (2012). Inside Apple how America's most admired and secretive-company really works. New York, Business Plus. http://ebook.3m.com/library/BCPL-document_id-apf7ez9.

Adam looked into the inside of Apple Company to see how it operated to reach a level of being the most-admired business in America. He carried out analyses of the tactics applied, systems used and leadership strategies which have led to being a major employer. He looked into the products and how they are manufactured to make sure customers will always be satisfied and keep coming back.

LINZMAYER, O. W. (2004). Apple confidential 2.0: the definitive history of the world's most colorful company. San Francisco, Calif, No Starch Press.

According to Owen, Apple Company is labeled the most colorful in the world. It has gone through some business challenges and has risen successful and now it is like the music business. This has been contributed by the high-quality products they offer, the business strategies they apply in the market and their relationship with the consumers. All these elements have resulted in growth and expansion of their work.

LÜSTED, M. A. (2012). Apple the company and its visionary founder, Steve Jobs. Minneapolis, MN, ABDO Pub. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=432606.

The founders of the Apple Inc. had the vision of manufacturing products which would keep people up with the dynamic technology and make sure they had accessed to anything they wanted as easy as possible. It was done through phones and computers production of different types which would be easy internet access

O'GRADY, J. D. (2009). Apple Inc. Westport, Conn, Greenwood Press.

In his work, Jason talks of the founders of the company of Apple’s vision to improve the lives of people through innovation and producing phones and computers which would ease the use of technology globally. The paper has also explained the strategies in use to compete in particular markets globally.

ZYLLA-WOELLNER, J. (2013). Business analysis of Apple inc. [Place of publication not identified], Grin VerlagOhg.

In the business analysis of Apple Inc, Zylla talks about the entire business activities that the company is involved in. it starts with planning the production costs of the goods, how they will be advertised to make sure the consumers know about their existence and how they can be improved to meet customer satisfaction. Other activities included are the cost incurred while reaching the consumers.