Marketing Mix: Apple iPhone - Article Example

Introduction Often considered as a marvel of the modern technology, the Apple iPhone is an eye opener into the world of flashy gadgets, which are fast catching the likes of the young and old alike. Equipped with a high resolution in-built camera and a mini media player, the Apple iPhone is blessed with perfect picture quality and the ability to shoot, store, record and send data from one location to another. Apple is a new player in the cellular phone market; nonetheless, it has successfully managed to do introduce a product which is not only attractive but also efficient in terms of the technological enhancements and durability. Of the numerous features, the 8GB of memory space, incorporation of the latest cellular technology and a state of the art touch screen interface, has made this iPhone a much sought after commodity in the ever expanding consumer goods market. The touch screen interface, somewhat similar to a highly skilled alien technology, is truly impressive and helps enhance the overall persona of an Apple iPhone. The phone has been inspired by the Apple iPod and is therefore similar in physical appearance to its predecessor but the technological advancement along with the dual advantage of making a call while listening to your favorite musical tracks, transforms an extremely good looking gadget into a highly performance oriented cell phone from Apple. The Apple iPhone is also reinforced with a high quality video, which, when coupled with an 8GB of memory space, allows the user to play a wide variety of videos on a random basis. The absence of Apple iPhones from the UK market is proof enough that these elegant beauties got sold off even before they could get a feel of the shops. Apart from the traditional brick and mortar stores, the phones from Apple, with special regards to the Apple iPhone, can be had through the means of numerous online selling sites. They may even lure you by providing an attractive discount. (David, 2007) The Concept Of Marketing Mix In order to gauge the actual position of a product in the consumer market, you need to follow the principles of the 4 p's. The concept of marketing mix took shape when James Culliton in the year 1948, made a proposition that the decisions in the marketing field should be a symbolic to the recipe of a best selling cookbook. This idea was widely appreciated and the trend continued till the year 1953. Thereafter, Neil Borden, the president of the American Marketing Association, suggested that the term 'recipe' be coined as 'marketing mix.' Taking cue from this presidential address, Jerome McCarthy, a renowned marketing analyst, went a step further and suggested that the proposed 'marketing mix' be further sub divided into 4 p's. This sub classification, which happened in the year 1960, has remained popular as ever and has also been included in numerous classroom curriculums. (Stone, 2001) The Four P's of Marketing Mix Popularized by the article entitled, 'The Concept Of Marketing Mix', written by Neil H Borden, the recipe of the 4 p's, with special regards to the Apple iPhone include, the planning of a iPhone, the actual pricing of the iPhone, the various channels of distribution, the art of personalized selling, numerous ways of advertising and promoting the Apple product, packaging and displaying the iPhone, cross checking its overall functionality, before ascertaining the required facts and analyzing the final decision. In simple terms, the 4 p's ideally include the product, the pricing, the place of distribution and finally, the promotion. The launch of the Apple iPhone was in accordance to these four principles of Marketing-Mix, as these allowed the marketing manager to control and audit the existing marketing plans to suit the existing market trends. If the product is to generate a positive response, the need to center the marketing decisions around the 4 p's is of vital importance. We would now study the 4 p's , with respect to their impact on the performance of the recently launched, Apple iPhone. (NetMBA, 1998) (Stone, 2001) Product Decisions The first 'p' of marketing mix is the product decision. With special regards to the brand new Apple iPhone, the following product decisions were considered imperative. The first was the brand name, the second was the functionality, the third was the product styling, the fourth was the quality, the fifth was the safety and packaging, the sixth was the repair and support, the seventh was the warrantee, while the last was the accessories and the related services. (NetMBA, 1998) The Decision On Price The second 'p' of Marketing-Mix deals with the price related decisions. In the case of the Apple iPhone, the pricing strategy, with regards to the penetration and skim and the suggested retail price, were perhaps the most important of all. The other factors included allowing discounts on wholesale distribution, cash margins on early payments, varying the price in accordance to the season, price discrimination, flexibility and finally, the bundling of the product. (NetMBA, 1998) The Decision On Distribution The third 'p' of Marketing Mix is concerned with distribution channel, through which the Apple iPhone is made available to the general public. While inventory management, warehousing and distribution channels played a major role in making the Apple iPhone available to the general public, transportation and reverse logistics were equally important in contributing to the overall success of the product. The selective distribution, with regards to specific channel members, had a major role to play in the overall market scenario. (NetMBA, 1998) The Decisions In Promotion The last 'p' of marketing-mix, the 'promotion decision', is based on spreading the product information to prospective consumers. Its main aim is to gather a positive response from the consumer. While the push and pull and the advertising strategy worked wonders for the Apple iPhone, the personalized sales force, reinforced with an effective sales promotion activity and an efficient public relation as well as marketing communication, allowed the product to generate a positive response. (NetMBA, 1998) The 4 P's And Their Relationship With Apple iPhone The Innovative Design The patented state of the art touch screen, unmatched by any other related device, along with numerous other functions, puts the Apple iPhone way above the rest. Ease of Compatibility The compatibility of the Apple iPhone with iTunes and numerous other Mac related products, such as the Mac TV and OS software tools, allows this iphone to have limitless potential in terms of up gradation. Easy To Use The ability to read multi finger gestures through its innovative touch screen along with the Mac OS X application, puts an Apple iPhone an extremely intuitive operator. Brand Value Known the world over for its Macintosh range, the Apple iPhone is a well known brand which has been blindly trusted for years. Well Priced The $350 price tag beats other PDA's and smart phones on the basis of a 'value for money' product. Unmatched Quality Blessed with the perhaps the brightest and the best scratch resistant screens in the market, besides of course, the classy metallic finish, the Apple iPhone is not only light and durable but also resistant to virus through the means of an efficient software suit. Drawback The only drawback with the Apple iPhone is its decision to target the ordinary consumers instead of the corporate world. Likewise, the absence of a discounted price to interested consumers and the touch screen's hindrance to the traditional users may require tweaking. (David, 2007) The Concept Is Limiting The marketing-mix framework was fairly popular and equally effective in its early stages, when the products were few and the buyers were more. Nowadays, the scenario is just the opposite and an increased competition calls for a fifth 'p', which is attached to the people, process and the packaging departments. Despite a highly competitive market, the fact still remains that the product decisions are based on the 4 p's. Besides, this strategy has proved effective in promoting a useful product such as the newly launched Apple iPhone. Works Cited David, A. (2007, June 14). Buy Apple I Phone: Handset That Suits Your Style. Retrieved November 26, 2008, from http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Buy-Apple-I-Phone--Handset-That-Suits-Your-Style/535417 NetMBA. (1998, November 7). Marketing Mix. Retrieved November 26, 2008, from http://www.netmba.com/marketing/mix/ Stone, P. (2001). Make Marketing Work for You: Boost Your Profits with Proven Marketing Techniques. How To Books Ltd. Read More