Principles and Practice of Marketing System

Question: Discuss sbout the Principles and Practice of Marketing System. Answer: Introduction According to Jobber and Ellis (2012), every company and organization is entrusted with the responsibility to abide by certain principles for carrying out the marketing activities in an efficient manner. This report excavates the principles that Apple adheres to for the execution of efficient and effective marketing. An insight into the current strategic position of Apple assists in the creation of a prospective marketing plan, which possesses the flexibility to expand the business of Apple within the threshold of Australian market. Background of the Company and Product Apple has achieved accolades and glory by adding an innovative touch into the lives of the public domain by bestowing products, such as, iPhone, iPad, Mac, watch, accessories and what not (Apple.com 2017). The widespread popularity of Apple covers every corner of the world. However, focusing on such diverse reputation contradicts the focus of the assessment on Australian market. The secret behind this reputation is the presence of skilled and efficient artisans, who toil hard to bring smiles on the faces of the customers. The entrance of iPhone 8 has given a tough competition to Apple. As a matter of specification, there has been a noticeable decline in the sales revenue by 3%. In order to cope up with the situation, buttons were removed from the home screen. Along with this, headphone jack was also removed. These steps reflected the desperate attempts of the Apple personnel to witness an escalation in the sales revenue (Forbes.com 2017). Situational Analysis (PESTLE and SWOT) Justification Political Political unrest Economic Imposition of harsh and orthodox policies High exchange rates Inflation Social Changing lifestyle of the customers Brand perception Technological Adoption of bigger screens Payments for applications within android phones Cyber crimes Legal Compliance to the IT legislations Policies Environmental Waste disposal Solid Waste Management Cutting on the consumption of power Table 1: PESTLE analysis of Apple Strength Variety in the products Financial flexibility to achieve escalation in the sales revenue Brand awareness Presence of hardworking team Weakness Fluctuating prices Lack of clarity in the outcome estimation Excess popularity of the iPhones Faulty services Opportunities Increasing demand of the products and services Effective communication channels Investments in the commonwealth countries Threats Negligent attitude in maintaining the pace with the contemporary brands Involvement in illegal activities Violation of the company norms Customer switching over to android Table 2: SWOT analysis of Apple Objectives To invest in the markets of commonwealth countries of UK Justification Specific Investments in the foreign market would expand the market size, scope and arena of Apple. Measurable Joint ventures between UK ambassadors and Apple company managers in the Australian market , regarding penetration into the electronics sector, reflects the measurability of this recommendation Achievable Joint ventures enhance the stability in the relationship between the two countries results in the free movement of goods, which satisfies the needs, demands and requirements of the customers. Realistic The presence of effective communication channels, skilled and efficient artisans makes this recommendation a realistic one Target Effective utilization of the available resources possesses flexibility to escalate the market share by 10% in the period of one year from Oct 2016 to September 2017 Table 3: SMART Recommendations for Apple Target market Focusing on the old age inhabitants of Australia would be an innovative concept for Apple. The sleek design of iPhone 8 would be easy to carry during travels and tours. Installation of lucrative features would never let the elder people feel alone. Briefing the elder customers in a form of training at the launching party would enhance the brand image of Apple among the customers (Sheth and Sisodia 2015). This training would help the elder people to be acquainted with the features of the android phones. Putting several features within iPhone 8 would be a gradual progression towards the achievement of efficiency within the operational tasks of Apple company within the Australian market. Consumer behavior of the target market Bringing innovative features in the iPhones generates an urge among the Australian inhabitant, especially the older people to explore the unknown realms of technology (Verhoef and Lemon 2013). Along with innovation, consideration of quality within the services enables Apple company managers to witness high involvement of the Australian inhabitants. Adoption of social media marketing is a prospective feature in this direction. Effective utilization of social media would enhance the parameter of corporate social responsibility of the Apple company from the boundary of Australia to infinity. Effective consideration to both quality and innovation influences the purchasing decisions of the customers (Armstrong et al. 2014). Marketing strategy Sleek design of iPhone 8 would lure the customers. Moreover, it would be easy to carry during travels and tours. The provision of stands would help the customers to place it easily on the tables. The facilities of GPRS, camera, games, video conferencing, whatsapp calls and various other apps would add a modern touch in the lives of the customers, especially the elder ones. Bearing in mind the income and lifestyle of the customers helps the company in setting reasonable prices of the iPhone 8. Taking assistance from the Trade Union members would assist Apple Company of Australia to carry out the export and import activities without encountering financial crisis. This would also be assistance in terms of handling the situations such as inflation, fluctuating prices and high exchange rates. Organizing the launching parties in close proximity to the customers is an added advantage for the company (Apple.com 2017). Targeting supermarkets would help the management of the Apple Company in Australia to attract more customers. This is in reference to the clustering of large number of customers in the supermarket area. Hiring celebrities for the launch of iPhone 8 would enhance the popularity of Apple. Emerging successful in the experimentation with the marketing experimentation would increase the scope and arena of Apple within Australian threshold. This expansion is a gradual progression towards foreign market penetration, which enhances the reputation and popularity of Apple as a brand. Hiring sponsorships for the celebrity launches would authenticate the promotional activities of Apple Company in Australia. Implementation Strategizing the marketing activities according to their priority possesses flexibility towards the adoption of change within one. By this time, the company would attain enough flexibility to increase sales revenue. The revised plan would provide innovative quality iPhones to the customers (Apple.com 2017). Taking into consideration the opinions of the stakeholders and shareholders would help the Apple Company of Australia to implement the proposed strategies in a proper manner. Inclusion of legislations within this implementation would establish authenticity in the marketing activities of Apple Company in Australian market. Moreover, it would be an assistance in preserving the trust, loyalty and dependence of the customers. Maintaining checklists would help the managers of Apple to evaluate their exposed performance. Maintenance of consistency in the execution of evaluation would bring noticeable improvements in the performance of Apple Company within the Australian market. This refinement possesses flexibility to upgrade the reputation of Apple from the Australian threshold to the foreign borders. Conclusion The marketing plan occupies the central position in this assignment. Attachment of evaluation after an exposed performance helps the Apple Company of Australia to judge the effectiveness of the exposed performance in terms of the identified and specified requirements. Emerging successful in the execution of this step would provide Apple to enjoy competitive advantage in the native lands as well as in the foreign markets. References Apple.com (2017) About Us. [online] Available at: https://www.apple.com/au/ [Accessed 1 April. 2017] Armstrong, G., Adam, S., Denize, S. and Kotler, P., 2014.Principles of marketing. Pearson Australia. forbes.com (2017) Apple iPhone 7 Sales Cut. [online] Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2017/01/18/apple-iphone-7-sales-cut/#6219cf6c5642 [Accessed 1 April. 2017] Jobber, D. and Ellis-Chadwick, F., 2012.Principles and practice of marketing(No. 7th). McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Sheth, J.N. and Sisodia, R.S., 2015.Does marketing need reform?: Fresh perspectives on the future. Routledge. Verhoef, P.C. and Lemon, K.N., 2013. Successful customer value management: Key lessons and emerging trends.European Management Journal,31(1), pp.1-15.