1、APPLE MARKETING COMMUNICATION PLAN Contents Executive Summary 3 Situation Analysis 3 Company analysis 3 Competitor analysis 3 Consumer analysis 4 Market analysis 4 Product analysis 5 Problems and opportunities 5 Target Market Profile 6 Objectives 7 Marketing objectives 7 Communication o
2、bjectives 8 Advertising objectives 8 Marketing Communication Strategy 8 Advertising strategy 8 Media Strategy 9 Sale promotion strategy 11 Public Relation Strategy 12 Direct marketing strategy 14 Other marketing strategies 14 Campaign Evaluation 14 Budget 15 Appendix 15 Executive
3、 Summary Apple Company has changed the electronic products’ world. When the customers purchasing the Apple products, aside part from the function of products themselves, what do they care about the most? It’s “APPLE”, the brand itself. China, as the biggest market of the world, how could Apple Co
4、mpany further step in it? This is an integrated marketing communication plan to develop Apple Company’s brand in China. While continuing to develop the Apple Company’s brand concept, our have two main objectives. The one is to establish and disseminate an advanced life concept--- Simple, Smart a
5、nd High Quality. Besides, because most of software must be paid in the App Store, if consumers are succeed in breaking prison, they can install and use the software for free. So another objective is to pay attention to the utility software copyright in China market, and strengthen copyright consciou
6、sness for Chinese target customers to let them realize that the software is as good as the hardware. Situation Analysis Company analysis The company’s sales reach to 307.2 billion in 2011 according to Robert Cihra’s report. Company’s general objective is being the leader of electronic products
7、and promote brand image to make profit. The resources of apple organization can be used in many aspects, such as abundant finance, advanced technique and effective managerial approach. Apple‘s experiential store is the pioneer of the contemporary marketing strategies. The stores promote the brand im
8、pressively and inspire consumers to buy the products intensively. Competitor analysis HTC, Sum sung, Nokia, Blackberry, Dell, and Sony are the direct and indirect competitors of brand. These competitors have advantages on durability, camera device, and good looking design. With the development of
9、 other competitors’ technology, their systems become easier to operate and less leaks. In past, the competitors’ marketing communications mainly include the Internet, news release and form one mouth to one mouth. By these ways, their brands and product information can be spread to some extent. These
10、 communications make them sustain great deal of customers. Consumer analysis Teenagers and elites are mainly our target audience. Our target audiences certainly have better economic ability. Teenagers pursue the fashion and luxury, while the elites go after the high level electronic products. Now
11、adays, the apple brand represents the symbol of fashion and luxury. Maybe this is one reason why large of person crazy about it. The target audiences look for the advanced technology of products. But most of the time, the audiences seek the brand. Consumers respond to the competitor result in a seri
12、es of imitation, in which other competitors imitate apple. Consumers brand perceptions for Apple product mainly reflect in the symbol of brand, such as the fashion, advanced technology and the luxury. Market analysis Apple Company in china market has made up as much as 10% in total income proporti
13、on, and it has increased 400% compared with the same period in last year. The last half year, Apple Company in China sales was over 5 billion dollar. More exclamatory letting a person is, because in china market, there is just four retail stores, the on-line store which opened in last October, and
14、a few channels likes China Unicom. But so far those sales channels have achieved so proud sales result. Besides, China market has already surpassed the US to become the biggest consumer market in personal computer in the world. In china market, most of Apple consumers install and use the pirated A
15、pple software during breaking prison. At the some extent, those universal phenomenons bring great financial losses for App store. So it goes against to long-term develop in china for Apple Company. Product analysis Apple Company provides Apple designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers
16、PCs), mobile communication devices, and portable digital music and video players. The company also offers a variety of related software, services, peripherals and networking solutions. Besides, it provides online distribution of third-party music, audio books, music videos, short films and televisi
17、on shows. Apple Company has a lot of brilliant products. At the present, the most popular products can be segment four categories contain Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad. The main products make many people mad. Because the Apple products have convenient function and simplified design to guide the diffe
18、rent age fashion. Moreover, the Apple product is a symbol which representing fashion, luxurious, technology and dream. Problems and opportunities 1. Problem 1) Intense competition Apple operates in a highly competitive and rapidly evolving technology industry. The company faces intense competiti
19、on in consumer electronics, PCs and related software and peripheral products markets. The company’s competitors include Microsoft, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Fujitsu, Samsung Electronics, Sony and Toshiba, among others. 2) Pirated software in China The software of Apple has a non-compatibility with no
20、n-Apple products, so the sales of Apple software are limited by the sales of hardware. It results in the loss of potential consumer. Moreover, because most of software must pay the bill in the App store, however, if consumers are succeed in breaking prison, they can install and use the software free
21、 So in China market, there are many consumers prefer to choose the free pirated Apple software. The problem brings great financial losses for App store. 3) Sale distribution China market is a large potential market, but Apple Company just run four retail stores in Beijing and Shanghai. And Apple
22、’s sale channels only have on-line store, retail store and China Unicom. Apple Company can’t demand for more and more people needs that they can timely and conveniently purchase. 2. Opportunity 1) Strong brand image The Apple brand is well recognized amongst most consumers in China. Apple’s produ
23、cts enjoy a high level of brand awareness and brand recognition throughout all its markets. Apple leverages its brand image to differentiate its product offering and drive sales. The company’s strong brand enables it to command a premium pricing and create significant demand for its products such as
24、 iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad. 2) Focus on research and development innovation Apple has a strong focus on research and development (R&D) as continual investment in R&D is critical for the development and enhancement of innovative products and technologies. Every product can bring surprise to the c
25、onsumers. 3) Strong growth in smartphones market segment The worldwide smartphones market segment is forecast to record strong growth in coming years. China market is the same to present smartphone trend. China smartphones shipment, which accounted for about 12% of mobile phones shipments in 2009,
26、 and industry estimates to account for 24% of shipments in 2011. Target Market Profile Using current VALS framework to segment and describe target market: Apple products position high-end market which determine to its high price. So Apple’s target market can be divided into 5 types contains i
27、nnovators, thinkers, achievers, experiencers and strivers. Innovators: those Apple consumers are successful and sophisticated with high self-esteem. They have abundant material resources to buy Apple product. They are the most receptive to new technologies, so Apple innovation in the new product r
28、esearch and development can continual bring to those type consumers’ surprise and new experience. And it also demands their tastes for upmarket, niche goods and services. Thinkers: those Apple consumers pay more attention to ideal. This ideal can be considered as product conception and company cul
29、ture. They are well education and favor functionality and value of Apple product. Achievers: those Apple consumers are motivated by achievement and have high material resources. They enjoy premium product, and they are sensitive to brand conscious. In their minds, Apple products represent a symbol
30、 of the economic and society status. Strivers: those target market is potential consumers for Apple. Although they have low material resources to purchase, they are trendy and fun-loving. For them, Apple is belongs to stylish product, they expect to get it. Experiencers: those consumers are motiva
31、ted by self-expression and have high resources. So they have economic capacity to buy premium products. Besides, they purchase model is impulsive. When they feel something is fashion and entertainment, they are willing to purchase it without consider. So Apple for them is a fashion product, they jus
32、t fellow trend not brand itself at most time. Objectives According to the SMARRTT model, Apple should make specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, relevant, targeted and timed objectives. So we should put more energy on the software selling strategy than hardware selling. Marketing object
33、ives 1. In the future 6 months, raise 4% selling rate of App Store. 2. In the future 6 months, raise 2% occupation rate of the mobile phone market. Communication and advertising objectives According to Russell Colley’s DAGMAR (Define Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results) model, w
34、e have to consider not only potential audiences’ but also target audiences’ awareness, comprehension, conviction and action. Awareness: Apple has already let the audience know the existence of App Store. Comprehension: Apple has to let the audience know why they should use the genuine software fr
35、om App Store and what are the advantages of buying these softwares. Conviction: Apple then should let the audience interest in App Store and desire to buy the software from App Store. Action: Apple’s final goal is to let the audience to buy the software from App Store. 1. In the future 6 months
36、 raise 20% rate of the potential consumers’ thirst of the App products. 2. In the future 6 months, rise 30% rate of the cognition of the consumers to the software’s copyright. 3. In the future 6 months, rise 30% rate of the cognition of the consumers that not only the hardware of Apple is luxury,
37、 but also does the software of App Store. 4. In the future 6 months, rise 30% rate of the cognition of the potential consumers that Apple’s products are follow the cool, simple and high-end idea. Marketing Communication Strategy Advertising strategy Creative strategy and execution l Objecti
38、ve: The creative strategy objective is relevance to the brand and company’s IMC goals. Based on the marketing objectives and advertising objectives, creative strategy follow their objectives. 1. The creative highlights the brand characteristic and App Store. 2. To provide compelling information
39、 and let the audience to learn our information and persuade them. 3. To stimulate customers’ desire and motivation. l Strategy The strategy ---what the advertising says, what the messages convey to audiences and why should the audience believe this. 1. Creative planning (1) According to Con
40、sumer Perception Process, our advertising should make brand awareness and image. (2) According to ROI model, the creative strategy is relevant to strategic goals. (3) The promotion appeals are emotional and consumer brand orientated. 2. About the creative (1) Sale the product but not any spe
41、cific product. There must have a “Big Ideas” in advertising. (2) Combine the Apps (Applications) into the advertising. The approach to transfer the message is to give a simple and special idea. (3) Through consumer self-enhancement to tell how good the brand is. l Tactics and execution Acco
42、rding to the appeals and creative, do creative development researches and creative briefing at first, follow the plan, and output the creative (including headlines, display copy, body copy, captions, repetition, slogans and signs). And assess the creative ideas at last. Media Strategy l Objectiv
43、es Through the combination of suitable and effective channels to deliver our message to target markets, make sure that our propagandas will effectively get to targets and make some influences, such as increasing brand identity, increasing the brand loyalty, increasing marketing share. l Strategy
44、We will try our best to use multi-media and activity to disseminate and deepen Apple’s brand image. So we provide comprehensive publicizing services for new products promotion conference, television advertising, outdoor advertising and magazine advertising. l Tactics or vehicles Base on the produc
45、t’s life-cycle model and the characters of media vehicles, correlated set the different channels to maximize the advertising effects without massively advertising. (1) Stage1. Introduction period: Global Apple press conference synchronous live broadcasting in China via one bade TV station and In
46、ternet of China. (2) Stage 2. Growth period: Commercials on CCTV-1 and Phoenix Chinese Channel; Print advertisements on one magazine in china; Out-door LED screens downtown in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hongkong; Apple Company’s official websites in China. (3) Stage3. Mature period: Decrea
47、se advertisements quantity in the stage2. (4) Stage4. Decline period: Cancel all the advertisements above. (5) P.S. word of mouth propaganda will run through every stage. l Cost estimates New product press conference: We will choose one media to corporation. And the media we chosen can win rig
48、ht to broadcast live video of Apple new product conference by competitive bidding. So for new product press conference, we could save money on buying broadcast time. Television advertising: we choose CCTV1 and Phoenix Chinese Channel to advertise. Advertisement delivery cost as below: TV station
49、Broadcast time Spot rate(15 seconds/a per) CCTV1 20:44 148,000yuan Phoenix Chinese Channel 20:55 33.760 HK Outdoor advertising: we choose Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hongkong to advertise. City Broadcast time Spot rate(15 seconds/a day) Broadcast frequency Beijing 8:30—22:30 1
50、5,000yuan 120 times Shanghai 10:00-22:00 12,000yuan Guangzhou 8:30-23:00 28,000yuan Hongkong undetermined Magazine advertising: undetermined l Continuity schedule According a quarter for standard, we will assess all of media advertisements’ effectiveness. If an advertisement ty






