Cell phones have become a massive part of human existence because of the highly technological society that we live in. People feel passionate about various brands of cellphones because it is an integral part of modern life and contains various specific features that make life easier and enjoyable. The Apple iPhone is a renowned phone brand in the United States and globally that have continued to enjoy success in the smartphone market ever since its entrance in 2007. I have become fond of the Apple iPhone smartphone brand, and in this paper, I will describe the various qualities of the brand that makes it likable.
The marketing mix of the Apple iPhone focuses on the four Ps variable that helps in marketing the prominent brand in the United States and worldwide. The four Ps of the marketing mix include; product, price, promotion, and place that enable the success of the Apple iPhone brand. The Apple iPhone brand’s product strategy and marketing mix is that the brand develops and unveils a new product every year that surpasses the previous product. For instance, the latest product that the Apple iPhone brand developed and revealed is the 2022 iPhone SE 3rd Generation which has better and more valuable features than its predecessors (Team, 2021). Every year Apple iPhone brand unveils a new product that incorporates better innovation and technology, thus offering the customers new experiences. Last year, the Apple iPhone brand unveiled the iPhone 13 Pro Max, a better version of the iPhone 13 Pro. iPhone 13 Pro Max offered the customers more pro photography capabilities like cinematic mode, macro photography, telephoto zoom, and Dolby vision video, which were absent in the previous product, iPhone 13 Pro (Team, 2021). Prior to unveiling the latest version of the iPhone 13 Pro, the Apple brand had unveiled other products like iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Max, which were preceded by iPhone 11, iPhone X, and iPhone 8 (Team, 2021).
The price in the marketing mix is another strategy that enhances the popularity and success of the brand. Apple iPhone brand follows a price skimming marketing strategy by investing in the R&D cost and X-factor (Team, 2021). The price strategy allows the Apple iPhone brand to charge clients more as part of the marketing mix. People gladly embrace the price of Apple iPhone smartphones because they are loyal customers, and they understand that the price of the brand products is an added value of experience over the iPhone product (Team, 2021). Moreover, Apple iPhone brand products embrace a common pricing policy across all markets, which focuses on a cost-effective operation strategy that emphasizes the minimum cost of manufacturing but a maximum cost of R&D (Team, 2021). Charging customers more on iPhone smartphone products is part of the brand’s marketing mix, and it indicates to the target customers segment the added value of the product experience.
iPhone has an effective place strategy as part of its marketing mix that allows the brands to enjoy success. I-stores are stores owned by Apple that have experienced and skilled personnel that ensure that the tech specifications are transferred to customers. The I-stores have competent employees that offer customer care services, offer advice and create a great experience that enhances the customer’s experience of buying an iPhone (Team, 2021). Furthermore, the Apple iPhone brand has liaised with independent stores that are mainly classy located in malls to provide the brand products to customers. In most cases, the independent stores offering iPhone smartphones procure from distributors who are directly connected to the Apple company. An exclusive market position characterizes iPhone promotion through its multitudinous distinguishing factors (Team, 2021). Every year new iPhone products have new taglines that enhance brand promotion. Apple iPhone brand utilizes social media platforms to promote the uniqueness of the product features. The brand also has sales employees and point sale advertisements, allowing easier product promotion.
The Apple iPhone brand has a unique value proposition that has been integral in the success of the smartphone. Apple iPhone brand has three primary value propositions that the brand uses in its market mix to attract and retain customers. The first value proposition of the Apple iPhone brand is “think different,” which was orchestrated by the founder Steve Jobs. The “think different” value proposition was aimed at attracting people who sought to think differently, thus offering products that were alternative to the status quo (de Ternay, 2019). The second value proposition is “tech that works,” which was aimed at giving customers a value experience different from the competitors (de Ternay, 2019). The third value proposition, “your privacy is safe with us,” is aimed at providing customers with a safer alternative to what happens to their data (de Ternay, 2019). in a society where Facebook, Amazon, and Google have access to people’s data, iPhone offers customers an opportunity to experience data safety and security.
Apple iPhone also has unique features that make the brand special among the customers and makes it different from competitors. For instance, iPhone 13 Pro Max has a better memory and storage capacity of up to ITB (Holland, 2021). In addition, iPhone smartphones like the 13 Pro have a bigger and brighter screen of 6.7 inches, and the refresh rate switches at 120Hz (Holland, 2021). The 13 Pro has a longer telephoto camera and a new macro mode which is automatically triggered when you are closer to the subject. Another key feature is the cinematic mode which enables customers to create a 1080p video at 30 frames/sec (Holland, 2021). iPhone 13 pro also has the longest battery life compared to its competitors because it has a larger battery. The unique features of the iPhone smartphone brand make it stand out among its competitors, thus enjoying maximum sales and market share in the United States.
I prefer one type of phone over another because of the brand features and the different experiences it exhibits. For instance, the iPhone brings a new experience to customers with its uniquely innovative features and technology that makes it better than the other smartphone brands. Moreover, I often go for class and value, which I can easily find in a specific brand such as the Apple iPhone. I believe that Apple iPhone is more innovative and technology conscious than its competitors in the market because it creates solutions for customers’ needs. I would persuade someone who likes another smartphone brand to try the new experience of using an Apple iPhone, which comes with innovative features. I would tell them to visit any I-store where Apple iPhones are sold to get a glimpse and insight into what the brand offers. People can visit these stores or even go online to seek important information from the customer-care about the iPhone brand.
References
de Ternay, G. (2019). Apple Value Proposition In A Nutshell – FourWeekMBA. FourWeekMBA. Retrieved 9 April 2022, from https://fourweekmba.com/apple-value-proposition/.
Holland, P. (2021). iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max review: Apple gave us features we’ve wanted for years. CNET. Retrieved 9 April 2022, from https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/iphone-13-pro-max-review/.
Team, M. (2021). iPhone Marketing Strategy & Marketing Mix (4Ps) | MBA Skool. MBA Skool. Retrieved 9 April 2022, from https://www.mbaskool.com/marketing-mix/products/17357-iphone.html.