Marketing the iPhone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing the iPhone - Essay Example Product, price, place and promotion formed the marketing mix. While each component had its role in forming the marketing strategy, promotion essentially meant reaching out to the customer through advertising and media campaigns. The marketing campaign is in fact considered successful, if the company is able to create a genuine buzz around its product/s and able to raise the curiosity levels of the prospective customers. In today's world 'promotion' field has been further widened by renaming it as marketing communication. Such a communication now forms a crucial part of the managerial activities. Creating a buzz becomes all the more crucial if the company is coming out with a product for the first time, which is outside its core business. A renowned company known for its computer brands would certainly make sure that it doesn't end up with a deep dent in its reputation and huge financial losses after entering into a product category, where cut-throat competition keeps the reputed bran ds always on their toes. It is under these circumstances that Apple Inc. decided to create the buzz around the iPhone. It certainly goes to the credit of Apple Inc that it not only created a decent buzz around iPhone, but it also retained the faith of its millions of customers. It is worthwhile here to mention that the marketing communication strategy adopted by Apple Inc was unique in many ways. While on the surface it appeared to be a low key, the blogger community, the media, the corporate circles, the office going community, the college going students etc. kept debating and discussing 'what the iPhone could be like' While on the one hand Apple Inc. did not spend too much on its advertising campaigns, the company was also able to put on display a mature appearance. Apple, having entered in the mobile field in collaboration with Motorola, in the recent past had some experience of the stiff competition in the mobile world. With brand names like Nokia, Ericson, Motorola etc. tracking the moves of new entrants, Apple Inc. was bound to think about a campaign which goes well beyond the launch of just another phone from existing mobile phone makers. At the same time, managers at Apple were equally concerned about any loose ends, which might adversely impact its reputation and other established brands. Apple wanted to make sure that while the campaign doesn't look like too glittery and gaudy, yet the message reaches out to the common man. In addition, company also realized that people may not be ready to go for 'just another phone', because with the advent of powerful technologies like Wimax31 and HSOPA32 (High Speed OFDM Packet Access), the mobile phone is no more being used as a phone, instead it has become an important tool for entertainment and mob ile computing in this convergence era. Therefore, Apple Inc. was bound to pack the iPhone with a host of feature, including some of the features of its own stronghold gadget iPod. Prior to the official launch of the iPhone, Apple came out with a teaser ad campaign that did not even mention the brand name. This ad campaign called 'Hello' was started during the Academy Awards. And the long queues before the iPhone stores, use of terms like 'Jesus Phone' for the iPhone are a testimony of the successful buzz around the launch. Advantages of such a strategy are; i. The company, while able to raise the curiosity levels around