Apple Computers
One of the most innovative and exciting fields in our current society is the PC industry. In the last thirty years, the computer industry has developed at an astounding rate-nearly two out of three people over the age of 18 in the US either own or have access to a computer on a regular basis. This incredible invention, however, is the result of inauspicious beginnings and inept primary marketing by one of the most successful manufacturers of personal computers-Apple. Despite disastrous losses in the 80s and 90s to their main competitor, IBM, Apple recently re-vamped the entire company-focusing on marketing and product development--and introduced the iMac in 1998-the most successful personal computer launch ever. Despite this success, the rapid rate of development within the computer industry indicates that Apple must analyze their previous marketing techniques in order to maintain the high level of success achieved in the late twentieth century. The PC was invented on April Fool's Day in 1976. The two inventors, Steven Jobs and Stephan Wozniak, were working out of a garage and possessed very little knowledge of the importance of marketing in successful product production and distribution. They were primarily interested in
A third solution would be to focus on product grouping-to sell Apple computers as a complete package with all accessories included. By altering the group mix, the company could get rid of less successful products by selling them as a package with their more popular items. Furthermore, the consumer would have the convenience of complete product purchase in one step. Problems concerning a grouping solution are limited as all of the products are already available. It could possibly require a joining with several other tech-related products-which could increase the risk of quality management and brand-association issues. Also, the packaging idea would not be appropriate for anything more than the standard consumer buying an utterly new system. Computers often become outdated before their printers, and there is a wide range of printing solutions offered by businesses such as Kinko's. Scully returned to Apple in 1997 and after an analysis of the moderate success of the previous campaigns, he re-invented Apple marketing. The new strategy involved the introduction of a controversial "Think Different" campaign, and the deletion of many products in the Apple line. Furthermore, Apple extended its sale capabilities into the Internet, selling computers on The Apple Store online and over the phone. The introduction of the iMac, "...the most innovative PC ever created," cemented Apple's success in the 1990s. Innovative, fast and easy-to-use, the iMac sold more than 800,000 units in 1998. The introduction of fun colors and a hip new advertising campaign demonstrated the strong definition of the target market for the iMac-a wide market ranging from students through small business owners. their products-showing "little concern for its markets." The introduction of IBM in 1981, however, was a strong wakeup call for the unprofessional company-forcing them into competition against strong and well-managed opponents. Another possible solution is to make the 'perks' of the more expensive models increasingly available on the lower price model-allowing a consumer to create their own system based on individual needs in a manner similar to a car purchase. By following a strategy based on that of Wendy's-'have it you
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1501
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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