The research hypothesis for this research proposal is ‘Apple Inc has succeeded in the use its marketing strategy.’ Apple Inc is among the biggest and most successful companies in the world that deal with consumer electronics, computer software and PCs. The company has spread its products in almost all countries of the world. In order to build such a large market, it is important to have a good marketing strategy in place.
A marketing strategy is a strategy adopted by organisations where all marketing goals are combined into a single plan. An effective marketing strategy is based on market research and emphasises on suitable product mix. This helps an organisation to maximise its profits and sustain the business.
A marketing strategy entails all short and long-term marketing activities that analyse the strategic original position of an organisation. It is also involved in formulating, evaluating and choosing strategies that are market based in order to enhance achievement of the goals of the organisation. A marketing strategy is therefore an important tool that aids in the achievement of organisational objectives. This research will look at how Apple Inc has managed to use its marketing strategy to enhance profitability and achieve its goals.
Methodology
Every research work involves collecting and analysing data. The data is collected using different methods depending on the nature of the research. Different research areas use different methodologies of data collection. Methodology is very critical in any research undertaking since it stipulates the most effective methods of collecting data on a particular subject. In order to collect data about the effectiveness of Apple Inc’s marketing strategy, administering questionnaires will be the most effective methodology.
There are several reasons why questionnaires will work best in the research as opposed to other methodologies. To begin with, they can be administered in different ways. This is particularly important for this research because Apple Inc serves clients which are in different parts of the world. They can be sent by post to respondents, who are required to fill and return them. They can also be administered over the telephone or face to face. For respondents who are very far away, they can be sent through the internet.
The second advantage of using questionnaires in this research is that the questions can be framed in different ways in order to get the desired responses. This gives the respondents a chance to give a variety of responses. As a result, a lot of information will be gathered through questionnaires.
Review of References
Source 1: Implications of Enabling Technologies for Apple Inc by Benjamin Bach
This is an important source for this research with regard to marketing strategies. The source provides a critical evaluation on the implications of enabling technologies in the marketing strategy of an organisation. Technology such as the internet presents both opportunities and challenges for companies as they try to align strategies that are focused on the needs of the customers. Application of technology has become very crucial in today’s dynamic business environment for companies to remain competitive. The book provides a critical analysis of the role played by the internet in marketing strategies and the challenges it poses to companies. The source uses Apple Inc in a bid to explain how the company has succeeded in using technology to promote its marketing strategy. In addition, an examination of the company’s website is provided with a focus on the strengths and weaknesses and how improvements can be made (Bach, 28).
Source 2: Successful Marketing Strategy for High-Tech Firms by Viardot Eric
This is another important source that provides useful information for the research. It focuses on marketing for companies that deal with high-tech products. It begins by defining what marketing is and goes ahead to contexualise it by using Apple Inc as a company that deals with high-tech products. The source differentiates between marketing of normal products and the high-tech ones by defining and exploring marketing strategies for both products (Viardot 6).
The book underscores the importance of having information about competitors in the market and their strategies. This helps a company to adjust its marketing strategy in order to counter efforts of the competitors. In addition, it looks at consumer behaviour because this is an important factor that influences marketing strategy.
Source 3: The Retail Secrets of Apple by Chazin Steve
This source provides important information on marketing strategies that have contributed towards the success that Apple Inc has achieved. It treats them as lessons that other companies should learn (Chazin 5). For instance, this source gives insights on pricing, communicating with customers in a language they understand and staying focused amidst criticism. This is an important source that can be used to get information about the specific marketing strategies that Apple Inc has applied. However, its weakness is that it does not provide information about the past failures the company has experienced before succeeding in its marketing strategy (7 Key Strategies That You Must Learn From Apple’s Marketing 6).
Description of Research Design
The research design is very important because it provides a framework of how the different tasks of the research will be accomplished. The methodology chosen for this research is the use of questionnaires which is closely tied to the research design. Use of questionnaires is justified since it will enable collection of data from people in different parts. The first step is to design the questionnaires by formulating relevant questions that will make collection of the required data possible. This would be followed by reproduction of the questionnaires in order to get enough copies for all respondents. This process requires adequate financial resources. Posting of the questionnaires is also a costly exercise which requires enough financial resources. The respondents will be required to fill in the questionnaires and send them back. In order to get accurate data, questionnaires will be administered to both customers of Apple Inc and its employees. This is because the company might provide critical information about the marketing strategy that customers might not be able to provide. In addition, some questionnaires will be administered to potential customers to determine the level of awareness of the company’s products in the market.
Project Proposal Plan
Planning is very important in research since it enables researchers to work with well-defined time frames. It also ensures that all tasks are completed in their order of importance. For instance, it is not possible to go to the field to collect information before the questionnaires are ready if that is the method of data collection to be used. The following is a plan of the activities to be carried out during the research and the dates.
Week one: Preparation of questionnaires and formulation of questions to be answered by respondents.
Week two: Dispatch of questionnaires to respondents and field data collection.
Week three: Analysis of data collected and preparation of final reports.
Week four: submission of a complete report.
Works Cited
Bach, Benjamin. Implications of Enabling Technologies for Apple Inc. Norderstedt: GRIN Verlag, 2007. Print.
Chazin, Steve. The Retail Secrets of Apple 2013. Web.
7 Key Strategies That You Must Learn From Apple’s Marketing 2012. Web.
Viardot, Eric. Successful Marketing Strategy for High-Tech Firms, Volume 5. New York: Artech House, 2004. Print.