Introduction
Arguably, Acer Corporation for many decades remains Taiwan's leading exporter of computer products and the world's fifth largest computer manufacturer implements diverse marketing strategies in its markets dominance. Considerably, Acer as an international company seeks to increase market opportunities as it has already established its markets in developing countries and developed countries because it has long established itself as a leading computer manufacturer (Acer Corporation, 2006). More than often, the company uses market strategies that seek to attract an increased number of customers considering that it targets those from both the wealthy elite high class customers and middle class consumers especially in Vietnam.
More significantly, its marketing strategies are based on creativity and sustenance of competitive advantage that underlies success of marketing the company’s products in the newly established markets that are characterized by increased competitiveness (Zou & Avusgil, 2002). As a result, the company has achieved increased success as it seeks to create and maintain a fit within new marketing environments by upholding a tighter fit than its competitors as they seek to gain a distinctive fitness (Wilson, 2003). More than often, the strategic decisions made at Acer Corporation is mainly influenced by prevailing market conditions, condition of economy, degree of competition, and growth targets and interactions with its subsidiaries (Wong, 2000). Considerably, the marketing mix of Acer Corporation is influenced by pricing, promotional, placement and product.
Customer Profile and Target Market
As one of the leading computer manufacturers in the world, Acer Corporation targets customers from different geographical areas including Vietnam as it seeks to aggressively establish regional trading blocs for its increased market. More significantly, the company has shifted focus to identify with the global market as compared to the local market, as it undertakes the opportunity to actively participate in all regions (DiCarlo, 1996). As a company, which has a well established market, as it enjoys monopoly growth and generate a majority of its revenue in the Asian region, the upsurge of the Asian crisis has led to falling demand in the local markets leading to the company diversification of its market presence (Vida & Reardon, 2000). Acer Corporation as an international business has demonstrated significant progress, with its growth to customers within Asia, US, Europe, Middle East and Africa, it has shifted its key-growth markets in China.
As an international company that seeks to grow its customer profile, Acer targets to become a top-three player in the international PC market. As a result, Acer Corporation management seeks to achieve substantial presence in the worldwide major regional markets as it seeks to gain a better revenue contribution from its PC product among other various product lines. More considerably, desktop PCs have seen the key-growth markets and product line that has led to Acer Corporation seeks to further venture in the U.S. and China market (Dubashi, 1991).
Pricing
As a company that seeks to establish strong regional market, Acer Corporation has a pricing strategy that makes its PC products affordable for its consumers ranging from high level income and low level income earners. As a result, the company seeks to provide fresh innovations PCs, which are renowned to be easily transformed into the high-performance system to suit different users needs (Einhorn, 2004). Depending on its target market in which the products are sold there is an increased variety of PCs considering the strong price competition in the computer manufacturing company. As a result, the company seeks to effectively compete with its competitors by producing and distributing PCs that are retailed to its consumers at an affordable and competitive price that gives them value for money.
Nonetheless, as Acer Corporation focus on its Asian local markets it applies increased pricing strategies as it seeks to access its consumers as the global markets has brought into the market highly proven, high-value, low-risk technology of its PCs products which is affordable and has a long useful life span (Einhorn, 2004). More considerably, the multinationals computer manufacturing companies have entered the Asian market with low price and high quality PCs products that have created tougher competition for Acer. As a result, Acer Corporation considers its changing of pricing strategy as an element that will influence the customers perception and desire to buy the company products as compared to that of its competitors (Dubashi, 1991).
As the company seeks to become innovative based on mature technology it seeks to offer its consumers user-friendly, reasonably priced, and enjoyable PCs products that remain affordable and available to consumers at all its regional locations. More significantly, Acer Corporation has undertaken revision of its manufacturing strategy by including a combination of outsourcing and improved distribution center as it seeks to increase competitive advantage in the market (Burke, 2004). More so, the company seeks to offer discounts on products and services to its final consumers while it also gives attractive credit terms to its retailers in different regions it has established its market presence.
Product
As a company that is considered to be leading world's fifth largest computer manufacturer, Acer Corporation seeks to have unique features in its products especially the PCs as it seeks to attract consumers in the highly competitive computer market. As a result, it has sought to include distinctive elements that comprise use of quality material, communication capabilities, weight, storage, performance, packaging, design and warranties (Burke, 2004). Moreover, the Acer Corporation seeks to develop in house affordable resources as it seeks to improve the quality of its PCs products considering that the company customers in Asia pacific are not cost sensitive any more.
More considerably, Acer Corporation has advanced its PCs products as it developed the Aspire line of multimedia home PCs offers the market the most visually powerful as an example of a fresh idea and new ways of thinking (Adobe System Corporation, 2011). As a result, Acer Corporation, Aspire design has been adopted by business and industry media because of its competitive advantage as compared to other competitors products. More significantly, seeks to provide fresh innovations as it used singlechip CPU upgrade solution that has left Acer’s PCs, to be easily transformed into high-performance systems (Moskalyuk, 2007). This is because, its competitors who make renowned brands including Dell, HP and Toshiba have established products that also suit customer specifications in the PCs market. As a result, the company focus on innovative designs, with distinct accessories to meet various consumer needs. In addition, Acer Corporation seeks to retain an increased market dominance by maintaining a high level of trustworthiness through offering its customers with warranties in case of default or problems with the PCs (Leon, 1998).
Place
More than often, the placement and distribution of Acer products in its worldwide market influence its sales level as it can easily reach its consumers who are all over the world. More significantly, it is through Acer Corporation marketing channel that it seeks to make its products accessible and available to its consumers (Kotler, 2000). Nevertheless, the establishment of clear distribution channels with more efficient and effective order processing time limit ensures that the Corporation achieve increased level of customer satisfaction because they can gain access easily to Acer PCs from its retail shops.
More considerably, majority of Acer Corporation products in Asia, US, Europe, Middle East, Africa and China are accessible through its retail shops. As a result, majority of the PCs that are accessible at retail shops record increased sale levels because consumers prefer to purchase PCs from this shops as they get information directly from sales person and can test and touch the products before they purchase (Moskalyuk, 2007). Alternatively, Acer Corporation uses internet as a medium of good purchases as customers make orders and pay for their product choice online before it is dispatched to them. However, a few customers prefer this distribution challenge because they perceive retail shops as a fast way of accessing the products (Tsai, 2001).
In addition, Acer Corporation has sought to establish its own sales shops at different locations where its consumers are located; however, the inaccessibility to this shops because they are limited makes it difficult for consumers to purchase their products from this shops. On the other hand, Acer Corporation participation in exhibitions assist consumers to purchase good at an affordable price that is lower as compared to that offered in the shops(Moskalyuk, 2007). More so, there are also customers who use telephone as a way of placing orders for their products from Acer Corporation. As the distribution channel, allows for close access of products to customer the Corporation ensures that it increases efficiency to allow for increased revenues from its consumers and achieve increased competitiveness over its competitors.
Promotion
More significantly, as Acer Corporation seeks to established increased market presence of its Acer brand, the company carries out advertisement of its product in China and US as it has achieved an increased market presence already as it remains well regarded amongst most consumers in Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and North America. As the fifth world’s best computer manufacturer, Acer enjoys a high level of brand awareness and recognition even for its newly innovated products in its key markets (Acer Inc, 2007). With the increased use of promotional strategy, the Acer brand has recorded improved market position in 2006, as it remains as the fourth largest desktop PC manufacturer among other product lines that include notebook and LCD monitors that are available in the world. As Acer leverages its brand image to differentiate itself from its competitors, it ensures that through internet advertisement the company can gain access to internet users as the increased technology makes it the best channel to introduce and increase sales levels of new and existing products and service.
More considerably, Acer Corporation uses public relationship campaign and promotion to increase its strong brand as it uses the event to assist customers understand the products that the company is offering as a well-known brand. In addition, as the company seeks to influence customer choices from its brands as compared to that of other competitors in the industry it uses the sales promotion strategy (Acer Corporation, 2006). This is because, over the years as Acer Corporation launched its variety of products through increased sales promotion as a way of retaining its customers and attracting new customer. More significantly, the use of after sales services including repairs and maintainance at subsidized prices have seen an increased number of customers prefer Acer PCs as their suitable choice. In addition, the company uses promotional strategies by giving discounts and free offers that are set to increase the sales volume and gain of new market.
In conclusion, Acer Corporation as an international company has achieved increased market opportunities because of its well established market mix in developing countries and developed countries as a leading computer manufacturer. More significantly, the Corporation uses its pricing, placement, promotional and product strategy to an increased number of customer considering that it targets including the wealthy elite high class customers, middle class and low class consumers in its regional markets including the Vietnam market.
Works Cited
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Acer Corporation. (2006). Strong growth in 4Q 2006 for Acer, Retrieved on Feb 7, 2007 from http://us.acer.com/
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