Following a survey that was conducted by the marketing department, it has come to the attention of management that there is a need to formulate a new integrated marketing communication plan. This plan is supposed to enhance the marketability of all Apple Inc. products through innovative promotion mechanisms. The development of a new integrated marketing communication plan will be headed by the marketing department and the entire project will be coordinated by the director of marketing of Apple Inc. All the members of staff are encouraged to present their suggestions and recommendations on factors that need to be considered in the development of the integrated communication plan.
The management appreciates the fact that motivation is critical to the performance of the members of staff. In line with this, the management will reward each and every person that presents innovative and creative ideas that will be inculcated in the final integrated marketing communication plan. There will be various types of rewards that will be award to employees that display high levels of innovation and creativity. The management will award the following rewards to members of staff that exhibit high levels of innovation and creativity: salary increments, promotions, scholarships, insurance packages, scholarships to pursue an academic program of choice at one the leading universities in the world, and Apple Inc. products among others.
In line with the development of the integrated marketing communication, the marketing department is required to create a marketing communications program. During this stage, members of the marketing department are required to propose various ways through which the company can be able to market its products. For all of the techniques suggested, the marketing department is required to state the pros and cons of using that specific technique. In the development of this program, the marketing department needs to specify its target market as well as the needs of that target market. The members of the marketing department are required to develop a marketing communications program that is able to inform consumers about Apple Products, and persuade them to procure the various products that are offered by the company.
Upon the development of the marketing communications program, the marketing department is required to carry out a market research on the effectiveness, practicability and functionality of the program. In order for consumers to be able to review some of the marketing communications programs, the marketing department is required to pilot some of their ideas. The fundamental objective of the survey should be to capture the responses of consumers with regards to the effectiveness of the marketing communications program. The collection data can be carried out through issuing of questionnaires as well as through interviewing consumers and non consumers of products of Apple Inc. The data should be collected at most one month after the formulation of the marketing communications programs.
The data that have been collected in the course of the marketing research should be accumulated in one database. The data will be recorded into the various databases that are at the disposal of the marketing department and a copy of the data should be conveyed to the central database for the purposes of backup. This data should never be destroyed or tempered with, and it should be stored as part of the marketing intelligence. After data has been collected and stored in the manner that is required, the marketing department should initiate data analysis. The members of staff of the marketing department should analyse the data and evaluate other information that is stored in the database which can be of use in this specific project. Analysis of the data should be done in consultation with other departments so as to enable the creation of a plan that is efficient, effective, and practical. Upon analysing the data, the marketing department should make necessary amendments to the marketing communications program.
The marketing department should develop an integrated marketing communication budget. The budget should capture all the key elements of the integrated marketing communication. It should indicate the cost of implementing this program so that it can facilitate the finance department to analyse the budget. The finance department will analyse the integrated marketing communications program budget and forward their recommendations to the top management.
Summary Statement of the Marketing Communications Strategy
Marketing communication is one of the critical components of an effective marketing plan. A marketing plan is considered to be a strategy through which an organisation seeks to create and increase the level of demand for its products. In order to develop an effective marketing strategy, one needs to take into account the 4Ps of marketing which are; price, place, promotion, and product. The marketing department needs to determine the pricing strategy that will be used. This is mainly because the price of a product is likely to influence the perception of the consumer with respect to the value of the service or product. As a result of this, most of the marketing officers are required to identify their target market before the formulation of the pricing strategy. If the company wants to specialize in the production of good that are targeting the premium market they have to price them accordingly. This means that goods that are targeting the premium market should be priced higher than goods that are targeting the lower income market. Most of the products that are being offered by Apple Inc. are geared towards the premium market. All of the Apple Inc. products run on the latest technologies thus being able to enhance the user experience as well as improve on the effectiveness of the devices. Most of the apple products are designed in a manner that makes them appear to be aesthetically attractive and technological masterpieces. This serves to attract more customers towards buying Apple Inc. products and recommending them to other people.
The marketing department needs to take account of the place where the product will be retailing. The marketers need to understand the cultures and traditions of the people that are living within that geographical area. This is will enable the company to offer services and produce products that are in line with the needs of the people living within that specific geographical area. The marketing officers also need to look into the place where the Apple products will be sold. This is due to the fact that most of the Apple Inc. products are targeting the premium market. As a result of this, the stores in which Apple products will be sold should be designed in a way that Apple Inc. is able to attract premium customers. Marketers at Apple Inc. need to ensure that there is an able store that is located in almost all the states in America. This is a move that is aimed at increasing awareness and reliability of Apple products. In these stores, consumers and non consumers will be able to visit the store and interact with the various products that are being offered by the company. The stores will also facilitate the retailing of the various Apple products that are offered by the company. The stores will have personnel whose responsibility will be to take offer product support to customers. Their responsibility will be to enable customers to understand the manner through which the various products function. Additionally, they will be tasked with the responsibility of offering repair and maintenance services if owners of various Apple Inc. products.
Apple Inc. should set up store in all of the major cities across the world. This is because Apple Inc. is a well renowned brand thus the company can be able to generate a lot of sales by setting up stores in all of the major cities across the world. The company should target being among the first technological companies to set up stores and offices in emerging markets. This will serve to facilitate them to gain from the broad range of benefits that come along with being among the first movers into a market. By increasing its presence in the emerging markets and major cities across the globe, Apple Inc. will enhance the degree of awareness on Apple products in these markets. As a result of this, the company has a high probability of witnessing an increase in the level of demand for its products, as well as a fortified brand. This will enable the company to introduce more new products in the market in a manner that is relatively easier courtesy of the brand equity, which the company will be enjoying.
The company puts forward a broad range of products that are derived from five product categories. The following are the main product categories of Apple Inc: I phone, I pad, I pod, Mac, and I tunes. I phone is a type of mobile phone that is produced by the company. The phone is targeted towards the high end market thus it boasts of premium features to do with the display, processor, camera, and physical characteristics of the device. The company has managed to develop four models of the phone. The three models are I phone 3, I phone 4, I phone 4s, and I phone 5. The fourth model of the phone is expected to be release any time in the course of the year 2013 and the fourth model will be known as I phone 6. I pad is a form of a computer that can be used when hand held. In terms of weight, the device is light, and it is capable of performing most of the functions that can be performed by a computer. As a result of this, I pad is an extremely effective instrument when it comes to presentations. It enables the presenter to be able to use technology conveniently to enhance on the quality of the presentation. Apple has managed to develop four models of I pad namely, I pad mini, I pad 1, I pad 2, and I pad 3.
With regard to the Mac, Apple Inc has managed to develop several models. An Apple Mac is the name that is used to refer to the computers that are created and designed by Apple Inc. There are several models of Apple Mac which include Mac Book air, Mac Book pro, Mac mini, Mac mini server, Mac pro, and iMac. The company puts forward a broad range of products that are geared towards catering for the entertainment needs of consumers. An example of such a product is known as I pod. The company has managed to develop four models of I pod namely, I pod Shuffle, I pod Classic, I pod Nano, and I pod touch. In line with music, Apple Inc developed a mechanism through which consumers of Apple products can be able to procure music from an online store that is known as I tunes.
Promotion is the last element of the marketing strategy. Promotion aims at creating awareness and the development of brand equities. There various ways through which the company can be able to market its products. For instance, it can market its products through a medium such as social media. It can do so by setting up company profiles on the main social media websites such as facebook and twitter. It is from these profiles that the organisation can be communicating with its customers. This profile can be used for the purposes of marketing the various products that are being offered by the company. The profile can also be used to enhance communication between the organisation and its customers. This is because customers will be able to air with respect to the products that are being offered by Apple Inc. thus facilitating them to make adjustments where need be. The company also needs to increase its budget for television commercials. This is because it is through placing an advertisement either online or on television that the company will be able to get in touch with a broad audience in the most cost effective manner possible. The company should blend other marketing techniques including; branding, sales promotion, graphic designing, and packaging in order to achieve its company objectives.
References
Egan, J. (2007). Marketing communications. New York: Thompson Learning.
Fill, G. H. (2008). Marketing Communications 2008-2009. New York: Elsevier.
Jonathan, T., & Smith, P. R. (2004). Marketing communications: an integrated approach. New York: Kogan Page Ltd.
Smith, T., Lange, F., & Dahlen, M. (2010). Marketing Communications: A Brand Narrative Approach. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Tuckwell, K. J. (2010). Integrated Marketing Communications: Strategic Planning Perspectives. Toronto: Pearson Education Canada.
Varey, R. (2002). Marketing Communication: Principles and Practice. New York: Routledge.
Wilson, H., & McDonald, M. (2011). Marketing Plans: How to Prepare Them, How to Use Them. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Zook, Z., & Smith, P. (2011). Marketing communications. New York: Kogan Page Ltd.
