The best of iChat.

Okay, so basically on my Thanksgiving usually me and my family are all together, and everyone from every state usually comes in to join us.
Unfortunately for the past couple of years, my cousin Briana has been studying in other states and could not attend our traditional thanksgiving dinner So therefore every year she would iChat with us via Iphone or MacBook.  This is a clear scenario that portrays the way apple helps families connect and communicate from all around the world.  In a technologically dominant world, Apple always pushes forward.  Sure we can can make a phone call but now we can visually communicate with the same easy effort of a phone call, and it makes us feel like she is right here with us.

The Beatles - Now available on iTunes.

Cont'd of Customer Relationship

This is a video, which shows apples retail store and it introduces you to the way apple works with its customers.

Chapter 21 _ Customer Relationship management

Apple is very reliable when it comes to its products.
When you buy an apple product the Apple team literally gives their customers a step by step on how to use all of the products, and all of the products features, even before you leave the store with your purchased merchandise. This technique makes customers feel satisfied and in return builds a relationship where customers can feel comfortable asking questions, and getting accurate, and confident answers from the Apple team members.

In all Apple stores is something called the genius bar. The genius bar goes by appointments whether you need help with a question or concern, or even if your product needs maintenance. You can also place yourself on  waiting list while sitting in your very own home, before you even leave to go to an Apple store; which will actually shorten your waiting time when you arrive. When you think about a PC, where can you go to get face to face service ? As far as i am concerned you just have to call on the phone and ship in your product to get it fixed; Apple offers face to face service where they fix your product in store or they ship it out for you and you can just pick it up in a short amount of time. This makes customers less frustrated with automated systems on the phone trying to get customer service. Although you can call up apples customer service at any time if your having a problem, but the option to get it fixed in-store and talk face to face to a real person instead of a machine is just a great option!

Apple's Brand Loyalty Success

When shoppers sleep outside of stores just to be one of the first to buy an iPhone,it's obvious that Apple Inc. is a company that has brand loyalty.  This brands' success is not a result of luck or  beyond Apple's control. Apple knows exactly what there doing and how to do it. Its part of a well-thought-out plan to deliver strong products and to create an Apple culture. 

A Store Just For Apple: Have you ever been in a store that sells a variety of electronics- like Best Buy for example- each department has a team of people who know specifically about just the products in their department? And you have to go searching everywhere for someone who knows about a certain product ? Apple is very different. . Apple has created a store, strictly devoted to Apple products.  Apple  has not only eliminated the problem of ill- informed employees but has made an excellent customer-loyalty move. Apple stores are a friendly place where Mac and PC users alike are encouraged to play with and explore the technology that the company offers. This is a space where people who love mac can not only get service but also hang out with others who enjoy Apple products just as much as they do. By creating this space, Apple encourages current and new customers to get excited about what it has to offer.-

Complete Solutions: Apple's products complement and complete each other. If you buy an iPod, you can download music via iTunes. Most Mac programs are produced by Apple. This strengthens customer loyalty. Apple users generally don't have to stray to find products and solutions they want.

Are You a Mac?:  Apple is a hip brand. It pushes a strong identification with everything young, up-to-the-minute and smart. Consider Apple's "Im a Mac" campaign. The Mac guy is smooth and confident, while PC appears uptight and old. Once you've become smooth, would you want to go back to uptight?

Varied Products: Many consumers may not be ready to buy an Apple computer, but they're willing to give gadgets like the iPod or iPhone a try. By selling products with lower entry costs, it creates an opportunity for new users to be introduced to Apple. If these users enjoy their product, they're more likely to consider buying an Apple computer in the future.

Education Sales: By selling its products to schools and universities, Apple turns classrooms into showrooms. If students go through school using Apple products, they become comfortable with the interface and familiar with the superior performance the brand offers. By creating this early exposure, Apple captures customers before they even know that they are customers.

Products That Deliver: Apple carefully considers what consumers are looking for, so its products are a result of both extensive research and strong design. This planning is a large contributor to Apple's high customer-satisfaction rates. It's plain and simple and easy-to-use products not only make your customers happy, but also make them want to buy more products from you in the future.

Consistency: All of Apple's products have the same basic architecture. Because of this consistency, customers who already own Apple products have a good idea of what they'll be getting before they make a purchase. They know that it will be easy to adapt to new hardware, and this makes them more open to making a repeat purchase.

New Innovations: Although the architecture of Apple products is consistent, its portfolio is not. The company offers consumers a number of different ways to enjoy its products. By giving customers an opportunity to employ Apple in their living rooms, pockets and offices, Apple makes it easy to stay loyal to a brand they already like.

Attractiveness: From packaging to design to user-interface experience, Apple makes its products accessible and attractive. Bright colors, a smiling icon and slick-looking hardware remind customers every time they use Apple products that what Apple offers is appealing.

Week 11- Integrated marketing communication.

Apples target market would most likely be a wide variety. apple tries to target market mostly anybody and they do a pretty good job of it . By that statement i mean that no matter if your 14 or even 60 Apple has a product that would most likely suit you. With the newest release of the Ipad, it is marketed towards more business people in my perspective. Yet, all the teenagers seem to be in a competition now-a-days with each other with who has the latest expensive technology. Ipods suit mostly everybody who loves music on the go- working out- or simple who want to be in touch with the world and the latest technology.
You don't see a lot of sales promotions with apple except for college students who get a discount on laptops and desktops along with a rebate for a free ipod touch when you use your college i.d.
As for apples publicity, who doesn't know about the apple brand ? you can find an apple store anywhere you turn and the innovative technology and cool look to the stores make you want to just go inside and check out the technology. One of the good and smartest things Apple did was to have there products on working display at all times of the day, this potentially gets consumers to walk into the store and get a feel of the product without any pressure. Apples website is also very convenient because all the information you could need is on the website about there products and the Apple company as a whole .
I have posted in an older blog how apples advertisement's cost less than IBM and there competition, Yet who can forget an apple commercial ? There creative and funny yet, and unforgettable.

WEEK 10 - product concepts

Apple as we all know is a brand name, the symbol for apple is known globally. Besides the symbol, apples commercials also consisted of black figured dancing with a white ipod and headphones in there ears, most people in the U.S could probably recognize just the figure with the white ipod and headphones to be apple's brand.
apple has a whole product line of macs, ipods, and ipads. In this line there is also a product mix of different accessories and softwares.
Brand equity applies to apple because most apple customers are brand loyal.
Apple's products also don't look like most products from other companies there laptops have a sort of trendy look and feel to it .

As far as packaging goes, apple usually packages its products in white boxes with a picture of the product that is inside on the package and usaully the brand logo of a bitten apple can be found on the package.
Apples product's all come with a 2 year warranty and it is up to you to buy the extended warranty for the products, Yet if you were to jailbreak or if any downloads are illegal the warranty is immediately terminated and most likely they will not service your product.

Apple Ipad on verizon network.

At&t and verizon began selling the apple ipad on Oct 28th in hopes of the success in the holiday season. Verizon Wireless announced plans to start selling the Apple iPad Oct. 28 through a MiFi bundle that lets you connect up to five devices at once.
The bundle includes a Wi-Fi-only iPad and a cigarette box-sized MiFi 2200 3G Hotspot, which comes with multiple ports. Data plans start at $20 a month for 1GB, and do not require contracts.
To circumvent the incompatibility between T-Mobile's CDMA network and the iPad's 3G capacity, Verizon had to forgo the more popular iPad Wi-Fi+3G tablets sold by AT&T. Instead it pairs a less expensive iPad Wi-Fi with a MiFi hotspot.
Verizon is selling the iPad Wi-Fi 16GB + MiFi for $629.99, iPad Wi-Fi 32GB + MiFi for $729.99, and iPad Wi-Fi 64GB + MiFi for $829.99, or just $0.99 more than an iPad with built-in 3G costs.

Also,AT&T began selling the iPad at its stores. Like with the iPhone, AT&T sells the iPad Wi-fi + 3G. It offers comparable data plans of 250MB for $15 a month, and 2GB for $25 a month. This is apple start with the verizon network to hopefully see the success and see if the iphone 4 on the verizon network will be a smart decision.