Apple computer Marketing

Introduction

Apple Computer Inc. designs, develops and markets a line of portable digital music players called iPods. Since launching the product line in the fall of 2001, the company has expanded the iPod product line to include related accessories and services, including the online distribution of third-party music and audio books. Last year the iPod product line generated more than 55% of revenues from the sales of all digital music players (Salkever, 2004). With that kind of success, the company should expect increased competition from competitors, new and old. The company should also expect that it will increasingly become a target of special interest groups about everything from Apple's environmental policies to their community relations programs or lack thereof. To address these emerging issues, this marketing plan will outline a marketing strategy that will help Apple Computer Inc to develop new markets for its iPod product line.

Situational Analysis

Current Product Analysis

Product Attributes of the iPod

As a digital music player, the iPod keeps up to 10,000 songs in your pocket, compatible with Mac OSX or Windows 2000/XP and weights only 5.36

English: Four external ("wall") chargers for iPod ...

English: iPod classic front view

Two designs of iPod earphones. The current version...

ounces. Its battery life can play up to twelve hours continuously. It shuffles songs in the main menu and it even keeps appointments and organizes contacts with a calendar and to do lists. Other added accessories also enable the iPod to have language support with voice notes and even stores photos (www.apple.com).

Pricing

The Mac iPod is available in 20GB and 40GB models for $299 and $399 respectively (www.apple.com).

Distribution

IPods are available online at the Apple Store, which is open 24 hours a day. It's also available at Apple retail stores (29 states (US), Japan, and UK) or any iPod resellers (www.apple.com).

Promotion

The Apple ingenuously promote the iPod as the largest legal download of...