Apple Basics: Market Research

The company I selected for my project is Apple. I chose this company because as many problems as their technology has, they still have a cult-like following that even includes myself. Samsung has proven to be more customizable and in some cases fit people’s needs better, but the thought of sending a green text message is enough to make a person drop $1200 on the newest iPhone no questions asked. Thinking about what kind of products Apple sells already, how the company is perceived by the public, and what the consumers want, I would create a new product that could I believe could satisfy a large demographic.

I would create Apple Basics. It would essentially be a line of products similar to older, classic Apple products except they would actually run efficiently as opposed to absolutely blowing up and catching on fire after an update (okay maybe that’s an exaggeration, but you have to admit, the old devices never acted the same after an update). This line would be targeted towards an older, more frustrated demographic, and the idea was inspired by calling my mother and hearing my dad in the background screaming at his computer for the millionth time. He is a teacher so you would think he would be able to work a computer or a cell phone, but that’s surprisingly not true. Ironically the only technology he ever kind of understood was the iPhone 4, making him a prime candidate for Apple Basics.

I would begin my research with the four Ps- product, pricing, promotion, and place. Luckily, since these products have already been sold and the demographic is angry people who don’t want to change from the past, I have a pretty good guideline to go off of from the first time these pieces of technology dropped. I would then have to do extensive research into the digital side- where does my target demographic spend the most time online? What types of ads do they respond best to? What are other successful campaigns other companies have run to reach this demographic? These are all questions that would need to be answered before a single social media post went up (Babin, 2019).

The scientific method is also an effective research method because it uses knowledge, reason, and observation to reach objective conclusions. The marketer begins with a theory or a discovery, begins to research and form a hypothesis, test their hypothesis through observation and testing, and then come to a conclusion. This facts and evidence-based approach is clearly a useful way to come up with a well thought out marketing strategy, and with the ever-changing social environment, this method can be performed easily and often to keep up with emerging trends (Babin, 2019).

The text identifies the four stages of developing and implementing a marketing strategy as

1. Identifying and assessing market opportunities.

2. Analyzing market segments and choosing the target market you wish to appeal to.

3. Planning and implementing a marketing mix that meets company objectives and customer expectations.

4. Analyzing company’s performance (Babin, 2019).

Researching these four stages will be absolutely vital for not only my final project but for any successful marketing strategy going forward. Other forms of research in the marketing mix include product research, pricing research, distribution research, and promotion research, which I will also make sure to do for Apple Basics.

Babin, B. J. (2019). Essentials of Marketing Research. Boston, MA: Cengage.