INDIRA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, PUNE

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

(The year 2020-22)

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING
For the company

Apple inc.

Done by Marketing Group: A3

Sr. NAME Roll no.
No
.
1 Anandkumar Yemjelwar MK A 12
2 Anshu Patel MK A 14
3 Arjun Kaul MK A 15
4 Ashutosh Dongardive MK A 16
5 Ashwini Khilari MK A 17

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Table Of Contents
Introduction.........................................................................................................................................3
Marketing mix of the Apple company................................................................................................4
Apple’s Products (Product Mix).....................................................................................................4
Apple’s Prices..................................................................................................................................6
Place or Distribution in Apple Inc.’s..............................................................................................6
Apple’s Promotions (Promotional Mix).........................................................................................8
Marketing strategy of the Apple company......................................................................................10
Segmentation..................................................................................................................................10
Targeting........................................................................................................................................11
Positioning......................................................................................................................................12
Branding strategy of Apple company...............................................................................................15
Global branding strategy of Apple company...............................................................................15
International Marketing strategy of Apple:................................................................................19
Branding Strategy - Analysis of Apple.............................................................................................21

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Introduction
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company that specializes in consumer
electronics, software, and online services. Apple is the largest information technology
company by revenue totaling US$365.8 billion in 2021 and, as of January 2021, it is the
world's most valuable company, the fourth-largest personal computer vendor by unit sales,
and second-largest mobile phone manufacturer. It is one of the Big Five American
information technology companies, alongside Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft.

Apple was founded as Apple Computer Company on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve
Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne to develop and sell Wozniak's Apple I personal computer. It
was incorporated by Jobs and Wozniak as Apple Computer, Inc. in 1977 and the company's
next computer, the Apple II became a best seller. Apple went public in 1980, to instant
financial success. The company went on to develop new computers featuring innovative
graphical user interfaces, including the original Macintosh, announced in a critically
acclaimed advertisement, "1984", directed by Ridley Scott. By 1985, the high cost of its
products and power struggles between executives caused problems. Wozniak stepped back
from Apple amicably, while Jobs resigned to found NeXT, taking some Apple employees
with him.

As the market for personal computers expanded and evolved throughout the 1990s, Apple
lost considerable market share to the lower-priced duopoly of the Microsoft Windows
operating system on Intel-powered PC clones (also known as "Wintel"). In 1997, weeks away
from bankruptcy, the company bought NeXT to resolve Apple's unsuccessful operating
system strategy and entice Jobs back to the company. Over the next decade, Jobs guided
Apple back to profitability through many tactics including introducing the iMac, iPod,
iPhone, and iPad to critical acclaim, launching memorable advertising campaigns, opening
the Apple Store retail chain, and acquiring numerous companies to broaden the company's
product portfolio. Jobs resigned in 2011 for health reasons and died two months later. He was
succeeded as CEO by Tim Cook.

Apple became the first publicly traded U.S. company to be valued at over $1 trillion in
August 2018, then $2 trillion in August 2020, and most recently $3 trillion in January 2022.
The company receives criticism regarding the labor practices of its contractors, its
environmental practices, and its business ethics, including anti-competitive practices and
materials sourcing. The company enjoys a high level of brand loyalty and is ranked as one of
the world's most valuable brands.

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Marketing mix of the Apple company 
Apple’s Products (Product Mix)
The product strategy and mix in Apple marketing strategy can be explained as follows:
Apple Inc is known for its innovation in the world. It has always come up with new products
that amazed the whole world. Some of its popular products in the marketing mix of Apple
explain its product strategy as below:-
1. Mac: - Macintosh – generally branded as Mac, one of the premier products of Apple Inc
and the utmost reason for the existence of the company. It was introduced by Steve Jobs in
Jan 1984. It was the first personal computer made for mass that had a mouse and graphical
user interface. It has come up with newer versions which are still famous among the people
of the United States of America. Some of the models that are currently present in the market
are: Mac Pro, iMac, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, MacBook
2. iPhone: - Apple Inc was the first company to introduce smartphones that had multiple
touches i.e., iPhone. It was a combination of a smartphone and an iPod. It has many versions
with the latest one as iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

3. iPod: - A unique kind of portable digital music player. Various variations have come up in
the market as iPod Nano, iPod touch, iPod shuffle, and many more.

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4. Apple watch: - Watch where you can keep a track of your fitness schedules.

5. Apple TV: - One of the biggest failures for apple is the introduction of Apple TV.
6. Software and Services

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Product lines are associated with human resource utilization and business processes based on
product-based divisions, which are a characteristic of Apple Inc.’s corporate structure. The
Mac product line includes desktop and laptop computers of various sizes for different market
segments. On the other hand, the iPad, iPhone, iPod, and Apple Watch are mobile devices
with some functions similar to those of Mac products. This element of the marketing mix
shows that the company operates in consumer electronics products. In the company’s current
strategic management approaches, the Digital Content product line includes digital music,
videos, e-books, and games. Through digital content, Apple TV, and Software like mobile
apps, among other products, Apple Inc. Operates in the digital content distribution industry.
Moreover, the company’s 4Ps include products based on cloud technology, which allows
customers to store and access their data, and use the software as a service (SaaS), such as I
work for iCloud. The product lines in this 4P element are based on the outputs of the product
development growth strategy. This element of the marketing mix reflects Apple Inc.’s
evolution from a computer technology business into an increasingly diversified business with
a focus on information technology.

Apple’s Prices

Looking at all the products of Apple, the brand delights its target market with innovative
products. They are superior to other brands in the industry, even when they offer premium
pricing. One of the justifiable reasons why Apple has premium pricing is its capability to
create products with advanced technologies and features. The brand also does not lower its
pricing to make it affordable to everyone. Apple creates an impression to its customers by
giving an excellent user experience possible, which justifies its premium pricing.

Apple showcases the highest quality possible for all its products by using the outstanding
components available and stylish designs. Once customers get hooked on Apple products,
there is a higher possibility that they will not be turning to other brands anymore.

Besides premium pricing, Apple also integrates price skimming where they set much higher
pricing for newer product models, consequently lowering them later. This has been the trend
with iPads, iPhones, and other products in the brand's portfolio. Since Apple is an
international brand, it also considers geographic pricing. This involves imposing different
prices for its products in various parts of the world. There is a need for geographical pricing
for Apple because of exchange rate differences between USD and local currencies.

Place or Distribution in Apple Inc.’s

Apple implements an aggressive approach in reaching out to premium target markets. This
means that it uses several sales channels for visibility and accessibility of selling its products
to a global market. These sales channels are as follows:

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Apple stores. Probably the most prominent IT company globally, Apple has more than 500
retail stores in 15 countries worldwide. The brand strategically places its stores at high-traffic
locations like urban shopping districts and quality shopping malls. The interiors of every
retail store are also strategically designed to be spacious where its customers can use the
products and have generous assistance from customer service people.

Online stores. Apple also has provided an official website where customers can access and
purchase its products. This is essentially fitting for those customers who do not have access to
an Apple physical store.

Wholesalers. Customers of Apples can also go to wholesalers as they can also be the source
of essential parts of its services and products.

Retailers. Apple also partners with authorized retailers for its products and services. A few
examples of them are T-Mobile and Mobile Guru in New York and Argos and Carphone
Warehouse in London.

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Third-party cellular network providers. AT&T Inc., Vodafone Group, and Verizon
Communications Inc. are a few of the cellular network carriers that sell Apple products which
are also part of their packages.

Value-added resellers. These are professionals tasked and authorized by Apple to provide

market-specific and customized solutions to target customers.

Apple Store is a subsidiary of Apple Inc. that operates physical or brick-and-mortar stores
that sell the company’s products, along with related products from other manufacturers. For
example, these stores sell MacBook units, as well as peripheral devices from other
companies. In addition, customers can buy products through Apple’s website and online
stores for desktop and mobile. Customers can buy consumer electronics through the
company’s website. Apps, music, movies, and other digital content are available through
online stores for desktop and mobile, such as the App Store and the iTunes Store. In this
element of the marketing mix, the inclusion of these online distribution channels helps
optimize international market reach. Also, Apple Inc. includes authorized sellers in its
distribution strategy. These sellers operate stores in various strategic locations, such as in
shopping malls in different markets around the world. The sellers include large retail firms
like Walmart and Best Buy. Some authorized resellers sell through their stores as well as their
seller accounts on Amazon.com. Moreover, the company has agreements with various
telecommunications companies, such as Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint, which offer iPhone
units integrated into some of their telecommunications service packages available to
subscribers in local or regional target markets. Thus, Apple’s marketing mix is
comprehensive in taking advantage of online and non-online distribution channels.

Apple’s Promotions (Promotional Mix)

Promotion is the last element completing the Apple marketing mix. Apple imposes elegant
and intelligent promotions. The brand primarily focuses on the products and their
differentiating factors from competitors. Here are some essential points on how Apple
effectively handles its promotions:
Elegant promotions. The promotional initiatives of Apple still involve traditional platforms
like television and print media. However, one thing that is very notable with Apple is its
strategy for promotions to be simple. They mostly do it with a white and elegant background.
Straight to the point. Not everyone has a long attention span to view or read lengthy
promotional materials. And Apple clearly understands this aspect, thus making
advertisements on point. A single ad aims to relay a unified message to a specific target
market.

Limited price-based offers. You rarely see Apple products going on sale. It is

understandable, though, as it imposes premium pricing for its products. It goes back to its
pricing strategy of implementing higher prices and justifying it with premium quality
products.

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With the evolution of technology, Apple also evolved in promoting its products. The brand
also adopted digital marketing for its promotion, including utilizing social media platforms.
Online advertisements allow firms to reach a broader market across the globe.

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Marketing strategy of the Apple company

Segmentation
With Apple, market segmentation is grouped into behavioral and psychographic variables.
Segmenting is a process of grouping the audience into smaller segments based on specific
characteristics like occupation, gender, age, and other customer preferences. These segments
or variables must be accessible, measurable, and actionable to benefit the company.
Apple's demographic market segmentation includes developing its products around the target
customers' age, lifestyle, and occupation. Apple's products are then distributed to various
areas and classified based on family size and age (Bara & Al-Refaie, 2016). An example of
this is a PC with the latest features and software for professionals and a PC containing more
games for kids. You might also notice that Apple provides several features to its other
gadgets. Those with the higher graphic resolution for the younger people and digital watches
with the capabilities to monitor one's pulse rate will be highly favored by the later
generations.
Since Apple caters to a broader range of global markets, geographic elements must be
considered part of its segmentation. As of December 2021, Apple already has more than 500
retail stores across 25 countries worldwide. Besides its physical locations, customers can
access its products through online retail stores wherever they may be in the world. This way,
Apple can expand its market and reach several customers.
Apple also includes the behavioral variables of its target market in its market segment. It
consists of the attitudes, usage, responses, and product knowledge. The psychographic
element of Apple's market segmentation tackles developing products based on the target
market's lifestyles.

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Targeting
Apple targeting strategies involve determining the more attractive segments for the firm.
This stage implies choosing particular groups identified from the segmentation process,
where Apple can sell their products to. The company positions its brand as a premium
provider of products and services with high-quality and advanced functions and capabilities.
Apple's target customers include the well-off individuals willing to spend more on
technology products and services with advanced capabilities, functions, and designs. With
years of evaluating Apple's customers' characteristics, it has revealed that most of them tend
to appreciate quality, performance, and design of tech products and services over the prices.

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Positioning
The positioning approach for every marketing plan plays a critical role in promoting a brand
image in the customers' minds. A practical and critically selected positioning strategy can
hugely influence the firm's success. When deciding on the brand's positioning, companies
vary on the aspects they want to highlight and emphasize, based on the industry, company
time, size, and products.
The technology industry is rapidly growing and constantly evolving, hence the continuous
introduction of new products with technical resolutions and innovative features. Apple is one
of the top firms in this sphere, and most of the players in the industry often look up to Apple,
its new technologies and products.
This success is partially due to its solid and effective positioning based on various elements.
Apple positions itself in the market as a premium brand sought by everyone. Surely, the
company's products are not cheap, but you will find people, even those who cannot afford to
find ways to get their hands on Apple products.
Apple positioning its brand to create an emotional connection with its customers through
exceptional experiences is an excellent approach, especially in this competitive industry. In
the same manner, Apple uses its positioning approach based on competition. Since
competition is tight in the technology industry, Apple ensures to continuously invest in R&D
and introduce innovative products and features all the time. It keeps on making unique
technologies for the brand and cannot be copied anywhere else.

Here's how Apple segmentation, targeting, and positioning look when organized in a chart.
This is just an overview of classifying the segments and other elements. Apple has a wide
array of products; hence, it can be expected to have more lists for every product and service
they offer.

Type Segmentation Tageting Positioning

Brand identity, overall
user experience,
Services: Mac App Store, emotional branding
Devices: iPhone, Apple Pay, iCloud, iTunes, through innovation,
iPad, iPod, Mac and iTunes Store imagination, and design,
Geographics
US and
Region International US and International
Density Urban Urban
Demographics
18-45 18-30
Males & Females Males & Females

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 Bachelor, newly
married couple, Bachelor, newly married
Full Nest I and II couple, Full Nest I and II
Income High Earners High Earners
Professionals,
executives, and Professionals, managers, and
Occupation managers students
Behavioral
Hardcore loyal and Hardcore loyal and
Degree of Loyalty 'switchers' 'switchers'
Self-expression,
Speed of service,
advanced features
and tools, sense of
belongingness and Efficiency and speed of
Benefits sought achievement service
Ambitious and
Personality determined Ambitious and determined
Psychographic
Explorer, aspirer,
Lifestyle succeeder, resigned Succeeder, aspirer, explorer
Middle and upper
Social class classes Middle and upper classes`

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Branding strategy of Apple company

Global branding strategy of Apple company

The Apple Brand Personality

Apple has a branding strategy that focuses on emotions. The starting point is how an Apple
product experience makes you feel. The Apple brand personality is about lifestyle;
imagination; liberty regained; innovation; passion; hopes, dreams, and aspirations; and power
to the people through technology.
The Apple brand personality is also about simplicity and the removal of complexity from
people’s lives; people-driven product design; and being a humanistic company with a
heartfelt connection with its customers. Through these qualities, Apple is positioned as being
extremely helpful to people (and businesses) as they strive to achieve their goals.

Apple Brand Equity and Apple’s Customer Franchise

The Apple brand is not just intimate with its customers, it’s loved, and there is a real sense of
community among users of its main product lines.
The brand equity and customer franchise that Apple embodies are extremely strong. The
preference for Apple products amongst the “Mac community”, for instance, not only kept the
company alive for much of the ’90s (when from a rational economic perspective it looked
like a dead duck) but it even enables the company to sustain pricing that is at a premium to its
competitors.
It is arguable that without the price-premium which the Apple brand sustains in many product
areas, the company would have exited the personal computer business decades ago. In recent
years, this strength in brand preference has flowed directly to Apple’s profits – as the
company dramatically improved its manufacturing costs, while still maintaining very strong
brand equity.

The Apple Customer Experience

The huge promise of the Apple brand, of course, presents Apple with an enormous challenge
to live up to. The innovative, beautifully-designed, highly ergonomic, and technology-leading
products which Apple delivers are not only designed to match the brand promise but are
fundamental to keeping it.
Apple fully understands that all aspects of the customer experience are important and that all
brand touch-points must reinforce the Apple brand.

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Apple has expanded and improved its distribution capabilities by opening hundreds of its
retail stores in key cities around the world, usually in up-market, quality shopping venues.

As it developed the iPhone business, Apple hugely increased its retail reach through the retail
outlets of the telco companies. Apple has also increased the accessibility of iPads and iPods
through various resellers that do not normally sell computers and has increased the reach of
its online stores.
The very successful Apple Retail stores give prospective customers the direct experience of
Apple’s brand values. Apple Retail visitors experience a stimulating, no-pressure
environment where they can discover more about the Apple family, try out the company’s
products, and get training and practical help on Apple products at the shops’ Guru Bars.
Apple retail staff are helpful, informative, and let their enthusiasm show without being brash
or pushy.
The overall feeling is one of inclusiveness by a community that understands what good
technology should look and feel like – and how it should fit into people’s lives. The huge
promise of the Apple brand, of course, presents Apple with an enormous challenge to live up
to. The innovative, beautifully-designed, highly ergonomic, and technology-leading products
which Apple delivers are not only designed to match the brand promise but are fundamental
to keeping it.
Apple fully understands that all aspects of the customer experience are important and that all
brand touch-points must reinforce the Apple brand.
Apple has expanded and improved its distribution capabilities by opening hundreds of its
retail stores in key cities around the world, usually in up-market, quality shopping venues.
As it developed the iPhone business, Apple hugely increased its retail reach through the retail
outlets of the telco companies. Apple has also increased the accessibility of iPads and iPods
through various resellers that do not normally sell computers and has increased the reach of
its online stores.
The very successful Apple Retail stores give prospective customers the direct experience of
Apple’s brand values. Apple Retail visitors experience a stimulating, no-pressure
environment where they can discover more about the Apple family, try out the company’s
products, and get training and practical help on Apple products at the shops’ Guru Bars.
Apple retail staff are helpful, informative, and let their enthusiasm show without being brash
or pushy.
The overall feeling is one of inclusiveness by a community that understands what good
technology should look and feel like – and how it should fit into people’s lives.
Apple Brand Architecture

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From a brand architecture viewpoint, the company maintains a “monolithic” or master brand
identity – everything being associated with the Apple name (or the Apple logo), even when
investing strongly in the Apple iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Apple Music products.
Apple’s current line-up of product families includes not just these devices, but also iMac,
iBook, iLife, iWork, iPhone, iPad, and iCloud. However, even though marketing investments
around iPad are substantial, Apple has not established an “i” brand. While the “i” prefix is
used only for consumer products, many of Apple’s consumer products (eg Mac mini,
MacBook, Apple TV, Music, AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule, Safari, QuickTime, and
Magic Mouse) do not use it.
The 2014 move to establish the Apple Pay and Apple Watch brands have drawn its newest
business areas to be even more closely associated with the Apple name. There is no iWatch
brand, and the brand identity of Apple Music, Apple Pencil, Apple Pay, and Apple Watch is
simply the Apple logo combined with the word which describes their function. Interestingly,
the brand names of Apple Pay and Apple Watch are consistent with Apple TV – one of
Apple’s long-term projects that have the potential to transform user experiences in yet
another aspect of people’s daily lives (an ambition reinforced by being featured in Apple’s
September 2015 Special Event, and again at Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference –
WWDC – in mid-2016).
The list of Apple’s Trademarks reflects something of a jumbled past. The predominant sub-
brand since the introduction of the Apple Macintosh in January 1984 was always been the
Apple Mac. Products whose market includes Microsoft computer users (for example
QuickTime, Bonjour, and Safari) have been named so they are somewhat neutral, and
therefore more acceptable to Windows users. Yet other products have been developed more
for a professional market (eg Aperture, the Final Cut family, and Xserve).

Apple Brand Halo Effect

Though Apple’s iPhone and iTunes music business (now largely replaced by Apple Music
subscription service) have been profitable in their own right, Apple’s venture into these
product areas was originally based on a strategy of using the music business to help boost the
appeal of Apple’s computing business.
Apple used iPad, iTunes, iPhone, and (very important at the time) iPod to reinforce and
reinvigorate the Apple brand personality. At the same time, these product initiatives are
growing a highly relevant, appealing brand image in the minds of consumer segments that
Apple has not previously reached.
In a so-called iPod halo effect, Apple hoped that the popularity of iPod and iTunes among
these new groups of customers would cause these segments to be interested in Apple’s
computer products. This does seem to have happened. Since the take-off of the iPod, there
has been a dramatic rise in Apple’s computer sales and market share.

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Some years ago, Apple’s aspirations for the iPod halo effect were highlighted most strongly
when it used the slogan “from the creators of iPod” in its promotion of iMac G5 computers.
In this instance, the Apple brand came full-circle – having been built into a branding system
that originates in the personal computer market, then leveraged into the consumer electronics
market, and then back into the consumer personal computer market.
This halo effect is extended with the hugely successful Apple iPad tablet computer. Great
customer experience with iPhone (and familiarity with Apple’s touch screen gesture
controls), combined with a great product in its own right, has made iPod a huge success that
in turn is drawing even more people to Apple’s Mac computer products. In a move that
brought matters full circle, the 2011 Lion version of Mac OSX gave the Mac the same touch
screen gesture controls that iPad and iPod users have learned. In 2014 at the company’s
World Wide Developer Conference, it further strengthened the link between the Mac and
other product lines by making it easy to provide continuity of user experience for a customer
using a mix of Apple devices during her daily life. This was further emphasized in mid-2016
by changing the name of Mac’s operating system from OS X to macOS (presumably partly to
avoid a naming collision with the 2016 version of iOS: iOS 10).
Probably to remove any customer confusion and to better align each one to its related
hardware product, Apple evolved “OS” into a sort of sub-brand: Apple shortened the product
name of Mac OSX to “OS X” in 2012 and then changed it to “macOS” in 2016 to align with
the branding of Apple’s other operating systems, iOS (iPad, iPhone, and iPod devices),
watchOS (Apple Watch), and tvOS (Apple TV set-top box).
After Halos – Clouds
An enabling next step in Apple’s marketing strategy is the Apple iCloud, which delivers a
seamless experience for using and sharing content across all your Apple devices (iPhone,
iPod, iPad, or Mac). iCloud enables a common “it just works” experience for using content
across all of Apple’s mainstream products. iCloud positions the company for a future where
customers’ experiences and their digital lives transcend the hardware devices which they use
and enables Apple to extend the brand experience well beyond individual products.
Apple has invested in a one million square foot Apple data center in rural North Carolina. As
well as being a hub for much of the intelligence behind Siri, this data center is a core data
repository for Apple’s iCloud services, which will enable Apple to leverage its customer
franchise into an even broader market space. Apple iCloud is one of many ways in which
Apple and Google are fast becoming arch-rivals.
I know Siri?
It can be assumed that a user’s Siri personal assistant will be used to embody and create a
feeling of continuous experience across different devices (including in cars), with Siri
seemingly moving with us from device to device. For example, Apple CarPlay enables a car’s
infotainment system to use a familiar iOS user interface when an iPhone is connected,
allowing you to control many apps and your device either through the infotainment system or
with your voice and Siri (so you don’t need to touch your iPhone while driving).

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This continuity of experience across devices will be possible because Apple is using iCloud
to offer customers device-independence and multi-device synchronization – so that
whichever Apple device you move, to the experience continues because the new one will
“know” what you were doing on the last one and can pick up dialogues such as chat messages
where you left off.
Apple Watch: The Masterbrand and Brand Promise
The use of the Apple Pay and Apple Watch brands reflects just how strong the Apple brand
name has become over the last 10 years. The Apple Pay and Apple Watch names are
descriptive and they leverage the full strength of the Apple brand in each of the new
categories which Apple is entering.
The brand promise which the names of Apple Pay and Apple Watch contain is now greater
than the halo effect – in a way that would not have been possible 10 years ago. Because the
Apple brand personality is now so strong, our expectations are already set, with the products
themselves having to live up to the brand promise. Their role is to sustain the brand promise,
rather establishing it, as many of the i-products needed to.

International Marketing strategy of Apple:

Apple made history when it became the first US company worth $1 trillion. How did they do
it? Certainly not by selling their products in only one country using only one language.  In
fact, since 2010, the share of Apple’s revenue generated outside of the United States has
hovered between 55% and 70%.

What makes Apple such a coveted brand around the world? And what lessons can other
businesses learn from Apple’s success? Here are 5 international marketing strategy ideas
from Apple:

Maintain a consistent brand across cultures.

No matter what country you’re in, Apple’s products are the same. Their products, their
adverts and their website use the same clean, minimalist design the world over. Apple
iPhones all have the same features. The visuals on the website are the same no matter what
language option you choose.

We talk quite a bit about the importance of customising your marketing and your website to
account for different cultural preferences. But it’s also important that your brand maintains an
underlying consistency.

Apple is not known for catering to their customers. When you buy an Apple product, you’re
buying Apple’s vision. So, it makes sense that they would customise their content and
products less than other brands. 

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Use localisation to support a consistent brand and a consistent customer experience.
Apple’s international marketing has been described as “one size fits all,” but that’s not really
accurate. Their brand depends on providing a consistent customer experience, every time
someone interacts with the company or with their marketing. No matter where that person
lives or what culture they’re from, they should come away with the same impression of Apple
and their products. Here’s the thing: There’s no way to ensure that kind of consistent, high-
quality experience across different languages and cultures without localisation.
For example, consider Apple’s stores. Some elements remain the same, no matter where in
the world you are, like the Genius Bar, or the play areas for kids. However, the store
experience is specifically tailored to each region, in terms of architecture, appearance, and
customer service. By customising their stores to appeal to local tastes, Apple avoids the type
of missteps that doomed Walmart’s attempt to expand into Germany.
On their website, Apple protects its customer service reputation by making it easy for people
to get help in their language, with local customer support phone numbers and live chat for
each country.

Use customised content to make customers feel appreciated.

For many Western companies, the Chinese market is an especially hard nut to crack.  That’s
not true for Apple. In fact, a fifth of their revenue currently comes from China.

One way that Apple appeals to Chinese consumers is through customising content. For
example, when they updated their GarageBand music creation software to include Chinese
language support, they also added traditional Chinese instruments like the erhu and the pipa.

According to Common Sense Advisory, “This striking act of “radical localization” projects
an image of China’s importance to Apple users elsewhere in the world and keeps customers
in Greater China happy.”

Transcreation is the cornerstone to a successful international branding strategy.

On the Apple website,  content in other languages is professionally translated or transcreated
by local copywriters. This ensures that it’s just as effective in the target language as it was in
the original English.

Apple also transcreates its TV advertisements. For example, take a look at this 2015
Christmas ad from Apple Apple also transcreates its TV advertisements. For example, take a
look at this 2015 Christmas ad from Apple. It’s the same basic storyline:  a young girl takes
her grandmother’s favourite song and remixes it, adding her own vocals and guitar.  But the
details have all been changed to make them congruent with Chinese culture. For instance,
there aren’t any visual references to Christmas in the Chinese version of the ad. The scenery
is different, the song is different.

To make the transcreation process easier, plan ahead.

According to Chief Marketer, Apple’s ads are made to be easy to translate and transcreate,
right from the start:

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“In addition to choosing one image that can be nuanced worldwide, it employs a minimum of
text in the original English. So, even if there is a play on words that must be transcreated to
remain relevant in other markets, the phrase usually does not require too many words in other
languages to express a similar idea.”
This helps keep marketing costs down and ensures a more consistent final product.

Branding Strategy - Analysis of Apple

The Apple brand strategy is all about the experience. According to us, “Apple’s emotional
branding, a brand that is felt in the heart and mind of the consumer”, is the key to its survival.
Apple’s brand is reflected through their core beliefs about innovation, imagination and
design. It is promoted through their products, advertisement and customer experience.
In 1983, Apple created Lisa, the first computer with a graphic user interface (GUI), an
interface that is based on graphics instead of text. Since then, the company has created its
brand based around its core beliefs.
What exactly is a brand?
It is the product of two things: [Prediction of what to expect] times [emotional
power of that expectation].” Meaning, if a consumer does not know what the brand means, it
has no power. Basically, there are three types of brands: unique, corporate and range. A
unique branding strategy is built around an established brand that stands for one thing. The
Pepsico Corporation is a good example of a unique brand. The company’s umbrella of its
products include: Pepsi, Frito Lay, Tropicana and Gatorade. A corporate branding strategy is
a company that has one brand for all its products. Apple falls under this category. Range is a
strategy that a combines the two.
Apple’s strategy is a corporate branding strategy that revolves around its emotional
experience with its products. To be an emotional brand, it must have three things in common.
The company must project a strong humanistic corporate culture; have a unique visual and
verbal vocabulary; and establish a connection with its consumers.
How does the company project its core values and apply it through its products, advertising
and services it offers?
To start, the values are reflected through the mission statement. Apple ignited the personal
computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in
the 1980s with the Macintosh. Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing
experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world
through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings. Meaning, the core of Apple
is invention and reinvention, worldwide consumer commitment by allowing them experience
the brand by providing innovative products.

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Apple’s Products

The company competes across the personal computer, electronics and smart phone industries
and reflects its brand through these mediums. True to its corporate branding strategy, the
brand consistently repeats the idea of innovation, imagination and design.Apple’s core values
are successfully implemented by their use of consistency and repetition through their product
and retail design, advertisement and customer experience.
For example, take the ergonomic product design of the computer, iPod and iPhone. The
design is simple, modern and with a clean user interface. The basic
geometrics and organic forms all have similar materials. The products are aluminum, chrome,
glossy black or white plastic. When a consumer purchase an iPod or even a computer, they
know inherently it is an Apple product.
The retail space continues the brand perception by creating an open, simple and modern
space. The space utilizes organic materials such as aluminum, glass and wood.
Furthermore, online technological advancement with podcasting, iTunes, and providing
affordable songs advances the creativity and imagination.

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Consumer Experience

The consumer experience is another avenue that reinforces the brand. Apples focus is, “on
providing an integrated, innovative and intentional customer experience at all points of
service. It is embedded into everything the company does”. It is a compelling experience
from the knowledge and friendliness of its employees to providing the genius bar, offering
apple care and letting consumers experience the
Apple brand. In the retail space, the sales associates are accessible, knowledgeable and
friendly. The retail space also exhibits their core “think different” operating principle. The
wording “genius bar” evokes thoughts of Albert Einstein, the transcendental creative
innovative icon.

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Advertisement

Advertisement reflects the creative, individualistic nature of its consumer. The ads, regardless
of the product, are “shot on a monochrome background, and feature little if any text until the
conclusion. And all end with a shot of the Apple logo, unifying the products in the minds of
consumers and reinforcing both the brand and its image.

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