Running Head: APPLE BANDS FOR HEARTS

Apple Bands for Hearts

Jamie Darder

University of South Florida

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Abstract

Apple and the American Heart Association is a charity fundraising partnership. Having

these two companies goals align with one another will allow this partnership to meet both of

their demands. “Apple Bands for Hearts” is the American Heart Association’s 2020 campaign in

efforts to empower others to live long, healthy lives. The purpose of this marketing plan is to

blueprint the marketing objective for the American Heart Association special edition watch band

presented by Apple.
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Apple Bands for Hearts

Introduction

“Apple Bands for Hearts” will be the American Heart Association’s new 2020 campaign.

With the business partnership of the world wide known brand Apple, the American Heart

Association’s donations and awareness are projected to significantly increase to reach our year

end goals (Soucy 2019). Apple will be assisting the American Heart Association in creating the

special edition watch band in female and male designs. These watch bands will be unique to our

cause, and will boost profits for Apple. These watch bands will be released at our special edition

“Apple Heart Walk” event, where walks and donators can purchase the watch bands, participate

in our walk, and learn more about our charity. This brand partnership will be benefitting the

American Heart Association, Apple, and cause we are fighting for; heart disease and stroke

(American Heart Association n.d.).

Target Market and Demographic

Why Apple, and why watch bands? One of the most popular functions of the Apple

watch is their health tools. People use their watches to track their sleep, hand washing, heart rate

throughout workouts, and all aspects of their health daily activities (Apple n.d.). Our goal at the

American Heart Association is to promote a healthy diet and lifestyle to improve cardiovascular

health (n.d.). Our brands objective is used and utilized through Apple watches. Our target market

is user of the Apple watch. According to the research done by Above Avalon, there are more

than 55 million active Apple watch users. Their research advises there is one in seven iPhone

owners in the United States that additionally own an Apple watch (Sullivan 2019). In 2015

Apple watch was initially released. Studies that year show the largest percentages of Apple

watch sales are from the age group 35-44 (King 2015). In 2018, Apple watches were approved
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by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for taking an electrocardiogram (ECG). This new

feature released to measure user’s heart rhythms was in efforts to market to a boarder, larger

demographic (Chrissyfarr 2018). Between Millennials growing up with smart technology,

Generation X leading in the Apple watch sales, and Apple watch health apps targeting Boomers,

the Apple watch is suitable for all age types. By teaming up with Apple, the American Heart

Association will be able to reach this same large demographic.

Behavior

Our intention and hope behind this partnership is to have the consumers empowered and

motivated to better their health. The angle for purchasing our American Heart Association

special edition band is the emotion behind what the band stands for. The band stands for our core

value, being part of the fight for a healthier lifestyle, and being part of a community that saves

lives (n.d.). The motivation is to buy the product and feel empowered everyday because of the

symbolism the watch band has. The product does not have a lifespan, as there is no limit to how

many uses the product can be used. This would be a habitual purchase, as other brands have the

same type of product (Reinert 2019). The personal preference and benefit to purchase our

product over another is that consumers would be joining our American Heart Association

community.

Geographic

At the American Heart Association, there are no limits to the location to join our

community. We want to broaden our market geographically. By partnering with Apple, we can

expand our charity globally. The American Heart Association has 156 offices as of today, with

more than 40 million volunteers and supporters. There is no limit to the location we want to

expand our charity to (n.d.)

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Some of our larger hubs including Tampa, Philadelphia, and Dallas will have the option

to sell our special edition watch band in our larger, more trafficked offices. These offices are in

close proximity to the hospitals that we work closely with the cardiovascular units. It is

important that any cardiovascular units that we work closely with are able feel part of this

campaign (n.d.). The watch bands will be sold in Apple’s 510 worldwide stores and on Apple’s

e-commerce store (Apple n.d.). In addition, the American Heart Association will feature a link to

our special edition watch band on our website, www.heart.org (n.d.).

Psychographic

The lifestyle of a consumer purchasing our band would be someone who is interested in

bettering themselves and bettering the one around them. Their habits would be centered on the

fitness and health apps the Apple watch has to offer. Their emotions would be driven by wanting

to be part of something empowering, which is the American Heart Association’s charity. The

consumer we are targeting will look at our watch band as being more than just a unique design.

We want our consumer to see the band as a sign of a long healthy lifestyle. Another type of

consumer we are targeting are the people that want to donate to the research, community service,

education, and training the American Heart Association does (n.d.).

Product, Price, Promotion, Place

With the assistance of Apple, we intend to design a special edition watch band in

relationship to the American Heart Association. There will be a female and male version of the

watch band in all case sizes Apple offers including 38mm, 40mm, 42mm, and 44mm (Apple

n.d.). The watch band’s type will be Apple’s signature “Sport Band.” Sport Band material is a

custom high-performance fluorocarbon-based synthetic rubber with a pin-and-tuck closure

(Apple n.d.). As this is a special edition, we will work with Apple to produce a special edition
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color in the shade of red to reference the American Heart Association. For the feminine design,

the bands will be in the color white with red hearts repeated to form a pattern. The hearts will be

in the American Heart Association special edition red. For the masculine design, the bands will

be a completely solid red in the American Heart Association special edition color. Having a

distinctive shade of red will allow our design to stand out from Apple’s traditional red sport

band. The American Heart Association’s special editions watch bands will retail for $49.00. All

bands in the type “Sport Band” retail for $49.00 through Apple (Apple n.d.).

Apple has a high of 23.7 million followers on social media. The American Heart

Association sits today at 201 thousand followers. Apple is well known for their simple marketing

tactics, letting the product speak for itself, and marketing to their consumers through emotions

(Kulkarni 2016). Our promotion “bands for hearts” will be in the form of a video. The video will

show people of all demographics. Our mission is to improve heart health, and that does not have

a limit on age, gender, race, or income (Reinert 2019). That is why our video will need to include

every walk of life. In this video, we will promote our traditional heart walk, with every walker

wearing an Apple watch with our special edition band. The people will be laughing, smiling, and

holding hands as they cross the finish line to the 3 mile walk. The video will also feature a

voiceover, explaining our mission at the American Heart Association. Towards the end of the

video, the bands will be displayed alone on the screen showing the product in the simple, sleek

like fashion Apple is known for (Kulkarni 2016). The voice over during this shot will explain

that 15% of proceeds from each purchase of a special edition band will go towards donating to

our charity. Our product release video will be featured on Apple’s and the American Heart

Association social media pages for free advertising. We want this video to appear and model
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Apple’s traditional product release videos, to be sleek, simple, and high quality. The pricing to

make our intended video is estimated to be around $50,000 dollars (Lee Frederiksen 2020).

On the release day of the special edition band, Apple and the American Heart Association

will team up to together to host a fundraising event. This event will be called the “Apple Heart

Walk.” As traditionally to our Heart Walk, the Apple Heart Walk route will be roughly three

miles, with a one mile Red Cap route available for shorter distance walkers (n.d.). At this event,

walkers can donate, purchase the special edition heart bands, and educate themselves on all the

work we strive to achieve at the American Heart Association. This will be an opportunity for

new volunteers, Apple sales, and raise funds for the fight again heart disease and stroke. All the

same aspects of our traditional Heart Walks will be featured in our special edition Apple Heart

Walk. Individuals who raise $100.00 or more will receive a t-shirt. Top walkers, walkers who

raise $1,000.00 or more will receive special recognition throughout the walk and in an e-

newsletter. Strollers will be allowed as the walk will be a family event. Dogs are allowed too, at

the owner’s responsibility to clean up after them. The Apple Heart Walk will be a free event,

with Apple being the only company featured at the event (n.d.). Besides the Apple Heart Walk,

the special edition American Heart Association watch band will be released in Apple’s 510

stores across 25 countries worldwide and on Apple’s e-commerce store.

As previously said in the above, the product itself will retail for $49.00. 15% ($7.35 per

band) of proceeds will go towards the American Heart Association. There will not be an amount

cap, or amount of time range in which 15% of the proceeds would stop being donated to the

American Heart Association. In reference to one dollar at the American Heart Association,

eighty cents of every dollar goes towards research, education, professional training, and
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community service. The product release video will cost a roughly $50,000.00 to produce, and our

social media platform will allow us to release this video free of charge.

Situation Analysis

Strengths: Weaknesses: Opportunities: Threats:

*Well known *Awareness *Broader awareness *Knockoffs of bands

establishments campaigns and demographics

*Numerous life * Captive product *Growing social

changing media platform

breakthroughs

*Global awareness

Situation Analysis: Strengths

The American Heart Association and Apple are both well known established

organization. Founded in Chicago Illinois in 1924, the American Heart Association has grown

into a national charity that has made numerous life changing breakthroughs (n.d.). The watch

band product produced between the partnership of Apple and the American Heart Association

will be able to take our charity awareness globally through Apple’s global network (Apple n.d.).

Situation Analysis: Weakness

American Heart Association awareness campaigns can be viewed as a weakness, as they

rely on the public to take action and change lifestyle behaviors (n.d.). The product, the watch

band, is a captive product which could also be viewed as a weakness due to needing the Apple

watch itself to purchase our band (Reinert 2019).

Situation Analysis: Opportunities

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The brand partnership between Apple and American Heart Association will bring new

potential donors and volunteers that may not have know previously what the American Heart

Association is. It will also bring awareness to all of the tools and apps the Apple watch has for

tracking ones’ health. With the advertisement of the partnership and watch band, the weakness of

the product being a captive product could be an opportunity for new buyers to purchase the

Apple watch product, resulting in purchases of our special edition watch band. With Apple’s

large social media following of 23.7 million followers, our video promotion released on Apple’s

social media will help grow the American Heart Association’s social media following. Social

media is a source of free marketing, spreading awareness, and reaching a broad demographic.

Situation Analysis: Threats

The largest threats our new band design will have are the amount of potential knockoffs.

Apple has numerous amounts of competitors with band knockoffs. The competitor watch bands

are all at lower, more economical pricing. The brands Maison + Cour and Heydey both sell

silicone sport bands in the price change 10-15 dollars (Ochs 2019). We will need to advertise the

reason behind our special edition watch band, as it is a charity campaign. We need our

consumers to purchase our band as a psychological purchase (Reinert 2019). This is because we

want our consumers to purchase our band with emotion and intention to donate to the American

Heart Association cause. The purchase of our special edition watch band could be viewed as an

irrational purchase if knock offs are produced at a lower cost to the consumer. However if

consumers bought a knockoff from a competitor it would not benefit our cause or partnership.

Spreading the awareness of the brand partnership between Apple and the American Heart

Assoatication is critical to overcome our potential knockoff threats.

American Heart Association Brand Message

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The American Heart Association core values are to be true, positive, committed and

heroic. We want the believers of our charity to view life optimistically, healthier, and

empowering. Our goal at the American Heart Association is to encourage others to take action to

live a stronger, longer, healthier life. We want to hear more success stories, and grow our

community.

Apple’s Brand Image

Apple is well known for their charity contributions. In 2011, Apple launched a charity

matching program. Apple matched their employees up to $10,000 per employee per year. In the

first two months of the launched matching program, Apple and their employees donated 2.6

million dollars. Apple has previously donated to many organizations, ranging from

environmental initiatives, education, health, and human rights (Kahney 2019). Some of the

charities Apple has donated to are American Red Cross, The Conservation Fund, Grace Hopper

Celebration of Women in Computing, Mercy Corps, and World Wildlife Fund (O’Brien 2017).

Partnering with the American Heart Association is in line for what Apple has previously donated

to. Apple has focused their market on their health lifestyle apps, and the American Heart

Association strives for people to live longer, healthier lives (n.d.). It is important that the

American Heart Association partners with companies that have our same values and desires.

Marketing Strategy

Although we have a target market as said formerly, we will be marketing this product

with the intention to market to the whole market. We will execute this through undifferentiated

marketing strategies. There are not different segments of individuals or small groups of people

that we want to uniquely advertise our product to (Reinert 2019). As previously said, our mission

is to improve heart health, and there are not limitations or restrictions to who can be part of the
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American Heart Association mission. By partnering with a brand of high standing like Apple, we

hope to gain the attention of those who did not know the importance of heart health previously.

Marketing Objectives

Our goal for the 2020 calendar year is to increase all aspects of our charity. Our goal is to

improve cardiovascular health in American by 20% and reduce death from cardiovascular

diseases and stroke by 20%. Our goal is to raise more awareness and community engagement by

15%. We intend to raise our volunteer participation by 5%. With the partnership of Apple, we

intend to increase fundraising by 20% (n.d.).

Sales Forecasts

How will we raise fundraising by 20%? The partnership speaks for itself. There is an

unlimited amount of potential growth and opportunities for both companies with the partnership

of Apple and the American Heart Association. These are the quarterly sales forecast for the

product, American Heart Association special edition watch band.

Sales Forecast: Quarter 3

In light of the circumstances around the world, we are able to capitalize on the situation

and consumers wanting to better their health. The product launch will be released August 2020,

in the middle of the quarter. We can expect the highest percentages of sales from launch day at

our Apple Heart Walk. On average 35,000 people were in attendance at the Tampa Bay Heart

Walk in 2019. Walkers raised 3.5 million dollars at this fundraising event (Gannon 2019). In

Dallas, 60,000 walkers attended their heart walk in 2019 (n.d.). With just these two cities alone,

there is the potential to make $661,500.00 from the 15% of proceeds of our special edition watch

band excluding donations. We can expect in quarter three to achieve 8% of our 20% goal

through the Apple Heart Walk and the launch of the product.
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Sales Forecast: Quarter 4

We can expect October and November to be slower, lower sales. However, we are able to

maximize profits in December due to the holidays. We can anticipate funding to rise by an

additional 5% in quarter four because of the holidays.

Sales Forecast: Quarter 1

January is expected to be our month with the highest sales in quarter one. According to

research, 12% of gym members sign up in January. The American Heart Association’s mission is

for longer, healthier lives, which can align with the gym member goals (n.d). The new gym

members going to improve their health will be our target market for all of quarter one. We can

anticipate a 4% increase in funding.

Sales Forecast: Quarter 2

Quarter two is when we can expect sales to drop. There are no major holidays and this is

the time people are starting to slow down from the New Year. The product will still be new, and

awareness of the partnership will have spread and been known. We can anticipate an additional

3% increase in funding. By the end of quarter 2, we will have met our 2020 goal of increasing

funding by 20%.

Conclusion

The focus of the campaign, “Apple Bands for Hearts” is to grow the American Heart

Association community. We intend to grow our awareness of heart diseases and stroke, grow our

research, and continue to make more life changing breakthroughs (n.d.). With the partnership of

Apple, we will be able to achieve all of these goals and raise fundraising by 20%. The brand

partnership will also be benefitting Apple’s profits and their desire to reach a new demographic.

The two companies have the same aspiration to have people be more concerned for their health.
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Apple and the American Heart Association will both be successful in this partnership, as well as

serve the cause we are fighting for; heart disease and stroke (American Heart Association n.d.).
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