SUMMER TRAINING PROJECT REPORT

ON
“A study of apple product and it’s brand image “
At “Unicorn Apple Premium Reseller Store”
In Lucknow
Submitted in partial fulfillment for the award for

degree of

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

2018-2020
From
Dr. APJ ABDUL KALAM TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY,
LUCKNOW

SUBMITTED BY
SUBMITTED TO
SHEFALI SRIVASTAVA MS KRITIKA SRIVASTAVA
M.B.A. (3rd SEM) (ASSISTANT PROFESSOR)
ROLL NO. – 1851770076. KIPM COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT

Affiliated to ABDUL KALAM TECHNICAL

UNIVERSITY , LUCKNOW

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to various persons who have shared their

valuable time and made this project possible through their direct and indirect cooperation.

I am extremely grateful to respected MS. KRITIKA SRIVASTAVA (ASST, PROF.) at KIPM

College of management, Gorakhpur, for her kind guidance and supervision during the tenure.

I am extremely thankful to my friends for their friendly cooperation and would like to express

my deep sense of gratitude to my parents who encouraged me to complete this work.

SHEFALI SRIVASTAVA
MBA-3RD SEMESTER

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sr. No. Contents Page No.

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMERY 5

2. INTRODUCTION OF COMPANY 7

3. HISTORY OF COMPANY 10

4. LITERATURE REVIEW 17

5. PRODUCT LINE OF APPLE 21

6. UNICORN INFOSOLUTION PVT. LTD. 56

7. OBJECTIVE OF THE RESEARCH 63

8. 4 P’S OF MARKETING MIX 65

9. RESEARCH METHODOGY 73

10 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 82

11 COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS 95

12 FINDINGS 103

13 CONCLUSION 105

14 RECOMMENDATION AND SUGGESTION 107

15 LIMITATIONS 109

16 BIBLIOGRAPHY 110

17 QUESTIONNAIRE 111

Executive summary

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Apple Inc., which was formally known as Apple Computer Inc., is a multinational

corporation that designs, develops and sells a wide variety of consumer electronics,

personal computers, and computer software. It is located in United States of

America California and has its headquarters in Cupertino, California. Among its

adequately known hardware, products in the market industry are; iPhone

Smartphone, iPad tablet computer, and iPod music player among many other

computer accessories. Moreover, it develops and sells the following computer

software; iOS and OS X operating systems, Safari web browser, iTunes media

player, and iWork and iLife creativity and productivity collections. The market for

smart phones equated to normal cell phones is comparatively small but will upsurge

in the future. Currently apple has approximately 4.2% of the Global handset share

of the market. The objectives of this plan are to upsurge market share to 6% by July

2012 and to surge to 10% by January 2013. To obtain 5 additional fortune 500

indentures to utilize the iPhone. The past five years, the cumulative total return on

Apple stock has increased by 331%. The reason for this growth is twofold: the

technology sector has transformed and Apple has capitalized on this wave of

technological dependence; and Apple has captured the computing market through

improving existing technology and creating demand for new products through

pervasive transformative innovation. While Apple is enjoying market dominance

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in the United States, its growth depends on the production of new and improved

technology for emerging and developed markets.

INTRODUCTION ABOUT APPLE

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 Company: Apple Inc.
 CEO: Tim Cook
 Year founded: 1976
 Headquarter: Cupertino, California, USA
 Number of Employees (2018): 132,100
 Type: Public
 Ticker Symbol:  AAPL
 Market Cap (2018): $ 785.27 Billion
 Annual Revenue (2018): $ 265.59 Billion 
 Profit | Net income (2018): $ 59.53 Billion

 Products & Services:    Computers | Software | Phones | Watches | Tablets | Cloud Technology |
Accessories | Music Platform |
 Competitors: Microsoft | Lenovo | Google | Samsung | Toshiba | Dell | Sony | HP | Acer |

Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and manufactures

consumer electronics and computer software products. The company's best-known

hardware products include Macintosh computers, the iPod and the iPhone. Apple

software includes the Mac OS X operating system, the iTunes media browser, the

iLife suite of multimedia and creativity software, the iWork suite of productivity

software, Final Cut Studio, a suite of professional audio and film-industry software

products, and Logic Studio, a suite of audio tools. The company operates more

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than 250 retail stores in nine countries and an online store where hardware and

software products are sold.

Established in Cupertino, California on April 1, 1976 and incorporated

January 3, 1977, the company was called Apple Computer, Inc. for its first 30

years, but dropped the word "Computer" on January 9, 2007 to reflect the

company's ongoing expansion into the consumer electronics market in addition to

its traditional focus on personal computers. Apple has about 35,000 employees

worldwide and had worldwide annual sales of US$32.48 billion in its fiscal year

ending September 29, 2008.For reasons as various as its philosophy of

comprehensive aesthetic design to its distinctive advertising campaigns, Apple has

established a unique reputation in the consumer electronics industry. This includes

a customer base that is devoted to the company and its brand, particularly in the

United States. Fortune magazine named Apple the most admired company in the

United States in 2008 and in the world in 2009

HISTORY OF APPLE

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Apple Computers, Inc. was founded on April 1, 1976, by college dropouts Steve

Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who brought to the new company a vision of changing

the way people viewed computers. Jobs and Wozniak wanted to make computers

small enough for people to have them in their homes or offices. Simply put, they

wanted a computer that jobs and Wozniak started out building the Apple I in Jobs'

garage and sold them without a monitor, keyboard, or casing (which they decided

to add on in 1977). The Apple II revolutionized the computer industry with the

introduction of the first-ever color graphics.1 Sales jumped from $7.8 million in

1978 to $117 million in 1980, the year Apple went public as user-friendly.

Jobs and Wozniak started out building the Apple I in Jobs'

garage and sold them without a monitor, keyboard, or casing (which they decided

to add on in 1977). The Apple II revolutionized the computer industry with the

introduction of the first-ever color graphics.1 Sales jumped from $7.8 million in

1978 to $117 million in 1980, the year Apple went public

BEGINNING

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Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple on April 1, 1976. Initially, they

planned to design a simple micro-computer board that could be sold to small

businesses. However, the duo eventually went on to build a microcomputer kit

called Apple I, the company's first product. One year later, Apple was incorporated

as “Apple Computer Inc.”. The Apple II, one of the first commercially successful

personal computers, debuted that same year. The Apple II distinguished itself from

its major rivals by incorporating color graphics and an open architecture. Known

for its ease of use, features, and expandability, the Apple II helped Apple grow into

a profitable, well-regarded company. In 1984, Apple released the Macintosh,

which provided advanced graphics capabilities and a revolutionary Graphical User

Interface. Following the success of Apple II and the introduction of Macintosh, the

company had its IPO on September 7, 1984

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 In January 2007,

Apple dropped the word 'Computer' from its official name, reflecting the

company's changing strategies with the ongoing expansion into consumer

electronics market. The iPhone and Apple TV were introduced in the same year.

As of September 2008, Apple had more than 35,000 employee’sapp worldwide and

annual sales of $32.48 billion.

APPLE’s VISION STATEMENT

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 APPLE’s MISSION STATEMENT

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 LITERATURE REVIEW

APPLE PRODUCT GROWTH AND VALUATATION.

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Apple’s 1997 “Think Different” marketing campaign was one of its most

memorable ever. Billboards and banners featured huge black-and-white portraits of

performers, artists, scientists, and political leaders whose outsider ideas eventually

became mainstream. The implicit message was that Apple’s “insanely great”

products were for quirky rebels who would one day dominate the world. The photo

of Steve Jobs on the cover of his posthumous biography would have fit right in.

The Apple of today is turning its back on that creative class. Apple no longer

designs for creators of digital media, who tend to be very demanding about product

quality. Instead, Apple builds for consumers—in both senses of the word: people

who spend their own money, rather than their companies’, and people who

consume digital media, as opposed to people who produce it. Focusing on digital

consumption has made Apple wildly profitable, but the company’s products have

trended downwards in quality, flexibility, and even reliability. 

Apple's Strategic Profile - Value Culture vs. Cost Culture

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In my view, Apple's good and bad sides both emanate from the same business

philosophy: adroit exploitation of market power for the sole benefit of the

company and its investors. This model does not consider "what is fair" but what is

competitively achievable in higher prices for products sold and lower costs for

products,made.

Value Culture: When it comes to customers, Apple applies the notion of value

i.e., a pricing strategy that is driven by its focus on the value—real and perceived

—to its customers. The customer is willing to pay a price that is equal to the

product's perceived value to the customer. Hence, as long as the customers are

satisfied, Apple is under no obligation to reduce its prices.

Why Apple's growth is set to continue?

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Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, confounded skeptics and announced a 94 per

cent increase in profits on the same quarter last year, powered by iPhone and iPad

sales.

Not only growth up like that, in this day Apple Inc. is the big superstar of the 2011

Top 100 Global Brands list was Apple. Not only did Apple get designated as one

of the top ten brands in the world, its brand value rose 58% in a single year to

propel it into the Top 10. How can it be determined that a brand is 58% more

valuable in 2011 than it was in 2010.

Those who believe Apple's success is temporary argue that its rivals will inevitably

catch up. The company has taken a lead in smartphones and in tablet computers,

the skeptics say, but rivals have seen the opportunity and will produce better - or

simply cheaper – version.

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 PRODUCT LINE OF APPLE

Timeline of Apple Inc. products

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 PRODUCT LINE AS OF 2019

Apple Business Products:

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Apple Software Products:

Apple Accessories:

MACBOOK PRODUCT LINE

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MacBook Air

 Stunning 13.3-inch Retina display

 Touch ID

 Dual-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with Intel UHD Graphics

617

 Fast SSD storage

 8GB memory

 Stereo speakers with wider stereo sound

 Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports

 Up to 12 hours of battery life

 Up to 12 hours of battery life

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 Force Touch track pad

MacBook Pro

(13-inch Retina, Touch Bar, 2.3GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5, 8GB
RAM, 512GB SSD) - Silver

 2.3 GHz Quad-core Intel Core i5 processor

 Brilliant Retina display with True Tone technology

 Touch Bar and Touch ID

 Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655

 Ultrafast SSD

 Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports

 Up to 10 hours of battery life

 802.11ac Wi-Fi

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  Force Touch track pad

 IMac
With Retina 5K Display (27-inch, 3.7GHz 6-core 9th-Generation
Intel Core i5 Processor, 2TB)

 27-inch (diagonal) 5120-by-2880 Retina 5K display

 Stunning 5-mm-thin design
 6-core 8th- or 9th-generation Intel Core i5 processor (27-inch)
 RadeonPro 570X, 575X, or 580X graphics processor (27-inch)
 Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports
 802.11ac Wi-Fi
 Magic Mouse 2
 Magic Keyboard

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 iMac Pro
(27-inch Retina 5K display, 3.2GHz 8-core Intel Xeon W, 32GB
RAM, 1TB SSD) - Space Gray

 
 27-Inch (diagonal) Retina 5K display

 5120-By-2880 resolution with support for one billion colors

 Stunning 5-mm-thin design

 8-Core Xeon w Processor

 Radeon Pro Vega 56 graphics with 8GB of HBM2 Memory

 32GB of memory, configurable to 64GB or 128GB

 1TB of SSD storage

 Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports/four USB 3 ports/ SDXC card slot/10GB

Ethernet/3.5 mm headphone jack/Stereo speakers/four mics

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Mac mini
(3.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i3 processor, 128GB) - Space Gray

 Quad-core i3 8th-Generation Intel Core Processor

 Intel UHD Graphics 630

 8GB 2666MHz DDR4

 Ultrafast SSD storage

 Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, one HDMI 2. 0 port, and two USB 3

ports

 Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11AC Wi-Fi

 Macos Mojave inspired by pros but designed for everyone, with dark mode,

stacks, easier screenshots, new built-in apps, and more

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Mac OS: CATALINA

macOS Catalina (version 10.15) is the sixteenth and current major release of

macOS, Apple's desktop operating system for Macintosh computers. It is the

successor to the 2018's macOS Mojave, and was announced at WWDC 2019 on

June 3, 2019 and released to the public on October 7, 2019. Catalina is the first

version of macOS to support only 64-bit applications and the first to include

Activation Lock.

The operating system is named after Santa Catalina Island, which is located off the

coast of southern California.

macOS Catalina runs on all standard configuration Macs that support Mojave.

2010–2012 Mac Pros, which could run Mojave only with a GPU upgrade, are no

longer supported. Catalina requires 4 GB of memory, an increase over the 2 GB

required by Lion through Mojave.

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iPad PRODUCT LINE

Apple iPad
(10.2-inch, Wi-Fi + Cellular, 32GB) - Gold (Latest Model)

 10.2-inch Retina display

 A10 Fusion chip

 Touch ID fingerprint sensor and Apple Pay

 8MP back camera, 1.2MP Face Time HD front camera

 Stereo speakers

 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Gigabit-class LTE cellular data

 Up to 10 hours of battery life

 Lightning connector for charging and accessories

 Support for Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil

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 iPadOS with intuitive multitasking, new Home screen and all the great

features of iOS

 Apple iPad Air

(10.5-inch, Wi-Fi, 64GB) - Space Grey

 10.5-inch Retina display with True Tone and wide color

 A12 Bionic chip
 Touch ID fingerprint sensor and Apple Pay
 8MP back camera, 7MP Face Time HD front camera
 Stereo speakers
 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Gigabit-class LTE cellular data
 Up to 10 hours of battery life
 Lightning connector for charging and accessories

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Apple iPad Pro
(12.9-inch, Wi-Fi, 1TB) - Silver

 12.9-inch edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display with ProMotion, True Tone,

and wide color

 A12X Bionic chip with Neural Engine

 Face ID for secure authentication

 12-megapixel back camera, 7-megapixel True Depth front camera

 Four speaker audio with wider stereo sound

 802.11ac Wi-Fi

 Up to 10 hours of battery life

 USB-C connector for charging and accessories

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Apple iPad Mini
(Wi-Fi + Cellular, 64GB) – Silver

 7.9-inch Retina display with True Tone and wide color

 A12 Bionic chip
 Touch ID fingerprint sensor
 8MP back camera, 7MP Face Time HD front camera
 Stereo speakers
 802.11ac Wi-Fi with Gigabit-class LTE cellular data
 Up to 10 hours of battery life
 Lightning connector for charging and accessories

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iPad OS
iPadOS is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. for

their iPad line of tablet computers. The successor of iOS 12 on iPad, it was

announced at the company's 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), s

a derivation from iOS but with a greater emphasis put on multitasking. It was

released on September 24, 2019.

Apple AirPods
with Wireless Charging Case

 Automatically on, automatically connected

 Easy setup for all your Apple devices

 Quick access to Siri by saying “Hey Siri”

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 Double-tap to play or skip forward

 New Apple H1 headphone chip delivers faster wireless connection to your

devices

 Charges quickly in the case

 Case can be charged either wirelessly using a Qi-compatible charging mat or

using the Lightning connector

 Rich, high-quality audio and voice

 Listen and talk all day with multiple charges from the Charging Case

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IPHONE PRODUCT LINE

Apple iPhone 8 Plus

(64GB) - Space Grey

 5.5-inch Retina HD display

 IP67 water and dust resistant (maximum depth of 1 meter up to 30 minutes)

 12MP dual cameras with OIS, Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, and 4K video

 7MP Face Time HD camera with Retina Flash

 Touch ID for secure authentication

 A11 Bionic with Neural Engine

 iOS 12 with Screen Time, Group Face Time, and even faster performance

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Apple iPhone X (64GB) - Space Grey

 5.8-inch Super Retina display (OLED) with HDR

 IP67 water and dust resistant (maximum depth of 1 meter up to 30 minutes)
 12MP dual cameras with dual OIS and 7MP True Depth front camera—
Portrait mode and Portrait Lighting
 Face ID for secure authentication
 A11 Bionic with Neural Engine
 Wireless charging—works with Qi chargers
 iOS 12 with Memoji, Screen Time, Siri Shortcuts, and Group FaceTime

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Apple iPhone Xs Max
(64GB) – Silver

 6.5-inch Super Retina display (OLED) with HDR

 IP68 dust and water resistant (maximum depth of 2 meters up to 30 minutes)
 12MP dual cameras with dual OIS and 7MP TrueDepth front camera—
Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, Depth Control, and Smart HDR
 Face ID for secure authentication
 A12 Bionic with next-generation Neural Engine
 Wireless charging—works with Qi chargers
 iOS 12 with Memoji, Screen Time, Siri Shortcuts, and Group FaceTime

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Apple iPhone XR
(64GB) (Product) RED

 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display (LCD)

 IP67 water and dust resistant (maximum depth of 1 meter up to 30 minutes)
 12MP camera with OIS and 7MP TrueDepth front camera—Portrait mode,
Portrait Lighting, Depth Control, and Smart HDR
 Face ID for secure authentication
 A12 Bionic with next-generation Neural Engine
 Wireless charging—works with Qi chargers
 iOS 12 with Memoji, Screen Time, Siriprl Shortcuts, and Group FaceTime.

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Apple iPhone 11
(64GB) - White

 6.1-inch Liquid Retina HD LCD display

 Water and dust resistant (2 meters for up to 30 minutes, IP68)
 Dual-camera system with 12MP Ultra Wide and Wide cameras; Night mode,
Portrait mode, and 4K video up to 60fps
 12MP TrueDepth front camera with Portrait mode, 4K video, and Slo-Mo
 Face ID for secure authentication and Apple Pay
 A13 Bionic chip with third-generation Neural Engine
 Fast-charge capable
 Wireless charging

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Apple iPhone 11 Pro
(64GB) - Gold

 5.8-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display

 Water and dust resistant (4 meters for up to 30 minutes, IP68)
 Triple-camera system with 12MP Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto cameras;
Night mode, Portrait mode, and 4K video up to 60fps
 12MP TrueDepth front camera with Portrait mode, 4K video, and Slo-Mo
 Face ID for secure authentication and Apple Pay
 A13 Bionic chip with third-generation Neural Engine
 Fast charge with 18W adapter included
 Wireless charging

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iOS 13

iOS 13 is the thirteenth major release of the iOS mobile operating

system developed by Apple Inc. for their iPhone and iPod Touch lines. The

successor of iOS 12 on iPhone, iPod Touch, and HomePod, it was announced at

the company's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 3, 2019, was

released on September 19, 2019.

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Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular, 42mm) - Silver Aluminium
Case with White Sport Band

 GPS + Cellular
 Optical heart sensor
 Digital Crown
 S3 with dual-core processor
 Accelerometer and gyroscope
 Swimproof
 watchOS 5
 Aluminium case

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Apple Watch Series 4
(GPS + Cellular, 44mm) - Gold Stainless Steel Case with Stone
Sport Band

 GPS + Cellular
 Optical heart sensor
 Digital Crown
 S3 with dual-core processor
 Accelerometer and gyroscope
 Swimproof
 watchOS 5
 Aluminium case or stainless steel case

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Apple Watch Series 5
(GPS + Cellular, 44mm) - Silver Aluminium Case with White Sport
Band

 GPS + Cellular
 Always-On Retina display
 30% larger screen
 Swimproof
 ECG app
 Electrical and optical heart sensors
 Built-in compass
 Elevation
 Emergency SOS
 International Emergency Calling

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watchOS

watchOS is the operating system of the Apple Watch, developed by Apple Inc.. It

is based on the iOS operating system and has many similar features. It was released

on April 24, 2015, along with the Apple Watch, the only device that runs watchOS.

Its API is called WatchKit.

The second version, watchOS 2, included support for native third-party apps and

other improvements, and was released on September 21, 2015. The third version,

watchOS 3, was released on September 13, 2016, emphasizing better performance

and including new watch faces and stock apps. The fourth version, watchOS 4, was

released on September 19, 2017. The fifth version, watchOS 5, was released on

September 17, 2018, adding more third-party support and new workouts, along

with the “Walkie-Talkie” feature. The sixth version, watchOS 6, was released on

September 19, 2019.

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APPLE TV PRODUCT LINE

Apple TV
(32GB, 4th generation)

 1080p HD for high-quality video

 Dolby digital Plus 7.1 surround sound
 A8 chip
 Voice search by asking the Siri Remote
 View photos and videos from your iPhone and iPad on TV
 Netflix, HBO Now, Hulu, Amazon Prime video, ESPN, iTunes, and
thousands more apps in the App Store

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Apple ID

Apple ID is an authentication method used by Apple for iPhone, iPad, Mac and

other Apple devices. Apple IDs contain user personal information and settings.

When an Apple ID is used to log into an Apple device, the device will

automatically use the settings associated with the Apple ID.

Unicorn Infosolutions Pvt Ltd

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 Established in 2002, headquartered at Mumbai our

operations is carried across 38 Point of interactions nationwide with Apple Mono

Brand Stores and Apple Authorised Service Centres in Mumbai, Pune,

Ahmedabad, Gurgaon, Lucknow, Chandigarh and New Delhi .

Strong focus on the segment has led to a significant

growth of the company, with an annual sales turnover of 700 Cr. plus . All this is

backed up by a team of 650 Plus Employees who are quality trained professionals

to help our customers as and when required and keep the work going on. Our

engineers have expertise in various fields and across the entire range of products

that we offer. So our offering is not just limited to hardware/software, it is about

maintaining the relationship strong and long lasting by providing excellent after

sales support. Integrity, commitment and reliability are values that are etched onto

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the very heart of our team, which aims at fulfilling every need of its

customers.Whether you are a consumer or professional customer, you will enjoy

friendly, knowledgeable advice and support at a store conveniently located near

you.

Showcasing the full Apple product line in a customer-friendly environment,

Unicorn is renowned for providing outstanding customer service.

Offers by unicorn apple premium reseller store on products

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 Objective of the study

 To study how Apple managed to became no. one brand in the world.

 To study how to create brand loyalty.

 Study how to create premium market for premium product at premium price.

 To study about the product line of Apple.

 To study about Unicorn premium store.

4 P’s of marketing mix of apple inc.

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From Apple; Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along

with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music

revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile

phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of

mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

Apple is the most valuable brand in the world. They are worth 87% more than the

second most valuable brand, Google. To say Apple is in a class of their own might

be an understatement.

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When a company has established its marketing mix and began to understand its

plan for the four P’s: product, place, price, and promotion.

 Product – products or services that satisfy consumer demand

 Price – amount a customer pays for a product

 Promotion – all communication marketers may use to provide information

about the product

 Place (Distribution) – providing the product at a convenient place for

consumers

APPLE’S MARKETING MIX: PRODUCTS

Apple products are innovative because they are designed after thorough customer

research. Apple likes to think it knows what customers want and for the most part,

they do.

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Apple offers premium products at premium prices while still maintaining large

market share and high profit margins.

Objective 1- Continue to create groundbreaking products. Apple has made a name

for itself becoming a trend setter in the market with every one of their products

introducing something new and exciting to the world.

Objective 2- Innovate and dictate the movement for future technology

APPLE’S MARKETING MIX: PRICE

Apple uses premium pricing for their products. Because of the innovation and

technology in their products customers are fine with paying a higher price

compared to some other brands. 

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With every premium branded product there will come a premium price. It’s to be

expected that the big name brands that present superior quality will bring the

highest price.

Objective 1- Enter and sustain premium pricing while attempting to gain market

share.

Objective 2- Increase profit margins.

Even with a high or low share of the market it’s your margins that make or break

you. Apple has great margins but a low market share across the board due to

competitors low price points.

APPLE MARKETING MIX: PLACE (DISTRIBUTION)

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Apple has strict guidelines as to who is allowed to sell (distribute) their products.

To ensure control over distribution, Apple authorizes certain stores to sell their

product. 

Apple product distribution includes:

 Apple Stores
 Online Apple store and App Store
 Authorized retailers such as Telecom Companies

Objective 1- Expand nationwide chain of Apple stores globally.The Apple store

accounts for the majority of the company’s sells. Therefore there must be more

stores to increase sells substantially.

Objective 2- Make products available 

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APPLE’S MARKETING MIX: PROMOTION

Building a brand may be the toughest challenge in all of business. To start at

absolutely nothing and build something that persuades millions of consumers to

buy your products.

Apple promotes their products through commercials and print ads, focusing on

how their products are different from competitors.

One big component of Apple’s promotion is their yearly keynote speeches. These

events themselves are not only part of Apple’s overall promotion, but have become

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a part of their brand and image. They keep fans interested and provide information

on upcoming products.

Objective 1- Build hype and anticipation for new upcoming products.

Objective 2- Sustain and expand on strongly branded name.

Research Methodology

In application of market research the research has to go through several steps or

stages and these steps are following:

Step 1: Defining the Problem

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Defining the problem is the most important part of the market research process,

because wrong definition misdirects research.

The type of research to be carried out, the question to be raised, and the sampling

procedure to be followed and the data to be collected, all depends on the current

understanding of the problem Apple is having negligible competition in the market

with other players. One of these factors is Brand Name.

For the purpose of my study I intend to take up descriptive design

Step 2: Develop the Research Plan

The second stage of marketing research calls for developing the most efficient plan

for gathering the needed information.

Designing the research plan calls for decision on the data sources, Research

approaches, Research instruments, Sampling plan, and other contact methods.

Research Design
Primary Data can be collected in five ways:
 Observation
 Focus Groups
 Surveys
 Behavioral Data
 Experiments
Types of Data

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  Demographic
 Sociological
 Psychographic
 Behavioral

Step 3: Collect the Information

The data collection phase of marketing research is generally the most expensive

and most prone to error. The information collected should be both accurate and

relevant as per as the requirement of research project.

Data collection method can broadly be classified into two major categories listed

below.

 Primary Method: When a researcher directly collects data then this method

is known as primary data method e.g. interviews and questionnaire method

 Secondary Methods: the data are termed secondary data when they are not

originally collected for use in the research project under consideration, they

were collected rather for use by some person or for some other project.

Step 4: Presentation of Findings

As a last step of market research process, results are extracted from the analysis of

information and are presented to the related party. The findings should be written

in a concise, simple and objective oriented language.

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 SWOT Analysis of Apple

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Apple’s Strengths – Internal Strategic Factors

 Globally Iconic – Apple is one of the most reliable company when it

comes to personalized advanced computers and smart technology devices.
 Top Technology – Apple was the first to introduce some of the
most innovative products that have changed the world (iPhones, iPads)
 Brand Of Choice – It isn’t big news that Apple is a demanded brand in
corporate offices. Apple has a specific business page that offers top quality
technology solutions for every corporation’s needs.
 Proficient Research – Apple puts dedication into its product designs.
Careful study is initiated and further research is performed to help
understand customer needs and requirements.

Apple’s Weaknesses – Internal Strategic Factors

 Lack of Marketing & Promotions – Apple has solidified their

grounds by establishing loyal customers, even with poor marketing tactics

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  Lack of Competition – Apple doesn’t really compete against its
competitors.
 High Priced Products – Apple’s products can be considered a luxury
due to their premium prices. The products are priced for middle and high-
income consumers.
 Incompatibility With Other Software – When a customer buys an
apple product, they enter the Apple universe. Apple’s products do not
support other software or technologies making them incompatible with other
devices.

Apple’s Opportunities – External Strategic Factors

 Consistent Customer Growth – Apple has been dominating the

technology sector for years now. They provide top quality and cutting-edge
technology that offers a breakthrough in customer experience.
 Qualified Professionals – Apple’s researchers, developers, and product
specialists are a team of highly qualified professionals that have years of
experience in branding consumer products.
 Expansive Distribution Network – Apple Inc. has the opportunity to
expand its distribution network. Currently, the distribution network that
Apple has is very limited and leaves room for minimal growth
 Utilize Artificial intelligence – To increase its profit margins and have
a strong market position, Apple should utilize artificial intelligence.

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Apple’s Threats – External Strategic Factors

 Apple Bullied By Counterfeits – Apple has become vulnerable to third

world countries illegally utilizing the brand image to sell counterfeit

products.
 Increasing Competition – Although Apple as a brand has solidified
itself, it still faces threats from competitors.
 Market Penetration – There has been a significant change
in market penetration by other brands in the smartphone market
 Lawsuits: 60 class-action lawsuits have been filed against Apple.

Consumers were upset and baffled when Apple announced that it

deliberately throttles CPU performance on iPhone models with older and
degraded batteries.

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 PESTLE ANAlYSIS OF APPLE

(P)olitical factors affecting Apple

 Apple’s dependence on Chinese manufacturing and markets makes it

vulnerable to political unrest in that country.
 Apple could become the target of growing nationalism and anti-
Americanism in China, which could reduce its market share.
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  Apple’s close association with China could become a political issue in
countries like the United States and Japan if China were to be perceived as a
threat.

(E)conomic factors that are important to Apple

 Increased labor costs in China could take away the cost advantage of some
Apple products.
 Stagnating middle-class incomes in some developed countries, including the
United States, could shrink the potential market for higher-end consumer
goods such as those marketed by Apple.
 A strong U.S. dollar could increase exchange rates, making it more
expensive for Apple to do business in key markets like Europe and China.

(S)ocial/Sociocultural factors influencing Apple’s business

environment

 There is a backlash against expensive and stylish products among some

customers in the United States and Europe.
 The biggest growth in consumer spending in coming decades will be in areas
of the world such as Africa where people are unfamiliar with Apple
products.
 Ethical concerns about Apple’s manufacturing in China could limit its
products’ appeal among socially-conscious consumers.

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(T)echnological factors in Apple’s business

 The number of new consumer products Apple can bring out is limited. Many
of its new offerings, such as Apple TV, will have a limited market.
 Growing use of smartphones and tablets will lower demand for Apple’s
popular personal computers.
 The growing capabilities of cyber criminals make Apple’s systems less
secure and take away one of its strongest competitive advantages: its
reputation for high levels of security and safety.

(E)nvironmental factors in Apple

 Apple is highly vulnerable to increases in electricity costs because of its

dependence on data centers and other Internet infrastructure
 Concern about energy use and other side effects from data centers could lead
to increased regulation and costs.
 The biggest environmental issue facing Apple is the disposal of used or
nonworking electronic devices.

(L)egal factors that limit Apple

 Apple has recently entered the highly regulated financial services sector via
Apple Pay.
 By offering financial services, Apple could face increased levels of litigation
 News reports indicate that Apple is planning to enter another highly-
regulated sector: automobile manufacturing

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 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

For Apple Users – 50 Apple users were given the questionnaire to be filled. Due to

lack of sample size, the samples are mainly confined to students in the age group

of 20-30.

Q1:Apple Products used By Consumer

Product No. Of User

Macpro 6
Macbook 8
Iphone 11
Ipod 23
Ipad 2
Apple Tv 0
Total 50

Conclusion – The most used product from Apple is Ipod which is also their

highest selling product. Few people use Iphone and number of people who use

Macbook or Macpro is very limited confined to business class and devoted

consumer only. Apple tv is not used by anyone in the sample size.

70 | P a g e
 Chart Title

Statement
A brand for me
26%
31%
A brand that helps to live life the way
I want

A fun brand

43%

Q2:Usage of Apple Product

Period No. Of User
Less than 6 8
Months
6 months – 2 17
years

2 – 4 years 13

More than 4 12
years
Total 50

Conclusion – Most of the consumer have been using their Apple product for 6
month – 2 years. Consumer who have been using Apple product for 2-4 years and
more are the ones which have older version as ipod have a life of around 4 years.

71 | P a g e
 Chart Title

Statement
26% A brand for me
31%
A brand that helps to live life the
way I want

A fun brand

43%

Q3: What are the consumer responses toward various statements about Apple
and themselves ?

Question Strongly Disagree Neutra Agree Strongly Total

Disagre l Agree
e
I am proud to tell others 0 2 5 17 26 50
that I own Apple Product
I would recommend 4 6 12 14 14 50
Apple to other
I prefer to pay more for 13 9 11 8 9 50
high quality of Apple
Product
Compare to other Brand 0 0 9 17 24 50
Apple has highest quality
Apple provide value 16 13 8 9 4 50
added feature on its
product
For me it is hard to 6 4 13 9 18 50
switch to other brands
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Apple offers good value 8 6 13 15 8 50
for the price I paid
Apple fulfills his 5 13 14 10 8 50
obligation towards the
customer
Apple product matches 0 0 9 16 25 50
my lifestyle and taste.
Overall I am a customer 7 11 8 13 11 50
who is very loyal to
Apple.

Conclusion – Apple product owners are very loyal to its brand and feel proud in
showing of their Apple product. One common complaint that almost all consumer
have is that of value added features and price of their product. They find that
competitor offers the same features in their product at fewer prices. Apple charges
more for their innovative design and feel.

Chart Title

23
17 14
0

t e t
en m an nd
r w ra
em fo I b
at d ay
n
St an w fu
A
br e
A th
fe
li
e
l iv
to
s
p
el
h
at
th
d
an
br
A

73 | P a g e
 Q4:What kind of words describing relationship between Apple and
Consumer ?

Statement No. of
People
A brand for me 17

A brand that helps to live life the way 23

I want

A fun brand 14

A brand that fits all my areas of 32

lifestyle

An innovative brand 11

A brand that keeps me connected 17

A brand for business people 9

A brand that I am proud to own 27

Total 150

Conclusion – Most of the people find that Apple product are very trendy and
match their lifestyle. It makes them more fashionable and product also fulfills their
need. The consumers are proud to own an Apple product which let them have fun
on the go.

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 No. of People
150
160
140
120
100
80
60
32 27
40 17 23 17
14 11 9
20
0
e t d l
an an
d
ty
le
an ed pl
e
w
n ta
rm Iw br es br ct eo to o To
fo n li f ne p
d ay fu ve co
n s d
an w A of ati nes rou
br e a s o v e s i p
A th re n m u
e ya
in ps r b I am
lif A n e e f o
e lm k d at
liv al hat ran d th
to ts t b
ps t fi nd A bran
hel tha b ra A
at nd A
th a
d br
an A
br
A

For Non Apple Users – 50 Non-Apple users were given the questionnaire to be
filled. Due to lack of sample size, the samples are mainly confined to students in
the age group of 20-30.

Q1: Which brand comes to consumer mind when they think of

High-end MP3/PVP ?
Features Reliability Service Accessibilit Safety
y
Apple 18 11 13 19 16
Creative 17 12 7 12 11
Cowon 4 9 9 4 13
Sony 6 14 13 9 7
Philips 5 4 8 6 3

75 | P a g e
Conclusion – Most of the Non-consumer rank Apple high in terms of features,
service, Accessibility and Safety. The only close competitor is creative and Sony

Chart Title
25 12

10
20

8
15
6
10
4

5
2

0 0
Features Reliability Service Accessibility Safety

Apple Blackberry Nokia HTC Sony Ericsson

Q2: Which brand comes to consumer mind when they think of

High-end cell phones ?

Features Reliability Service Accessibilit Safety

y
Apple 14 13 8 5 5
Blackberr 18 9 8 13 19
y
Nokia 7 16 20 17 8
HTC 9 8 5 6 10
Sony 2 6 9 9 8
Ericsson

Conclusion – The non-consumer rank Blackberry and Nokia high when it comes
to High-end Phones. Apple lack features of Blackberry while Nokia score in terms
of Service and Accessibility

76 | P a g e
 Apple
Safety

Features
Accessibility

Service

Reliability

Q3: Which brand comes to consumer mind when they think of

High-end desktops ?

Features Reliability Service Accessibilit Safety

y
Apple 19 17 10 6 19
Dell 23 18 24 27 16
HP 8 15 16 17 15
Acer 0 0 0 0 0
Asus 0 0 0 0 0

Conclusion – Dell and HP being the market leader scores high when it comes to
high-end desktop. Also Dell features customized desktop which is not offered any
other competitor

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 Apple
Features
Reliability
27% 27% Service
Accessibility
Safety
8%
14% 24%

Q4: What are Consumer responses toward various statements about

Apple and themselves?

Question Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly

Disagre Agree
e
Apple products have high 13 12 9 11 5
technology.
Apple products use good 4 7 8 13 18
material in manufacturing.
I can quickly recall the symbol 0 0 0 14 36
or logo of Apple.
When I think of Apple brand, it 9 13 4 10 14
provides concept of the best
product in my mind.
I have the positive attitude 3 7 12 16 12
toward Apple
Apple offers good value for the 11 8 4 14 13
price they charge.
When I want to change to 18 11 3 6 12
another brand, it incurs cost to
me
Compared to other product, 17 15 4 8 6
Apple product have more
features

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Conclusion – Most of the Non Consumer agree that though Apple product have
high build quality and design they lack features. They are best in what they do but
they do very less.

Strongly Disagree

Apple products have high technology.

Apple products use good material in
manufacturing.
17% I can quickly recall the symbol or logo of
23% Apple.
When I think of Apple brand, it provides
concept of the best product in my mind.
5%
I have the positive attitude toward Apple
Apple offers good value for the price
they charge.
12% When I want to change to another
brand, it incurs cost to me
24% Compared to other product, Apple
4% product have more features
15%

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 Competitive analysis Of Apple

Technical innovations, minimalistic designs, and creative marketing, Apple Inc.

has branded itself as a game changer in the smartphone, laptop, and

entertainment technology industry.

Apple offers a wide range of products, and the company remains a fierce

competitor in several markets ranging from laptops, entertainment media to

smartphone mobiles. Here is a list of the top 11 Apple competitors;

1 – SAMSUNG

Samsung today is one of the largest and most profitable companies in Asia and the

world in general.When compared to Apple, Samsung can be the primary

competitor to Apple’s Smartphones – The Iphone. Samsung’s Galaxy series and

Note series are both premium series which are the major reason for dents in Iphone

sales. 

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2- MICROSOFT

Microsoft Corporation has made significant contributions to the IT industry. It

develops and manufactures computer hardware and software products as well as

smartphones. Also, Microsoft licenses software products for computers.

3- DELL

Dell is majorly known as a manufacturer of desk-based and mobile PCs. With

regards to competition, Dell majorly competes with HP, Acer, and Lenovo. It

however also competes with Apple in the market of consumer

4- SONY

 Sony has set its own standards for electronic devices, instead of imitating other

brands. Sony is also a competitor to Apple’s iphone though it nowhere near the

level of Samsung in competition with Apple.

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5- XIAOMI

Xiaomi is a Chinese company that develops, manufactures and supplies

smartphones and consumer electronics. Smartphone enthusiast will agree with us

that Xiaomi mobile devices are a great deal to buy considering their

affordable pricing and excellent built quality.

6- BOSE

Apple purchased Beats electronics 2 years ago in a 3 billion dollar deal. So Apple

is now in direct competition with Bose as they both produce similar models of

electronics, and to a similar target audience.

7- HEWLETT PACKARD

HP Inc. and Lenovo are top companies having almost 22% market share followed

by Dell and Acer and Apple. HP Inc. is providing acceptable quality products with

affordable prices.

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8- LENOVO

Lenovo is one of the Apple Competitors for all its products – Smartphones,

Laptops and Tablets. Lenovo has an excellent range of laptops and has an in depth

product portfolio. Although it lacks in Marketing and Brand equity.

9- HUAWEI

Huawei is the top most competitor of Apple iPhone. In the worldwide smartphone

market Huawei is giving a tough time to Apple iPhone. Samsung is still the leader

the smartphone market having more than 20% market share.

10- GOOGLE

Google is a primary competitor to Apple in the operation system segment. Google

strategy is focused on mass penetration as android hold 84.7% of market share. On

the other hand Apple iOS having 11.7% market. In the smartphone segment

Google Pixel is the Top Apple competitor.

83 | P a g e
 Findings

 Apple is all about the right team. An Apple store is the home to best service

around.

 They like to keep it clean with proper layout and no exposed cables and

printers so that customer can feel relaxed and happier.

 Apple always put people before stuff as opening the store was about helping

people

 Apple employees are encouraged to be creative at every turn so that they can

help a customer make a better choice.

 The “hands on” component helps customer get the feel of owning a product.

 There is no such thing as typical apple employee. It is to subtly let customer

know that apple welcomes all type of people.

 Apple code of service is simple-

A – Approach with a customized, warm greeting

P – Probe politely to understand the customer’s needs

P – Present a solution the customer can take home today

84 | P a g e
 L – Listen for and address unanswered questions

E – End with a fond farewell and an invitation to return

Conclusion

The main conclusion that can be drawn is we found to be the most interesting

about Apple is how they are very innovative and early adapters. Apple is usually

the first company to come out with a new product line before anyone else. This is

very risky but it seems to be working to Apples advantage. This shows that taking

risks can sometimes make or break you and Apple has great potential and has a lot

to improve.

Apple is one of the big four players in the technology industry. The company

enjoyed impressive sales in 2018. However, its financial performance in 2019 (q1

and q2) has weakened due to US China trade wars and some other factors.

 Apart from fluctuations in revenue, overall the brand maintains its formidable

presence in the tech industry. However, to reduce its dependence on personal

computing and mobile computing products, it will need to diversify into new areas.

The PC market stabilised a bit in 2018 but again declined in 2019. All these factors

have led to growth in number of challenges before the brand while its rival

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Microsoft has steadily managed its market cap above 1 trillion for past few

months. The challenges before Apple are big and unless it focuses upon expanding

its sources of revenue and attracting new user segments, the gap between it and its

leading rival Microsoft might grow bigger. Amid all these challenges, Apple’s

existing user base is still a reliable source of revenue and its strong cash flow will

continue to support investment in fresh innovations.

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 Recommendation And Suggestion

While the majority of apple idea have resulted in a success, there are few strategies

that have resulted in failures. For this I have come up with of recommendation to

help Apple to grow and expand. Here is my list of remmendations:

 Apple should pay more emphasis on global expansion with consideration to

price adjustments.

 Open more retail store locations, both domestically and internationally.

 Continue to innovate and engineer new products

 Decrease delays for consumers by increasing shipment sizes to retail stores.

 Strengthen relationships with google and PC industry giants.

 Remove proprietary software and support open source development to

attract worldwide developers to help write applications for apple products.

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 LIMITATIONS

 Meeting sales target by the employees.

 Language problem for some staff.

 Lack of service center in the city.

 Very few apple stores to buy product from.

 Pricing is premium because of which everyone cannot buy it.

 Inventory could get lost because of negligation.

 Apple should conduct more workshops for their products.

 Many android products are available in cheaper rates with more stores.

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 Bibliography

 http://community.mis.temple.edu/shashanknagaraj/files/2014/04/Apple-

Executive-Summary-Group-4.pdf

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.

 http://betterbests.weebly.com/bibliography.html

 https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/apple/history-of-apple-steve-jobs-mac-

3606104/

 https://fourweekmba.com/apple-mission-statement-vision-statement/

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Apple_Inc._products

 https://www.apple.com/in/

 https://unicornstore.in/

 https://titanwebmarketingsolutions.com/4-powerful-ps-need-know-apples-

marketing-mix/

 https://research-methodology.net/apple-inc-report-2-2/

 http://eskify.com/10-apples-biggest-competitors/

Questionnaire
89 | P a g e
Questionnaire (For Apple Users)

1. Gender

Male

Female

2. Age

Less than 20 years

20 – 30 years

31-40 years

More than 40 years

3. Occupation

Student

Businessman

Government Officer

Private Officer

4. Which Apple Product do you use?

MacPro

MacBook

Iphone

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 IPad

IPod

Apple tv

5. You have used Apple products for

Less than 6 months

6 months – 2 years

2 – 4 years

More than 4 years

6. Please rate your response toward Apple by making a choice in the box that is

corresponding with your feeling.

Question Strongly Disagree Neutra Agree Strongly

Disagree l Agree
I am proud to tell others
that I own Apple
Product
I would recommend
Apple to other
I prefer to pay more for
high quality of Apple
Product
Compare to other Brand
Apple has highest
quality
Apple provide value
added feature on its
product

91 | P a g e
For me it is hard to
switch to other brands
Apple offers good value
for the price I paid
Apple fulfills his
obligation towards the
customer
Apple product matches
my lifestyle and taste.
Overall I am a customer
who is very loyal to
Apple.

7. Which is Apple’s biggest competitor in Consumer electronics segment and

why?

8. Which is Apple’s biggest competitor in software segment and why?

9. Select 3 words which describe your relationship with Apple

92 | P a g e
 a) A brand for me

b) A brand that helps to live life the way I want

c) A fun brand

d) A brand that fits all my areas of lifestyle

e) An innovative brand

f) A brand that keeps me connected

g) A brand for business people

h) A brand that I am proud to own

For Non Apple User

1. Gender
Male

Female

2. Age

Less than 20 years

20 – 30 years

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 31-40 years

More than 40 years

3. Occupation

Student

Businessman

Government Officer

Private Officer

4. You didn’t bought Apple Product because

5. Which brand comes to you mind when you think of high end MP3/PVP
player and why?

Features Reliability Service Accessibilit Safety

y
Apple
Creative
Cowon
Sony
Archos

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 6. Which brand comes to you mind when you think of high end cell phone and
why?

Features Reliability Service Accessibilit Safety

y
Apple
Blackberr
y
Nokia
HTC
Sony
Ericsson

7. Which brand comes to your mind when you think of high end desktop and
why

Features Reliability Service Accessibilit Safety

y
Apple
Dell
HP
Acer
Asus

8. Which brand comes to you mind when you think of high end laptops and
why?

Features Reliability Service Accessibilit Safety

y
Apple
Dell
HP
Acer
Sony

95 | P a g e
 9. Which brand do you use for

Brand
MP3/PVP player
Desktop
Laptop
Cell Phone

10.Please rate your responses in regard to the following question

Question Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly

Disagre Agree
e
Apple products have high
technology.
Apple products use good
material in manufacturing.
I can quickly recall the symbol
or logo of Apple.
When I think of Apple brand, it
provides concept of the best
product in my mind.
I have the positive attitude
toward Apple
Apple offers good value for the
price they charge.
When I want to change to
another brand, it incurs cost to
me
Compared to other product,
Apple product have more
features

96 | P a g e