Apple Inc - Marketing Product

Introduction

Apple Inc. is based on the creation of personal computers and the supply of digital cameras. It has a purpose of designing, advancing and supplying its products. The market plan states products offered by Apple Inc. which include quality products like Macintosh computers, iPad and iPhone. The international company based in America also offers software which includes the iTunes, iWork, Safari, iOS, Final Cut Studio and iLife. The company, in short, specializes mainly in the sale of computer software, electronics and personal computers as illustrated in the marketing plan.

Discuss the type of product the company offers and identify its primary characteristics

Apple’s products are from desktops to portable computers for the consumer and education based markets. The company also offers related electronics and other peripherals. Software products include the Mac OS X, the server software, professionally applied software, educational software and business based software. Apple Inc. also designs, advances and sells iPod digital musical players and iPhone communication peripherals. The products are of high performance levels with computers of dual processing units, internal video cameras and fast graphic cards. The iPods have large storage capacities while iPhones constitute GPS services and a touch screen of high quality (Mallin & Finkle, 2011).

Discuss the service component of the product and how it is used to enhance the product

Apple Inc. offers services to its customers such as the internet based service that sells patent albums and songs for a fee. The web distribution of songs and albums through the Apple iTunes store has made Apple Inc. the one among the most financially flourishing technological companies.

Explain how the product could be expanded to a product line, and the depth and breadth of the line

Product lines can be defined as numerous products or services that are connected in the sense that they fulfill the same need. A product line can be broad or narrow, like in the case of Apple’s iPod line which has just a small number of different MP3 peripherals. The extent to which a product line is broad or narrow is referred to as the line depth. If Apple brings in a new MP3 to the iPod line it means that it will have expanded its product lines. Like in the example of an iPod that uses the MP3 technology, it has to create a new and different version on top of its already existing versions of the iPod Classic, the Shuffle and Nano offered. This is like how the Macintosh developed a new way of providing a standard box. This reduced the hardware all Macs accompanied with as it was in-built which expanded its product line.

Determine how the core business may change in response to industry or market changes

In the past decade Apple Inc. has been one of the richest, powerful and most successful global companies. However, the workers that assemble iPhones, iPads and other peripherals are said to work in unsuitable conditions where there are safety problems (Barboza & Duhigg, 2012). This is depicted in the blast that erupted from aluminum dust in Chengdu that left some people dead. Such actions may lead the consumers to develop a negative purchasing response to the Apple’s products causing the company to face losses as other competitors who are not involved in such tragedies take up its markets. Apple’s unique retail approach can be used to ensure that the company maintains its competitive advantage by capitalizing new trends that are coming up as technology advances (Muro, Murray & Goode, 2010). Stiff competition may arise from the formation of mergers and acquisition by other companies but not from the introduction of a new company because iTunes’s services act as barriers to new competition.

Conclusion

Apple Inc. is a part of two market industries; the computer manufacturing industry and the electronics industry. This has led to success of the company over the years with the help of innovative and creative leaders, like Steve Jobs. The company still remains dominate the market with its high quality technological products.