Marketing Strategies for Apple IPhone in India

Marketing Goals and Objectives

A.Marketing Goal A: __________________________________________________

Objective A1:______________________________________________________

Specific and measurable outcome; Time frame; Responsible unit/person:

Objective A2:______________________________________________________

Specific and measurable outcome; Time frame; Responsible unit/person:

B.Marketing Goal B: __________________________________________________

Objective B1:______________________________________________________

Specific and measurable outcome; Time frame; Responsible unit/person:

Objective B2:______________________________________________________

Specific and measurable outcome; Time frame; Responsible unit/person:

(Repeat as needed to develop a complete list of goals and objectives)

V.Marketing Strategies

A.Primary Target Market and Marketing Mix

Primary target market:________________________________________________

This target’s primary need:

Identifying characteristics (demographics, geography, psychographics):

Purchasing/shopping habits and preferences:

Consumption/disposition characteristics:

Product:_______________________________________________

Major features and benefits:

Sustainable competitive advantage:

Differentiation / positioning strategy:

Brand name and packaging:

Customer service strategy:

Complementary products:

Pricing:________________________________________________

Pricing objectives:

Description of per unit costs:

Discount/markdown policy:

Distribution:____________________________________________

General supply chain strategy:

Intermediaries and channels to be used:

Elements of customer convenience:

Promotion:_____________________________________________

General IMC strategy:

IMC objectives and budget:

Elements of the advertising/publicity strategy:

Elements of the personal selling strategy:

Elements of trade sales promotion (push) strategy:

Elements of consumer sales promotion (pull) strategy:

Elements of the sponsorship strategy:

B.Secondary Target Market and Marketing Mix

Secondary target market:______________________________________________

This target’s primary need:

Identifying characteristics (demographics, geography, psychographics):

Purchasing/shopping habits and preferences:

Consumption/disposition characteristics:

Product:_______________________________________________

Major features and benefits:

Sustainable competitive advantage:

Differentiation / positioning strategy:

Brand name and packaging:

Customer service strategy:

Complementary products:

Pricing:________________________________________________

Pricing objectives:

Description of per unit costs:

Discount/markdown policy:

Distribution:____________________________________________

General supply chain strategy:

Intermediaries and channels to be used:

Elements of customer convenience:

Promotion:_____________________________________________

General IMC strategy:

IMC objectives and budget:

Elements of the advertising/publicity strategy:

Elements of the personal selling strategy:

Elements of trade sales promotion (push) strategy:

Elements of consumer sales promotion (pull) strategy:

Elements of the sponsorship strategy:

The focus of this marketing plan is to provide:

• Plans to improve Apple i-phones sales in India.
• Introduction of budget smart phones to capture large share of the market.
• Plan to rejig the marketing mix to suit the India smart phone market space.

• The problem Apple faces currently are:
• This problem can be resolved through marketing efforts that includes:
• Apple Inc. Needs to improve in the following areas to gain more market shares:

• The poor sales of its i-phone in India due to high prices and stiff competition.
• Faltering sales in China due to slow economy and trade dispute with US
• Stiff competition from Chinese and Korean competitors in Indian market.
• Political and legal constraints imposed by Indian government.

The opportunities are:

• Room for growth in India because of middle-class income group between 130m to 390m
• Opportunity to create market for new product line; Apple budget phones.
• Opportunity to improve growth and profitability of Apple i-phones
• Opportunity to hedge against poor sales in China.

Solution to these problems are;

• Setting up of local assembly plant to avoid tariff and reduce cost of production.
• Setting up of retail shops and partnership with independent major retailers.
• Repositioning of premium i-phone brand as a mobile tool beyond mere smart phones.
• Improvement and localization of content of Apple service like Siri to work better with Indian accent, improvement in Apple map etc.

• Holistic review of the marketing mix in India to fit the unique market features of India;
• Product: Apple needs a budget phone with attractive features like dual sim phones with longer battery life.
• Pricing: A review of pricing strategy is recommended to bring i-phone within the reach of middle-class group.
• Production and Place: Apple needs to commence local production of all i-phone models in India to reduce cost and avoid the high 20% import tariff
• Apple needs to check the price manipulation of the local retail stores by opening many retail outlets in major cities.

• Opening of more retail cum service outlets in major cities where customers can walk in to buy and get any service they desire.
• Multiple customer service channels such as online, tele-centers and quarterly market surveys to gauge the feelings of the consumers.
• Encouragement of developers to develop more apps to deepen the ios eco-system compatible with the Indian market especially financial and retail apps.
• A new market research to collate data on what drives the consumers to purchase competitors’ products aside the cheap price and multiple sim slots.
• Collaboration with GSM providers to market i-phones as a bundle with the sim with mouthwatering offers such as zero percent financing, trade-in options etc.
• The needs to introduce budget phones that an average Indian middle class can afford through promotion of another brand line.
• Make Apple products ubiquitous through promotional activities by sponsoring major events like crickets, musical concerts etc.
• Reposition the premium i-phone brands by using Bollywood and sport stars as brand ambassadors to promote the premium brand as a mark of success.
• Target security conscious segment of the market and position Apple premium phones as a secured phone that protects their data and personal information.
• Improvement in the battery life, this has been a competitive advantage for the competitors.