Malcolm X

Apple A-Life

My role as a marketing director for apple is to research the market, and find out a niche to produce a new product, that will hopefully sell, and create profit.

My theory of a product is that; it is an object that can be sold or bought, that might satisfy a want or a need.

The product that I have in mind is an mp3 player. Apple already have a wide range of mp3s. From a 60gb colour screen Ipod, to a 2gb Ipod shuffle with no screen. I have come up with another product to stop the sales going in to decline. I have taken ideas from the previous mp3 players, and added a bit of creation of my own and have come up with, 'A-Life'.

It is small like the Ipod Shuffle, and has a small screen like the Ipod Nano. The actual mp3 would be attached to a neckband. So you are wearing your mp3, and its not hanging loose in your pocket.

I have chosen this product, because it is something I know about, and well like. With this, I hope it will give me a better view on how to market the product, based on what my peers and I like. It also is different from any other mp3 on the market, so in that way, I have found a niche.

My theory of marketing objectives is that; your marketing objectives should be the means to achieve your sales objectives.

My marketing objectives are to promote my product cleverly so that it gets out to my target market. To find out a reasonable price where the customers would be satisfied with, and where I would also make a profit. To find out where to sell my product, so the customers don't have any trouble getting hold of one. And also, to find out what other accessories the customers would like with the product, which would hopefully increase their satisfaction.

I am including all of these marketing objectives to know what my product should be like, where to sell it, what price to set it at, and how to promote it. I need to have the best knowledge of these criteria's otherwise my product is not going to sell. Also I am doing it to ensure customer satisfaction. A good way to market your product is through the power of speech. This is where people tell others about your product, and for this to happen, you need a customer to be satisfied, or interested, and the only way to get this to happen is by knowing what your doing, and to know what I am doing, I will need to participate in some market research.

I will have to do some primary and secondary research to find out what is the best way of getting my target customers to acknowledge my product, and hopefully purchase it.

I have created a questionnaire which will hopefully help me set my target group and how to promote it to them, where to sell the product, and what price I should set it at.

Swot Analysis

Strengths Weaknesses

Specialist in market

Innovative idea

Large budget

In fashion

Differentiation

Strong brand name

Multi-national

Public Scandal

Too much choice for consumers

Costly

Opportunities Threats

Growing market

Release new products

Sell in more countries Competition

Substitute products

Advancing market

Possible negative publicity

Product Perception Map

A Product perception map is a graph on how you perceive the quality and the price of a certain product or business.

I have done a PPM for my own product, which includes other brands who also sell popular mp3s. I make a PPM so it easy to compare and contrast the brands quality and price in my own perception.

Porters 3 forces of competitive advantage

Porter said, to gain competitive advantage you need to utilize one or more of these three forces; Differentiation, Price leadership or Focus. If not, then you are 'stuck in the middle'.

I think I will utilize all two of these forces. I will gain price leadership because apple are one of the most popular mp3 sellers in the market at the moment, so I will be able to set my price at a competitive price. I will also gain differentiation. Although there are already mp3s on the market, there is nothing like my market, I just have to hope it catches on.

External Questionnaire

I have drawn up a external questionnaire to get a better view on what the customer wants in their product, what price they would see as reasonable, where is convenient for them, and what kind of promotion catches their attention the most. By doing this I am hoping to achieve a better look at the marketing mix.

On the next page you will find a sample of the questionnaires I have given out.

Questionnaire

I have produced a few questions on the subject of mp3s. I hope you wouldn't mind filling them in, then returning the questionnaire. Thank You

Which age group do you fall in to?

’ 10-15

’ 16-20

’ 21+

’ 35+

2. Are you interested in portable music players?

’ Yes

’ No

3. When buying a product, what do you look for in it?

’ Reasonable Price

’ Something Different

’ Popular