Customer Relationship Management

We Are The Source Of Apple's Success

  Customer relationship management (CRM) a new marketing trend in which organizations try to get to us as individuals in order to satisfy our wants and needs more accurately. Apple uses information we provide them to enhance their products and services and to enhance their marketing. A customer exchanges information with the company in many different ways including points of sale, the web, promotions and any form you fill up with your information. In their privacy policy Apple explain how they threat our information, how they collect it, disclose it to, and what they do with it. CRM is a form of relationship marketing that is powered by us, because we are the source of Apple's success.

  Apple collects our information in many different ways, for example when you create an Apple I.d, register your products, online surveys, register for workshops at any of their retail stores and when you apply for commercial credit. They collect information that ranges from your name, address, phone number, and contact references, to your social security number. They store this information in data  bases that they use to research the market, analyse market segments, and target their advertising campaigns to the right target market.  Apple also uses this information to inform us about new products, events, software updates, paperless receipts and also to deliver their products when we order them online. The main idea behind Apple getting our information is to develop new products that meet our needs on a deeper level.

   Did you know that Apple uses “cookies” and other technologies such as pixel tags and web beacons to control the number and times we see an ad in our mobile devices. Well they use these technologies that track down what part of their internet page you saw so that they can improve their content or make it more efficient for you. They also track down your preferences and show you ads that go according to them. This CRM process helps them to figure us out as individuals and provide advertising that suits our needs and wants which is the base for good marketing. When you enter a sweepstakes, or any other contest Apple also collects that information to better administer the programs again. 

   Apple has been awarded the TRUSTe seal because they show "transparency, accountability and choice regarding the collection and use of your personal information." Apple treats information as personal and non-personal, they only disclose non-personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. Non personal information is information that doesn't have your name or any other way to associate you with it for example "occupation, language, zip code, area code, unique device identifier, location, and the time zone where an Apple product is used." This disclose this type of information to any of their associates at any time for the purpose of improving their products and marketing. Personal information is guaranteed to be stored and protected in data warehouses where it can only be accessed by authorized personnel. Apple's brand reputation backs their name and gives you a peace of mind when you share your personal information with them. 

    Apple's main goal is to keep you updated and informed with the company, they tell you how they use your information on their privacy policy so it'll be wise for you to read it. CRM is good for us as customers because we get products that fit our needs a little better just by giving them a little bit of information. Apple has been successful at using our information, that's why they are one of the leading companies in the world. If you want to update any of your personal information you have with Apple just go to www.apple.com/contact/myinfo. There you can access your Apple I.d and update your personal information just or just make sure is accurate to let them know you are an Apple consumer and that you are the reason for their success.

Integrated Marketing Communications part 3

Public Relations

If you are interested on what'coming next for Apple , watch this video.

    This is an example of public relations in which s Mr. Jobs tells us the public about what to expect from Apple in the coming months. They inform us of new product releases, software, statistics that show how the company is doing. These Keynote Addresses are great because  they make me feel that Apple cares about informing me on what they are planning to do in the future.
   All of the things Apple does to keep us informed and aware of their product are really working out because they are a very fast growing company that will only keep on growing. The way they integrate their marketing communications is amazing because they target such a broad market but yet they are successful at reaching us and making us buy.

Apple - iPod nano - New way to nano

Integrated Marketing Communications part 2

 A product's life cycle is very important to the way the firm applies their marketing mix. The iPod Touch is in the iPod product line  than the and at a different stage in its product life cycle than the new Mac Book Air. The Touch has reached its maturity stage which means its an established product that needs reminding and persuasive advertising in other to maintain and gain market share. Of course the iPod is the leader in the mp3 market due to its competitive advantage and the ability from the company to keep on developing new and improved products that form an planned adsolescence so that customers feel the need to buy a new iPod when they come out. Apple advertises the iPod line everywhere, from billboards like the one on the picture on top to videos on social networks like the one below. Look at the Ad on top, do you see the encoded message? Well they are trying to make you picture yourself with the with ear bugs dancing and being all happy, and all you need for that is a an iPod. The commercial below shows how the iPod has new amazing features like the 2 new cameras that enable you to Face Time and record HD videos and  also the video game capability that according to Steve Jobs has gotten them to #1 in the portable video game market. It is reminding how great the product is while persuading you to go out and buy it because its "All Kinds of Fun."

ALL KINDS OF FUN