Iphone Marketing Plan

Strengths

Innovative – The iPhone has an innovative touch screen that is patented and unmatched by any other mobile product today. It also has many functions of other mobile products all in one device.

Compatibility –The phone will work with iTunes and with other Mac/Apple products like the new Apple TV, allowing for wireless connectivity to the big screen. The iPhone is also compatible with many Mac OS software tools. Mac OS compatibility means that the iPhone has limitless potential for upgradeability.

Ease-of-Use – The all-new touch screen interface making operations extremely intuitive. It is radically different from those of other phones or PDAs that recognizes multi finger gestures, just as the human hand normally behaves. The Mac OS X application imbedded into the iPhone assures users will easily recognize what they can do

Brand awareness – Apple is well known for cool essential gadgets like the iPods along great technological innovations like the original Macintosh.

Price – At $350, the iPhone would be sold at a reasonable price for its value. It outperforms any other PDA or smart phone on the market and the convenience of having multiple features combined into one-device increases its overall value.

Quality – The iPhone has one of the brightest and most scratch resistant screens in the market. It also has a fine metallic finish that is durable and light. The software suite included is also unsurpassed with their ease of use and resistance to computer viruses.

Weaknesses

Image – The Apple brand is not targeted towards business people, which most smart phones have targeted. Does not have a reputation as being compatible with the corporate world.

Price – Apple does not yet offer lower priced models for more cost conscious consumers.

User Interface – Touch screen interfaces suffer from the problem of “gorilla arm,” in which long-term use of a flat, solid surface for input becomes uncomfortable.

Opportunities

Increasing demand and expansion to a new target segment – Apple will continue to target the business productivity market who wants an all in one computing solution. But as technology advances and smart phones get cheaper companies also have a great opportunity to target people who want entertainment. Apple will attract these consumers and get iPod users to upgrade to iPhones.

Upgradeable – Since software on the iPhone can be updated, it allows new exciting features to be brought in which take advantage of the touch screen ability. Future versions will also be hardware upgradeable.

Partnerships – Apple can collaborate with many powerful global mobile phone companies to flood the market with iPhones, which reduces costs in marketing and increases revenue through long-term agreement deals.

Threats

Increased competition – Smart phones are easier to make now more than ever. More companies may enter the market, given that there are few barriers to entry other than patents. Competitors or even Apple contractors can maneuver around patents to create similar devices.

Downward pricing pressure – The iPhone is marketed as a high-end phone, but phone prices are almost certainly going to fall when other companies undercut the price of iPhones.

Difficulty expanding into Asian market – There is less hype and interest in Asia since smart phones are better known and already widely used.

Competition SWOT:

Palm (direct threat)

Strengths

Experience: Palm has the longest history in PDA market and has experience-developing software for mobile devices.

Business brand: It is a well-known brand for businesspeople. Existing software is well established and compatible with many products for this market. The market is familiar with Palm products; significant switching costs are involved in going to an iPhone.

Weaknesses

Low profile: Not known for groundbreaking innovations or consumer marketplace products. Palm’s closest iPhone competitor, the Treo, has lower build quality and its interface may be harder to use, being from an older generation of products and unfamiliar to Apple customers.

Interface: Reviews complain that the Trio’s keyboard is small and difficult