Etude de la société Apple (document en anglais)

CORPORATE BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT

Apple

Graduate 2013

Guillaume Imary (Leader), Caroline Corlay, Ezaline Decombe,

Annabelle Eustache, Ines Boumedien

Content

CONTENT 2

INTRODUCTION 3

PRESENTATION 4

History 4

Apple's Organizational Structure 6

APPLE'S STRATEGIES 7

SWOT ANALYSIS 9

PORTER FIVE COMPETITIVE FORCES 10

APPLE’S COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE 11

CONCLUSION 13

SOURCES 14

Introduction

Apple is an American multinational corporation who designs and markets consumer electronics, computers software, and personal computers. We choose to study this case because Apple is a world-famous brand and it had become a fad around the world. Everywhere we can find someone with an apple product : in the subway, at the office, at home ...

So we thought that it's really interesting to study how this company had become essential and the reference in the technological world.

Moreover it can be interesting for us to study witch strategy Apple followed to become the leader on the technological market and to understand how it can face up to its competitors.

To understand how Apple had become this multinational we will see the following points :

In first, Apple's history with a short presentation of the company's structure. Then, we will focus on the analysis of the strategies and to conclude we will give you our opinions and recommendations.

Presentation

History

Apple Inc, formerly Apple Computer Inc, is an American multinational was founded on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne to sell the Apple I personal computer kit. The demand was too important to meet requirements all the consumers. Apple was incorporated on January 3, 1977 without Wayne, who sold his share of the company back to Jobs and Wozniak. Them, Apple II was produced on April 16, 1977, which knew a big success. By the end of the 1970's, Apple had a staff of computer designers and a production line and the company introduced Apple III in May 1980. Which was the first commercial failure.

On December 12, 1980, Apple went public at 22 dollars per share that was the second most important Initial public offering (IPO) behind Ford Motor Company in 1956. Thanks to this IPO many employees of Apple had become millionaire. In 1981, it's Mike Markkula who becomes CEO of the company. And in 1983 Apple launch Lisa : the first computer with graphical interface and a computer mouse. But despite the innovation of this product, it was another commercial failure because of his high price. Finally, in 1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh, product more affordable for the consumers. In the same times Microsoft introduced Windows the first version of his operating system. Start a real competition between the two companies. Microsoft takes advantage of his product less and less expensive contrary to Apple which not get to sell his computer, which are too expensive. In 1985, Steeve Jobs resigns because of conflicts with staffer, he creates his company Next, which will be purchase in 1996, and one year later Steeve Jobs became again the CEO . The end of 1990's, Apple is in difficulty but in 1998 Apple surprised with his Mac OS X. In the same year Apple boost itself with the iMac, it's the first time since many years that Apple makes a profit. In 2001 Apple knew an important success with the iPod. Thanks to this product Apple makes the difference with his competitors. And go on with itunes in 2003. In 2006, Apple starts in the market of the telephony. Jobs introduces his revolutionary product : the iPhone. First phone totally tactile and with applications. It was the first time, where we can used internet everywhere with his phone. In 2010, Apple introduces his new product: l'iPad. On august 24, Steeve Jobs resigns of his job of CEO and he is replaces by Tim Cook and on October 5, Apple announces the death of Steeve Jobs.

Apple's Organizational Structure

Apple's Strategies

Apple has always been an innovative company since its creation. Apple is present in almost all the domains: the music with the iPod, the computers with Mac, the telephony with the iPhone an finally the tablet world with the iPad. The innovations of Apple always corresponds to consumer expectations as well in term of products as introduction. Indeed, sometimes the brands take out their products too early and the market is not still susceptible.

Apple adopts a strategy of differentiation. In fact, Apple offers innovative and design products always in the diversity at the same time at the level of the domain of use and at the level of the price ranges. Moreover, each Apple product answers at a different expectation. We can take the example of the iPod, which is composed of the iPod nano which is design fun, the classic one with a big memory capacity and the shuffle which is the less expensive without screen and the random mode. Apple sells different products to different people. Apple leans on it brand image and its creativity. Thanks to the Ipod that is easy of use and has a nice design, Apple manages to build itself a strong brand image. Indeed, it uses a marketing that emphasizes the cool side of the Ipod. Apple knows how to make people dream contrary to its competitors. This brand image is a fundamental factor of its strategy of differentiation. Then, Apple uses the buzz of the Ipod to sell its Mac which we call the “halo effect”. The cool image and the simplicity of use of the Ipod contaminated the computers range, this

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