APPLE

Apple

Apple

Introduction

This paper presents a case study of Apple's public relations and integrated marketing strategies in relations to their iTunes Music Store, and then uses that case study to examine and draw parallels with the strategies employed by Condé Nast and The New York Times Company. Close inspection demonstrates that these two companies can utilize Apple's best practices to succeed in the print and publishing industries, despite harsh current conditions. Primary research include interviews with top executives at Condé Nast and The New York Times, which give an interesting inside perspective on the evolving print and publishing industry and their opinions of what kind of action plan these enterprises should utilize .

Specifically, the study focuses on the music industry in 2001 through today and how Apple changed the public's perception of the digital music industry. Apple took advantage of this struggling music industry and became a “category killer” through their public relation and integrated marketing strategies. Within this case study, the examination of Napster and other online music distributors depicts Apple's competition, communication barriers and how they revamped their brand. The study will show how Apple's struggle with the music industry correlates to the print industry and their declining revenues, and how these companies need to use Apple's best practices to change consumers' perceptions of digital print and publishing media. The study delves deeper into how Apple used specific integrated marketing strategies to advance to being the number #1 choice of consumers in digital music.

Company background

Apple or "the company" is engaged in design, development and marketing of personal computers, media devices, and portable digital music players (Martin, 1999, 5). The company also sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. The company's portfolio of offerings comprises Macintosh (Mac) computing systems, iPods line of portable digital music and video players, iPhone handsets and iPad portable multimedia and computing devices. The company primarily operates in the US. It is headquartered in Cupertino, California and employs 46,600 employees. The company announced that iOS 4.2, the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system, is available for download for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch in November 2010.

In the same month, Oracle and Apple launched the OpenJDK project for Mac OS X. Subsequently, Apple and The Dentsu Group formed a partnership to expand Apple's iAd mobile advertising network to Japan in early 2011. As part of the agreement, Dentsu will be responsible for the selling and creative execution of iAds in Japan, and Apple will host, target and deliver the iAds to its iPhone and iPod touch users. In January 2011, Verizon Wireless launched the iPhone on its network, ending the exclusivity of AT&T. In the same month, Apple launched the Mac App Store with more than 1,000 free and paid applications. Apple updated its MacBook Pro family with next generation processors and graphics, high-speed Thunderbolt I/O technology and a new FaceTime HD camera in February ...