Abstract
Apple Computer Incorporation is an innovative company settled in the media and high technology world. It is the seventh biggest company in the world which is present in hardware and software as well as online services. The fact that Apple practices different activities does not help to exactly know the main strategic axis. Indeed, it is unclassifiable: we may wonder whether it is a company of software publishers such as Microsoft or Adobe, or a manufacturer of appliances such as Sony or Siemens or services provider such as Youtube.
The objective of this report is to analyse Apple's current marketing activities in the context of its competitive and broader operating environments. I will present this in the form of a marketing audit by considering John Harvey-Jones' (1992) idea: “There is no point in deciding where your business is going until you have actually decided with great clarity where you are now."
The purpose of this audit will be to capture ‘trends'. Indeed, the objective is to carry out an examination of the market environment and the company's marketing strategy and operations. This way, we have to know and understand the dynamics of the external environment in which Apple will have to adapt and to evaluate past performance and present activities (Kotler, Armstrong, Wrong, Saunders 2008). Therefore and considering the size of the brand, the purpose will be to establish a marketing audit based on the global strategy and policy of Apple.
On one hand, I will analyse Apple's problem areas and opportunities through an internal and an external analysis to determine how a new project is being approached.
On the other hand, I will propose some recommendations to develop the marketing strategy and to settle a plan of action for performance improvement.
