Recently, I have made purchases of numerous products and services to meet my urgent wants and needs. However, one of the crucial products that may be worthy of analysis concerning the marketing mix is the iPhone 12. I have always been aiming at purchasing one of the Apple products to enjoy the outstanding customer experience regardless of the associated prices. The iPhone 12 happens to be among the latest Apple smartphones with excellent features and performance that match the associated price level.
Product Strategy
From a critical perspective, the iPhone 12 is a shopping product because I compared features like price and quality while purchasing and selecting the item. The iPhone product is also found in fewer outlets, and I do not intend to buy it frequently. The iPhone 12 was released on October 23, 2020. The commodity is at the growth stage because it has been within the market for over five months. This product life cycle phase is linked with high demand and amplified production. The iPhone 12’s quality has been well retained, and the company has capitalized on increased marketing to enhance product awareness. Consequently, Apple anticipates witnessing increased sales due to the augmented demand levels.
The decision to select iPhone 12 and not any other smartphone was due to the brand name. Apple always designs and produces superior and innovative items that align with the clients’ preferences to avoid needless complaints. The packaging compelled me to choose the product as it was alluring and offered information on the iPhone’s main features and the best ways to use it. The iPhone 12 has high quality due to good battery life, supports 5G networks, superior camera, and robust mobile antennae. The product consistency is excellent as Apple maintains a consistent reputation for offering quality and high-performing commodities.
Promotion Strategy
The main media used to promote iPhone 12 are television, billboards, newspapers, magazines, radio, and social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook to reach a diverse customer base. The other vital promotional tools that influenced my purchasing decision were sales promotion and public relations. Apple uses public relations to introduce products by placing an optimistic spin within news stories through secrecy to increase speculation and further create scarcity to raise demand levels. I was also offered a discount for purchasing the product. The promotion mix entails an amalgamation of sales promotion, direct marketing, public relations, advertising, and personal selling to deliver a constant message to potential customers and increase the demand levels. I agree with Apple’s marketing strategy as it is cost-effective and aids in accessing a broad customer base, thus expanding the demand levels.
Pricing Strategy
The iPhone 12 was sold at a premium price as compared to other similar smartphones in the market. I purchased the iPhone 12 for $829, which was relatively high but matched the perceived quality and the anticipated performance. The pricing strategy adopted by Apple acts as a form of differentiation to create prestige within users. The high price for the company’s products provides clients with a sense of great value and distinctiveness within the society. From a critical point of view, the iPhone’s price is fair as it generates an exceptional user experience due to the integration of quality features that create value for money.
Distribution Strategy
I bought the product from Amazon, which is an online retailer. Amazon is one of the leading online retailers with excellent distribution channels that ensure customers obtain their products on time to avoid complaints and delays. However, Apple imposes a minimum advertised price strategy on Amazon to prevent substantial price cuts that would create differences with what Apple stores offer. As an online retailer, Amazon uses both its online setup and brick-and-mortar presence to sell and deliver its products. This enhances efficiency in the distribution process to reach out to all potential clients in their respective destinations.