MKT/711 v7 Marketing Plan Guidelines MKT/711 v7 Page 2 of 2 Marketing Plan Guidelines Introduction Before a company commits any funds, resources, or capital to any project, market expansion, or research and development, it needs to have a good handle on the potential market outlook as well as risks. Review the differences between the two types of data collection methods: Primary Information Sources Secondary Information Sources · Direct observation · Focus groups · Surveys · Experiments · Internal data sources – The best source of data on current objectives, strategies, performance, and available resources are from the company itself. · Government sources – Information on the economy, population, and business activities is the major strength of most government data sources. Government sources are also easily accessible and low in cost. · Book and periodical sources – Articles and research reports are available in the library and other sources on the internet. · Commercial sources – Trade reports and market research studies are available on websites like the American Marketing Association, or the Advertising Research Foundation. Analyze secondary information to get a better handle on customer segments and their buying criteria for the brand you have chosen. You will also gain insights into the market landscape, which includes competition, technical information, legal and regulatory issues, supply chain challenges, and other related factors. Through this analysis, you will get a good sense of how well your brand is positioned to compete in the market. Data Collection Methods Describe what types of primary and secondary sources you will use to gather information about the brand you selected. Note: You will need to support your recommendations with secondary research because you do not have time to conduct primary research. Overview of Brand Describe the organization and the products or services the brand offers, including the following: · Description of the brand, including when the brand was founded, the location, size, divisions, product lines, etc. · Products and services offered by this brand; emphasize the benefits to potential and current customers · How long the brand has been in the market · Main selling points of the brand, including how many models, package sizes, and line extensions are marketed by the brand · The experience of key personnel in the organization, as experience often relates to marketing and business success Provide an overview of the brand’s financial condition, such as sales, growth rates, capital structure, financial stability, etc. Include the following items, as appropriate: · Current objectives · Overall strategy · Performance · Resources · Financial strength · Global presence · Marketing strengths · Salesforce size · Research and development excellence · Supply chain structure · Stakeholders Note: You can obtain most of this information from ann ...

1. MKT/711 v7
Marketing Plan Guidelines
MKT/711 v7
Page 2 of 2
Marketing Plan Guidelines
Introduction
Before a company commits any funds, resources, or capital to
any project, market expansion, or research and development, it
needs to have a good handle on the potential market outlook as
well as risks.
Review the differences between the two types of data collection
methods:
Primary Information Sources
Secondary Information Sources
· Direct observation
· Focus groups
· Surveys
· Experiments
· Internal data sources – The best source of data on current
objectives, strategies, performance, and available resources are
from the company itself.
· Government sources – Information on the economy,
population, and business activities is the major strength of most
government data sources. Government sources are also easily
accessible and low in cost.
· Book and periodical sources – Articles and research reports
are available in the library and other sources on the internet.
· Commercial sources – Trade reports and market research
studies are available on websites like the American Marketing
Association, or the Advertising Research Foundation.
Analyze secondary information to get a better handle on
customer segments and their buying criteria for the brand you
have chosen. You will also gain insights into the market

2. landscape, which includes competition, technical information,
legal and regulatory issues, supply chain challenges, and other
related factors. Through this analysis, you will get a good sense
of how well your brand is positioned to compete in the market.
Data Collection Methods
Describe what types of primary and secondary sources you will
use to gather information about the brand you selected.
Note: You will need to support your recommendations with
secondary research because you do not have time to conduct
primary research.
Overview of Brand
Describe the organization and the products or services the brand
offers, including the following:
· Description of the brand, including when the brand was
founded, the location, size, divisions, product lines, etc.
· Products and services offered by this brand; emphasize the
benefits to potential and current customers
· How long the brand has been in the market
· Main selling points of the brand, including how many models,
package sizes, and line extensions are marketed by the brand
· The experience of key personnel in the organization, as
experience often relates to marketing and business success
Provide an overview of the brand’s financial condition, such as
sales, growth rates, capital structure, financial stability, etc.
Include the following items, as appropriate:
· Current objectives
· Overall strategy
· Performance
· Resources
· Financial strength
· Global presence
· Marketing strengths

3. · Salesforce size
· Research and development excellence
· Supply chain structure
· Stakeholders
Note: You can obtain most of this information from annual
reports, 10-K reports, and SEC filings.
Industry Analysis
Identify the industry in which the brand operates and
describe the size of the market in sales dollars as well
as units sold in the past 5 years.
Analyze past trends in sales, as well as expected trends in the
next 5 years, for some of the major brands in this industry, as
well as the driving forces behind these trends.
Predict major changes expected in the future.
Conduct forecasting to get an industry outlook for 5 years.
Include support from relevant data, graphs, and charts to show
industry revenues and projections.
Note: Examine published and industry reports to locate this
information.
Customer Segments
Describe current and potential customers and
analyze why customers buy the brand, including the
following:
· How customers use the products or services offered by the
brand
· Buying criteria (e.g., quality, delivery time, prices, discounts,
and services provided, such as engineering, installation, repair,
financing, training, etc.)
· When and where customers typically buy the brand
Analyze why customers buy competing brands and
suggest how non-customers can be converted to

4. customers.
Competitor Analysis
Identify key competitors in the market and
list sales and market shares of competitors for the past
5 years.
Identify strengths of competitors in terms of product features
and benefits, advertising, promotion, salesforce, research and
development, supply chain, manufacturing operations, attractive
pricing and discounts, financial strengths, etc.
Discuss competitors’ intelligence regarding legal and ethical
issues, tracking and analysis of the total range of competitive
activity, including competitors' capabilities and vulnerabiliti es
concerning sources of supply, technology, marketing, financial
strength, manufacturing capacities and qualities, and target
markets.
Note: See Table 1 for an example of how you might format this
information.
Economic Growth and Stability of the Industry
Examine the general economic conditions of the nation, region,
state, and local area in which the industry operates.
Analyze the current state of the economy and the expected
changes, such as recession, depression, growth, and recovery.
Examine inflation, employment, and income levels, interest
rates, exchange rate changes, taxes, trade restrictions, tariffs,
and other factors that affect growth and stability.
Political Trends and/or Legal and Regulatory Issues
Discuss relevant political issues that may be associated with the
brand.
Examine laws and regulations that could have an impact on
market planning, product design, promotion, advertising,

5. pricing, etc.
Analyze court rulings, as well as the decisions of federal, state,
local, and self-regulatory trade agencies to determine their
effects on marketing activities.
Discuss the impact of tariffs and other regulations on
international operations, if applicable.
Technological Changes
Analyze the impact of technology on the use of computer
systems and products by customers.
Discuss the influence of technology on marketing, research and
development, and operations.
Analyze what impact technological change might have on new
product opportunities.
Position Analysis
Discuss how well the brand is positioned to market its products
compared to competitors.
SWOT Analysis
Use what you have learned from an understanding of the
industry, competitors, and customer segments to
discuss the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and
threats that exist for the brand:
·
Strengths capture the positive aspects internal to your
brand that add value or offer you a competitive advantage. Thi s
is your opportunity to remind yourself of the value existing
within your brand. Discuss which brand attributes make it
stronger than its competitors.
·
Weaknesses capture the negative aspects internal to
your brand that detract from the value you offer or place you at

6. a competitive disadvantage. Discuss which brand attributes
make it weaker than its competitors. These are areas you need
to enhance to compete with your best competitor. The more
accurately you identify your weaknesses, the more valuable the
SWOT will be for your assessment.
·
Opportunities are external to your brand. Discuss what
opportunities exist due to industry or consumer trends. If you
have identified opportunities that are internal to the br and and
within your control, you will want to classify them as strengths.
· The better you are at identifying potential
threats, the more likely you can position yourself to
proactively plan for and respond to them. You will look back at
these threats when you consider your contingency plans.
Note: See Table 2 for an example of how you might format this
information.
Conclusion
Address the following in your overall analysis of the brand:
· Evaluate which SWOT items are of vital importance to the
brand and explain why.
· Explain which factors the brand must consider when growing
its organization.
· Evaluate how well-positioned the brand is to succeed in this
marketplace given your preliminary analysis.Appendix
Include an appendix with relevant exhibits of data tables and
charts to support your narrative. Use a clear annotation system
for numbering and referencing exhibits that makes it easy for
the reader to locate the data.
Sample Tables

7. Table 1: Competitor Analysis
Factor
Company You Selected
Competitor A
Competitor B
Competitor C
Types of products and services
Services targeted to:
· Gender
· Age groups
Revenue generated over the past 2 years
· Brand revenue
· Other products
Years in operation
Mission/vision

8. Advertising
Promotion
Positioning
Brand image
Company’s strengths
Company’s weaknesses
Table 2: SWOT Analysis
Internal Strengths
· What do you do well compared to the competition?
· What unique resources and professional talent can you draw
on?

9. · What advantages do you have over your competition in terms
of product, marketing, sales, distribution, operational, and
financial strengths?
Internal Weaknesses
· What could you improve?
· Where do you have fewer resources than others?
· What are others likely to see as weaknesses?
External Opportunities
· What opportunities are open to you?
· What trends could you take advantage of?
· How can you turn your strengths into opportunities?
External Threats
· What threats could harm you?
· What is your competition doing?
· What threats do your weaknesses expose you to?
Copyright 2022 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2022 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.
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1
Marketing Plan: Product or Service: Apple Marketing
Techniques
Gabrielle A. Miliner
College of Doctoral Studies University of Phoenix
MKT/711: Marketing and Managing the Customer Relationship
Dr. Scott Goldberg
August 22, 2022

10. Executive summary
Apple Inc. is the technology and gadget corporation holding the
top-selling mobile phone market. These are academic to the
business place where there are more optional phones for
customer use. Innovation started the journey with Steve's
occupations to the position of making advancement. The
commencement of the Apple iPhone breaks the market
evaluation. Considering the previous fundamental on the
lookout, they have procured the information to control
individual things with the fastest and securest connection point.
The frameworks of organization and quality over the features
inside esteem limit Apple, which has made its clients stay
longer (Bingyan, 2022). Reliance on the connection point will
allow them to make every one of the newer updates with not
such a drastic change but rather more personal security. The
overall market of PDAs is many technology optimizations to
overcome limits and meet the expense for a consistent
arrangement.
Research
The critical market promoted by economical companies like
Xiaomi and Samsung they have whipped the stock with the
software and hardware endeavoring. They used other
consumable gadgets and the flexible structure they made to
support the iPhone in the market with the too-short infiltrating
market game plan. They presented the environment for workers
to feel eco-friendly and obtained the energies of productive
fortune (Kundu, 2020). Changing every part of its data
procedure of Apple has been the most affirming technology
breach. It assembles the client's data with manipulative and
secure use of manner. The confirmation of face ID and contact
ID introduced in the iPhone 5s was a huge jump toward
adopting technology. This technology has pulled the market and
buyer specialists with valuable gifts.
Apple is at this point on the top-procuring and valuable
relationship for the US. The progression of uses with security
endeavors is attracting clients. They have paid progressions in

11. their particular application, which justify safe use (Bingyan,
2022). Mixing the device with getting stuff will allow them to
control the managerial methodologies.
Target markets
The marketing improvement towards the dispatch of Apple in
various local areas and diverging organizations has progressed
the client care part of their team. Restricted evaluated
components of the iPhone made the drive for advancement-
based quick information move in various states (Vliert, 2021).
They presented the screening objective with clear, strong
choices on Apple products that tracked down certified
approaches for clients. Various interventions occurred to ensure
the trust-building limit effortlessly for better access.
The target marketing and promotional strategies are quantified
assets under the observation of manipulative techniques. As
shown by the general population and by significant gadget body
thoughts, the examination directly connects electronically to the
public (Meihan, 2021). For progress in market planning, there
are other stakeholders in the market with resource management.
These market assessment advancements concern the association
or spot of more advertisements. The focal framework for the
decisive change by getting the license will depict a quick
improvement in the Apple market.
Product strategy
This progress makes them, particularly in the working
framework and dynamic security options. Relationship in the
past 15 years has facilitated the client toward compelling
developments. The offering of retinal recognition as a
secondary True Depth camera security system will provide
options in new models for tech-savvy buyers (Pocket-lint.com,
2022). Accordingly, corporations like Apple should follow "The
Race Framework" to plan and optimize their digital marketing
strategy to structure their digital media, data, and experiences
to reach, act, convert and engage their target audience (Allen,
2022). They fathom the joint plan to make sense of promoting
standards and managing limits. Yielding the best choice for the

12. client will allow more beneficial essentials with a colossal
strategy (Chakraborti, 2020). When the globe was moving
towards a good and relatively consistent speed, software
assessment had essential additional features for the customer.
These devices like the Apple watch, wireless charger, air buds,
and iMac are an enormous number of the client esteem
relationships moving towards Apple.
The recovered situation for brands like Samsung and Huawei
are the top promoted cellphones in China and the Asian market
(Bingyan, 2022). By breaking the skirt of the new handset
reliably, Apple makes an enormous contribution to a
relationship working with clients. Apple had made a relative
assessment of the significant features of the cellphones.
Pricing strategy
The limiting viewpoints for the overall hypothesis cost for
Apple have more than a gross of over 38%. They get a practical
method for managing client cost authenticity. Different
intervention objective makes Apple the top-grossing association
responsible at the edge. They have sorted out ways to cultivate
the relationship and consistent usage of their devices with the
latest updates (Chakraborti, 2020). This objective has made way
and runs up competition in the financial plan of the cell phone
market. Samsung has dispatched the astronomical framework 20
ultras with notable beast features and cost-effectiveness. The
contenders of Apple and Motorola are legitimate by the quality
confirmation and check over the advertising place. It animates
the fundamental delivery of assets inside the two organizations.
By forming the subsequent innovation and fabricated quality,
there has been intense rivalry between these two organizations
(Kundu, 2020).
The income understanding of the correlation over worldwide
promoting methodologies has utilized a gross pay of $8 billion
to $2,274 billion. The progress of the popular technique drives
Apple towards better objectives and mediations, and Motorola
enraptures the underlying push with fewer worldwide promoting
strikes.

13. The A bionic chipset in Apple iPhone Xs is state of the art
within a time frame for creative development. Different stock-
promoted probation periods gave rewards for specific
examinations. It does not allow communication of client
information with high infiltrated security firewalls (Bingyan,
2022). Apple has puzzling following through on the expense per
item on the lookout. Critical associations like Huawei,
Samsung, Sony, and Xiaomi adventure into all aspects of the
distending estimating systems. Apple has made a couple of
assumptions to coordinate how to respond to stock and the
global market (SGM).
Communication and Promotional Strategy
The researched and communicated thing is inside a particular
reach with a variety of tone, size, shape, and use of chipset
development. Promotional strategies are for the cost of the
market evaluation in which there is a diverse rule for
development and related reasons. The critical endeavor feature
acquires the iPhone with better development and advancement
from Steve's promotional strategies. There was optimization,
and organizations gave advertising funds after that event. This
optimization has conveyed Apple to a quality product and
networking server with fewer programming limitations (Vliert,
2021). They progressed to take out the market with a more
conspicuous evaluation, yet the primary clarification was to fix
the technical issues.
They have developed a tremendous interest in ads and pinpoint
strategic plans. Funding for their undertakings across the whole
country with delegates denies cost marking. Progression of uses
that will run off the other scrutinizing applications and the
comprehension of these will regulate various technology
impacts.
Sales strategy
Apple will allow trade with sensible terms and plans to take
advantage of its policies and direct sales to consumers
(McGregor, 2020). Apple's R&D department comprehending the
front-facing examination of clients in the market will be an

14. enormous task, and to envision what they need to end up with
progression in the marketplace. Despite the radiant level of
33%, there are more proposals for creating conventional change
for adapted limits (Vliert, 2021). They might have reliable
monetary quality and the best brand for progression reasons in
everyday consumer loyalty that will increase its 16% global
market share (Business Wire.com, 2022). Apple seeks to extend
its intended target segment of males and females between the
ages of twenty to thirty-five within the high-income earner
segment (Dudovskiy, 2021). The association plan occurs when
the beneficial aspect of selling a thing is the standard subject
for Apple to assess capacity.
After the foundation of endeavors and globalization of the
Apple iPhone, most competitors have primarily vanquished. The
gigantic place where there is the evolution of technology and
established promoted client intercessions with creative and
inventive gadgets (Bingyan, 2022). The affiliation aptitudes and
limits the brand name psychological market features with
central focuses. For Apple, there are certain employable
extraordinary circumstances.
Distribution strategy
Given the innovation-based over-market plans and mediations,
Apple makes better discretionary changes. Motorola has
perceived the advertising blend systems to guarantee more
creation and public interest (Chakraborti, 2020). Apple has
gained tremendous headway over these years with the appraisal
of the innovation of telephones and better gadgets. None of
these organizations needs to entrap what is happening with
different contenders as they have a unique scope of things and
innovation perspectives. Apple and Motorola planned an
essential comprehension of public interest and value systems to
guarantee item quality (Meihan, 2021). All angles go from
better use of programming and convincing the organization's
moral position.
Sales forecast
The usage of the iPhone free of orientation direction in light of

15. doubts and social disgrace is different. They control the
endeavors with the effective treatment of socially various
issues. The managing boss has prepared the pathways to ensure
identical dispersal of privileges inside the Apple affiliation
(Kundu, 2020). This method will end the limit of gaining things
towards sales headway. Advancing an impetus for social -based
things does not continue to go long. Be that as it may, the parts
of morally based articles will illuminate the light cast in all
courses.
This methodology makes contraptions with specific features and
improvements in an ethical manner. The future world will help
the client with a partner, generally around the engineered
connection point of the ongoing new development. By the piece
systems, there should be other moral and markdown
intercessions to achieve the ideal market plan.
Summary
The usage of the iPhone free of orientation direction in light of
doubts and social disgrace is different. They control the
endeavors with the effective treatment of socially various
issues. The managing boss has prepared the pathways to ensure
identical dispersal of privileges inside the Apple affiliation
(Kundu, 2020). This method will end the limit of gaining things
towards sales headway. Advancing an impetus for social -based
things does not continue to go long. Be that as it may, the parts
of morally based articles will illuminate the light cast in all
courses. This methodology makes contraptions with specific
features and improvements in an ethical manner.
The future world will help the client with a partner, generally
around the engineered connection point of the ongoing new
development. By the piece systems, there should be other moral
and markdown intercessions to achieve the ideal market plan.
Summary
Internet-based gadgets place a viable objective intercession to
offer comfort correspondence with Apple gadgets such as new
age retinal recognition security measures (Pocket-lint.com,
2022). This IT setting begins more handle procedures, and this

16. has made stunning entryways for them to join the market stage.
This entryway becomes stacked with multi-layered as a rule of
Apple showcasing. Using the latest documentation techniques
benefits clients from the best open entryways in dealing with
the favorable spot and cost for rental work environments.
Concerning institutional ground, promoting motivation for
social settings does not continue in the long run. The parts of
the morally based Apple working environment will illuminate
the sales cast in all course parts headway for iPhone. This
association has offered more endeavors in the USA and various
countries. When determining its marketing objectives, Apple
should follow the SMART framework—specific, measurable,
achievable, applicable, longevity, and time-based objectives
(Peter, 2018).
Therefore, to attain the viability of the intended market
strategy, various aspects such as research of market trends, size,
growth potential, and how the customers are segmented. A
target audience leads to intensive marketing determination and
higher conversion when utilizing a direct sales model. By
creating buyer persona outlines with characteristics mutual to
its target audience, the business can define data such as
demographics, location, interests, purchase intent, and other
applicable material for its target audience (Wright, 2017).
According to Allen (2022), "Integrated Marketing is a strategic
approach to integrating communications and interactive
experiences targeting defined audiences and individuals which
coordinates all aspects of marketi ng of a brand, including paid,
earned, and owned media" (para 2). Additionally, integrated
market research must also n more younger individuals craving
new technology. Apple's new retinal recognition security will
accompany its facial recognition application becoming a
successful and profitable venture to keep Apple ahead of its
competitors.

17. References
Allen, R. (2022). What is integrated marketing?
https://www.smartinsights.com/traffic-building-
strategy/integrated-marketing-communications/what-is-
integrated-marketing/
Business Wire.com. (2022). Strategy analytics: Apple hits best
second quarter global smartphone market share in ten years in
Q2 2022.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220728006098/en/
Strategy-Analytics-Apple-Hits-Best-Second-Quarter-Global-
Smartphone-Market-Share-in-Ten-Years-in-Q2-
2022#:~:text=Apple%20shipped%2048%20million%20iPhones,b
oth%20home%20and%20overseas%20market.
Dudovskiy, J. (2021). Apple segmentation, targeting and
positioning. https://research-methodology.net/apple-
segmentation-targeting-and-positioning/
He Meihan, (2021, March 22).
Analysis of iPhone's marketing strategy. Analysis of
iPhone's Marketing Strategy | Atlantis Press. Retrieved August
21, 2022, from https://www.atlantis-
press.com/proceedings/icfied-21/125954341
Kundu, S., & Chakraborti, S. (2020, July 18).
A comparative study of online consumer reviews of
Apple iPhone across Amazon, Twitter, and Mouth Shut
platforms. Electronic Commerce Research.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10660-020-09429-w.

18. Levy, S. (2022). Apple Inc. American company.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Apple-Inc
Lu, Bingyan. (2022, March 26).
The market strategies of Apple in China. The Market
Strategies of Apple in China | Atlantis Press. Retrieved August
21, 2022, from https://www.atlantis-
press.com/proceedings/icfied-22/125971966
McGregor, G. (2020). Apple finally starts selling directly to
customers in the world’s fastest-growing smartphone market.
https://fortune.com/2020/09/23/apple-online-store-
india-opening-launch/
Peter, J. P. (2018).
A preface to marketing management, 15e (15th ed.).
McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
Pocket-lint.com. (2022). What is Apple Face ID and how does it
work? https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/apple/142207-
what-is-apple-face-id-and-how-does-it-work
Vliert, D. V. D. (2021, April 18). Apple iPhone: A Market Case
Study. MacEwan University Student eJournal.
https://journals.macewan.ca/muse/article/view/2010
Wright, A. (2017). What is a ‘buyer persona’ and why is it
important? https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/what-is-a-
buyer-persona-and-why-is-it-important/507404/