Marketing Plan Apple Inc.

Section I: Company Profile (Use FORMAT below)

• Your Company’s name:
• Product or Service; Choose ONE (1) product or service you will be promoting in this Marketing Plan
• Target Market: Consumers (B2C) or Industry (B2B)
• Industry code from North American Industry Classification System (NAICS): NOTE: If available.
• Company Headquarters(city, state, country):
• Year founded:
• Number of employees:
• Annual revenue(estimate):
• Link to the company website: Include company’s URL.

Go to: Yahoo.com/finance

Finance information page (for public companies).

NOTE: Use “SEARCH.” Type in name of your company. It will take you to your company’s financial page.

Also go to Google.com. Google your company’s home page for additional data.

Locate: “Investor Relations.”

NOTE:

1) *** Content from a 3rd party source MUST include a CITATION and REFERENCE. ***

2) Place citation AFTER 3rd Party content.

3) Place reference(s) AT THE END of the Section.

4) PARAPHRASE third-party content to avoid plagiarism.

INCLUDE: Entire Marketing Plan with EVERY Submission!

Section II: Executive Summary

Note: Delete these highlighted instructions before submitting this portion of your Marketing Plan Template.

The Executive Summary is a two or three paragraph synopsis of your marketing plan. It gives the reader a relatively brief overview of the plans main points. It should be written in PARAGRAPH FORM (Complete sentences.) Think of it as a five-minute elevator speech in which you introduce your marketing plan to readers who dont have the time (or inclination) to read the entire plan but want an understanding of its contents.

For inspiration, click below:

1) Click on “Link Options.”

2) Under TEXT: Copy the Link URL.

3) Paste URL into your browser.

NOTE:

1) *** Content from a 3rd party source MUST include a CITATION and REFERENCE. ***

2) Place citation AFTER 3rd Party content.

3) Place reference(s) AT THE END of the Section.

4) PARAPHRASE third-party content to avoid plagiarism.

INCLUDE: Entire Marketing Plan with EVERY Submission!

Section III: Mission Statement

Note: Delete these highlighted instructions before submitting this portion of your Marketing Plan Template.

NOTE: This may be a COPY AND PASTE task if the company is publicly owned and

the mission statement is available online.

If it is your “own company,” you will have to create a mission statement.

The Mission Statement sums up in one to three sentences what the company does, who it serves, and what differentiates it from its competitors. If you have selected a public company, you can likely find its mission statement on its website. There is no need to reinvent the wheel.

If, however, you have selected a company that does not have a published mission statement, you will need to write one for your marketing plan.

Go to: Google.com.

Type in: “Examples of good mission statements.”

NOTE:

1) *** Content from a 3rd party source MUST include

a CITATION and REFERENCE. ***

2) Place citation AFTER 3rd Party content.

3) Place reference(s) AT THE END of the Section.

4) PARAPHRASE third-party content to avoid plagiarism.

INCLUDE: Entire Marketing Plan with EVERY Submission!

Section IV: SWOT Analysis

Note: Delete these highlighted instructions before submitting this portion of your Marketing Plan Template.

Complete the Table below with descriptive responses and explanations. Add rows to the table as needed. No need for complete sentences. Use short phrases.

List Minimum of Four (4) items per SWOT category.

Strengths are internal assets or resources (tangible or intangible) that are within a companys control. These may be patents or trademarks that provide a competitive edge for participating in the marketplace; a better cost structure than competitors; a talented and innovative staff, or strong brand recognition.

Weaknesses are also factors within the companys internal environment. These are hindrances to success. For example, these may include: difficulty in accessing capital (funding); outdated technology or facilities; high employee turnover; high levels of debt, or weak brand recognition.

Threats are external factors (i.e., not within the companys control) that can negatively impact the business. These may include supply chain problems, new competitors, imposition of tariffs, or impending legislation that may hamper ongoing operations.

Opportunities are attractiveexternal factors that can be exploited to achieve your company’s objectives. Opportunities can be moving into a new market segment that offers improved profits, competitors who are experiencing quality or delivery problems, or impending legislation that would favorably affect the business.

1) Click on:

Links to an external site.

2) Click on “Link Options.”

3) COPY the Link URL for more information on conducting a SWOT analysis,

4) Paste URL into your browser.

NOTE:

1) *** Content from a 3rd party source MUST include

a CITATION and REFERENCE. ***

2) Place citation AFTER 3rd Party content.

3) Place reference(s) AT THE END of the Section.

4) PARAPHRASE third-party content to avoid plagiarism.

Create SWOT analysis: Fill in the blanks with your company’s data. No complete sentences. Paraphrase!

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

1.

1.

2.

2.

3.

3.

4.

4.

Opportunities:

Threats:

1.

1.

2.

2.

3.

3.

4.

4.

INCLUDE: Entire Marketing Plan with EVERY Submission!

Section V: Marketing Goals and Objectives

Note: Delete these highlighted instructions before submitting this portion of your Marketing Plan Template.

This section is about setting ambitious, but achievable goals and objectives.

Goals and objectives are related, but different. Consider a road trip analogy: Goals are your destination. Objectives are how you intend to get there.

Examples of SMART goals:

• Increase revenues by 10% annually
• Boost profits by 7% over next three years.
• Become industry leader within 5 years,
• Reduce carbon footprint to zero (0%) in five years, etc.

Describe Objectives specifically: What needs to be done to achieve the goals and Who or what department is responsible for each activity.

Make sure that you have SMART goals (i.e., Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timeframe, when each goal will be completed.

NOTE: You must have a minimum of three (3) goals and three (3) objectives per goal. Use short phrases.

1) Click on:

may be helpful for you in

developing this section.

2) Click on “Link Options.” Go to LINK.

3) Copy the Link URL.

4) Paste URL into your browser.

NOTE:

1) *** Content from a 3rd party source MUST include:

a CITATION and REFERENCE. ***

2) Place citation AFTER 3rd Party content.

3) Place reference(s) AT THE END of the Section.

4) PARAPHRASE third-party content to avoid plagiarism.

NOTE: Objectives must have a completion date.

Provide at a minimum, three (3) objectives per goal.

USE PHRASES, not sentences for BOTH GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.

USE THIS FORMAT!

Marketing Goal #1: Objectives: Include completion dates.

• Objective #1:
• Objective #2:
• Objective #3:

Marketing Goal #2: Objectives: Include completion dates.

• Objective #1:
• Objective #2:
• Objective #3:

Marketing Goal #3: Objectives: Include completion dates.

• Objective #1
• Objective #2:
• Objective #3:

INCLUDE: Entire Marketing Plan with EVERY Submission!

Section VI: Market Segmentation

Note: Delete these highlighted instructions before submitting this portion of your Marketing Plan Template.

Market segmentation is the process of dividing a target market into smaller, more precisely defined categories of people or organizations who are likely to respond similarly to a marketing action. This section should address the following in Narrative form (complete sentences):

The purpose of this section is to divide the marketplace into logical groupings based on demographic characteristics:

What are the characteristics of your product’s marketplace? Use at least three (3) demographic categories for your product/service.

• Age, gender
• income level
• education level
• geographical location etc.

NOTE: USE THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH HEADERS and insert your responses. For this section, write complete sentences.

• Who are your potential customers? NOTE: Specify characteristics above.
• What specific customer problems or issues do your product or service solve?
• Identify and describe three (3) market segments that your product or service may serve.
• Of the three, Identify the one KEY market segment on which your marketing plan will focus. State your reasons for selecting this segment.
• Why do you believe this market segment offers the most growth and profit opportunities for the business.

NOTE: Go to URL for examples of Market Segmentation:

1) Click on “Link Options.”

2) Go to LINK

3) Copy the Link URL.

4) Paste URL into your browser.

NOTE:

1) *** Content from a 3rd party source MUST include a CITATION and REFERENCE. ***

2) Place citation AFTER 3rd Party content.

3) Place reference(s) AT THE END of the section.

4) PARAPHRASE third-party content to avoid plagiarism.

INCLUDE: Entire Marketing Plan with EVERY Submission!

Section VII: Target Market

Note:Delete these highlighted instructions before submitting this portion of your Marketing Plan Template.

Choose: EITHER Ch. 3 Consumer Market (B2C) orCh. 4 Business Market (B2B) depending on

the company and product you chose in Section #1- Company Profile. Choose either:

• Ch 3: Consumer Markets and Purchasing Behavior(B2C) OR
• Ch 4: Business Markets and Purchasing Behavior (B2B)

NOTE: There is a QUIZ on BOTH chapters.

Your target market is that group of customers that has similar:

• Needs for your product or service.
• Money to purchase it, and
• Willingness to purchase.

NOTE: Write in narrative format- Complete Sentences (not phrases.)

NOTE: Use these paragraph headers. Insert content in narrative format.

Segment your target market along FOUR (4) key characteristics.

In this section:

• Identify the target market (Consumer or Business) for your product or service.
• DESCRIBE why you have selected this target market. (Use Complete Sentences)
• NOTE: List relevant demographic data, such as geographic, lifestyle and behavior information. Chooseat least three (3) Characteristics.

Characteristics:

• Demographics(e.g., age, gender, family size, income, ethnicity, etc.),
• Geography(e.g., region, country, climate, city, and population density),
• Psychographics(e.g., social class, lifestyle, personality, etc.), and/or
• Behavior(e.g., purchase occasion, benefits sought, usage frequency, etc.).

You may find

helpful in developing your target market.

1) Click on “Link Options.”

2) Go to LINK.

3) Copy the Link URL.

4) Paste URL into your browser.

NOTE:

1) *** Content from a 3rd party source MUST include a CITATION and REFERENCE. ***

2) Place Citation AFTER 3rd Party content.

3) Place reference(s) AT THE END of the Section.

4) PARAPHRASE third-party content to avoid plagiarism.

INCLUDE: Entire Marketing Plan with EVERY Submission!

Section VIII: Buyer Personas

Note:Delete these highlighted instructions before submitting this portion of your Marketing Plan Template.

Now that you have defined your target market, describe typical buyer who will likely purchase your product or service. They are known as Buyer Personas. A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer. It helps you understand and relate to the audience to which you want to market your product and/or services.

Describe Three (3) typical customers. Create three buyer personas for your product or service. Describe in narrative form, complete sentences. Each persona should be given a name, job or other background details, personality traits, and interests. Use complete sentences.

For example: if your target market is women in their 20s who live in big cities, like photography, and follow a vegan lifestyle, that persona could look like this: Arielle is a female in her mid-20s. She lives in Manhattan and spends her weekends exploring the city, taking photographs, and discovering new vegan restaurants to try out with her friends. She has a job at a tech company, is very active on social media, and owns no pets.

PERSONA DESCRIPTION:

• Ch 2: Buying Persona p. 68
• Ch 5: Buying Persona P. 177
• Ch 7: Marketing in a Global Environment (MLO 2.4)
• Ch 8: Marketing in a Diverse Marketplace(MLO 2.4)
• NOTE: Is your product being sold to a diverse market? Include this in your Market

You may find it helpful to review

to help you craft yours.

You can also use

to create personas.

1) Click on “Link Options.”

2) Go to Link

3) Copy the Link URL.

4) Paste URL into your browser.

NOTE: I Googled “Examples of Buyer Personas”. Thought it was a better source.

Create Three (3) buyer personas for your product or service.

Describe each in Complete Sentences.

NOTE:

1) *** Content from a 3rd party source MUST include a CITATION and REFERENCE. ***

2) Place citation AFTER 3rd Party content.

3) Place reference(s) AT THE END of the Section..

4) PARAPHRASE third-party content to avoid plagiarism.

INCLUDE: Entire Marketing Plan with EVERY Submission!

Section IX: Product Positioning

Note: Delete these highlighted instructions before submitting this portion of your Marketing Plan Template.

Your positioning strategy defines how you would like your customers to think about your company/product/service vs. your major competitors.

For example, do you want to be perceived as the guaranteed low-cost provider, most reliable, premier brand, etc.?

In this section, prepare a Position Map (sometimes called a perceptual map) for your company/brand. This position map is a DIAGRAM that compares your product to rival goods.

The map is organized on two axes plotting two key product benefits,

This aids marketers in identifying market opportunities.

State the benefits along the two axes.

Here are a few examples to help guide you in developing your map:

Examples include:

• quality vs. price
• functionality vs. price
• healthiness vs. taste
• price vs. performance
• price vs. safety and reliability

If you were using quality vs. price as the determinant attributes, your Position Map should look like this: Insert in your diagram your major competing products.

NOTE: Include a minimum of three (3) competitors plus yourself

(Insert Title Here)

You may find

about perceptual maps helpful in developing your position/perceptual map .

Links to an external site.

NOTE: URL will actually take you to competing chocolate candies, comparing Price vs. Quality.

1) Click on “Link Options.”

2) Go to LINK.

3) Copy the Link URL.

4) Paste URL into your browser.

NOTE: I also Googled “marketing perceptual map examples.”

NOTE:

1) *** Content from a 3rd party source MUST include a CITATION and REFERENCE. ***

2) Place citation AFTER 3rd Party content.

3) Place reference(s) AT THE END of the Section.

4) PARAPHRASE third-party content to avoid plagiarism.

INCLUDE: Entire Marketing Plan with EVERY Submission!

Section X: Current Market Situation/Situation Analysis

Note: Delete these highlighted instructions before submitting this portion of your Marketing Plan Template.

This section of your marketing plan provides reader with a clear description of the current state of the marketplace. Include your target market and the competitive environment. It should include a synopsis of the research you performed.

Complete the following information about the company and products/services you chose to focus

on for this exercise. Conduct research to gather necessary information. Write complete sentences.

Instructions: Use the Marketing Plan Template and expand on it:

• 2:
• 5:
• ,
• 6: Marketing Research and Intelligence

Complete the following section of your plan: Section X: Current Market Situation/Situation Analysis.

Define the characteristics of your ideal marketplace.

NOTE: Use the following paragraph headers. Use complete sentences (not phrases.)

MARKET DESCRIPTION:

• What is the current business (economic) environment?
• What are the market trends? Are consumers/businesses buying or holding back on purchasing? If so, why?
• What is the total size of the market (for your product)? Answer in terms of number of possible customers and/or dollar volume
• What appears to be demand for YOUR product?
• What is the growth potential for YOUR product?

NOTE: Use the following paragraph headers. Fill in the answers using complete sentences.

PRODUCT REVIEW:

• Describe the features of your product or service characteristics; (size, color etc.)
• Current pricing of your product?
• Who will likely buy your product? Why? (NOTE: Repeat of your target market)
• What benefits will accrue to your customer if they buy your product e.g., improved productivity; decreased expenses; improved competitive positioning?

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS:

NOTE: Name at least three (3) competitors of your product Reference competitors used in Section IX- Product Positioning.

Position each one separately.

• What products compete against your product? (Name at least three. Reference the competitors you cited in Section IX- Product Positioning.)
• What are their strengths, their weaknesses?
• How are their products priced?
• How does your product compare to them on features and pricing?
• What are your weaknesses, strengths versus each named competitor?
• How is your product superior to your competition?

MARKET RESEARCH:

• What research methods will you use to obtain this information?
• How will you use Google or other means to conduct your research?

Once completed, submit the entire marketing plan to instructor for grading and feedback.

NOTE:

1) *** Content from a 3rd party source MUST include a CITATION and REFERENCE. ***

2) Place citation AFTER 3rd Party content.

3) Place reference(s) AT THE END of the Section.

4) PARAPHRASE third-party content to avoid plagiarism.

INCLUDE: Entire Marketing Plan with EVERY Submission