Apple SWOT Analysis Paper Example

Introduction

Apple Inc. has over the years produced the most valuable designs of Macs, personal PCs and recently revolutionized on the mobile technology market with iPods and iTunes. However, Apple has not gotten the right clinch of the market share to match its competition because of low recognition of their quality brands (Heracleous, 2013). A SWOT analysis of the Apple company links the success that it had made with the ability to use the business strengths as well as strategies to overcome the viable threats and weaknesses that have over the years reduced its brand recognition among users. The SWOT analysis framework is used in any business scenario to give insight on the appropriate strategies an organization can adapt to increase its profitability and market popularity by identification of the strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats on equal balance to increase market effectiveness (Helms & Nixon, 2010). This paper will conduct a SWOT analysis for Apple company to identify the reasons that contribute to its growth and also its slow market coverage by identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Strengths of Apple

Innovation - Over the years Apple Company has revolutionized the technological market provided its clients with improved and advanced devices and software to match the growing needs for technology advancement like iPhones with sophisticated App store, gesture-oriented interfaces, accelerometer, and touch controls.

Customer loyalty - Apple products have acquired a market value that has a social status that appeals to the users enhancing the dependency of their products because of quality and class stratification of their products among social divides enhancing high profiling.

Advertisement - Apple has over the years acquired a top-notch marketing strategy in their brand advertisement making a better appeal to the target groups through inspirations, and heartwarming ads.

Brand reputation - The Apple company brands have gained high reputation and recognition among the users because of their consistency and wide market coverage with a strong brand image.

Simplicity - The product design of Apple products is built to enhance end-user friendly accommodation.

Weaknesses of Apple

High expectations - the apple products receive unrealistic high expectations from the target customers leading to disappointments in cases of unfulfilled needs.

Pricey products - Apple products have a higher price market value making price-conscious customers opt for their competitions

Patent infringements - innovation in apple are obviously bleached from other companies software like iTunes and Smartflash LLC

iCloud security issues - the growing cybercrimes are making the security of customers on technological devices warranting.

High profile dependency - because of the high selling prices Apple products sale depends on the high-end market segments minimizing their popularity among masses.

Opportunities

Tablet Market growth - capitalization of the growing need for sophisticated portable PCs Apple is a leader on the tablet market.

Apple television - Apple is growing to slip the opportunities to clinch the movie theater

Apple electric car project - Tim Cook's project on building electric cars to capitalize on the automobile industry.

Apple Watch apps - irresistible apps creates in numerous device platforms increasing expansion network

High sale volume due to increasing demand for high-end market value products

Threats

Rapid technological changes - the growing changes in the technological world increases competition from upcoming companies threatening the viability of the old giants who rely on product brand popularity.

Android OS growth - Google Android enabled mobile platforms has created stiff competition from Apple threatening to overpower their iOS

Imitation - the innovation of the Apple products is rumored to be imitation from other smartphone companies making their products expensive and unpopular.

Other giant competitions - other big companies like Samsung have a stiff competition with apple company because they offer cheaper but good quality technological devices.

The rise in production cost due to high labor with a growing rate of inflammation in the countries globally.

References

Helms, M. M., & Nixon, J. (2010). Exploring SWOT analysis - where are we now? A review of academic research from the last decade. Journal of Strategy and Management, 3(3), 215-251.

Heracleous, L. (2013). Quantum strategy at Apple Inc. Organizational Dynamics, 42(2), 92-99.