Question

One of the American Marketing Association's definitions of marketing says it's "a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers." When consumers calculate the value of a product, they look at the benefits and then subtract the price to see whether the benefits exceed the costs, including the cost of driving to the store or shipping fees if they buy the product online. Whether consumers perceive a product as the best value depends on many factors, including the benefits they seek and the service they receive. To satisfy consumers, marketers must learn to listen better and constantly adapt to changing market demands. From a strategic marketing viewpoint, a product is more than just the physical good or service. A total product offer consists of everything consumers evaluate when deciding whether to buy something. The basic product or service may be a cell phone or a hotel room, but the total product offer includes other aspects of the good or service.

Read the case below and answer the question that follow.

At the time the new iPhone 3GS was introduced, it was described on Apple's website in the following way:

Priced from $199 to $299, Apple promises that its new iPhone 3GS is the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet. The new version features video recording, Voice Control, and up to 32GB of storage. iPhone is more than just a phone. It combines three devices in one:

a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device. All that and more makes it the best phone you'll ever use. The Apple iPhone is a revolutionary phone. With the Multi-Touch interface on iPhone, you can make a call simply by tapping a name or number in your contacts or favorites list, your call log, or just about anywhere. Visual Voicemail lets you select and listen to messages in whatever order you want—just like email. The Apple iPhone shows off your content—music, movies, TV shows, and more—on a beautiful 3.5-inch display. Add to your collection by downloading music and video wirelessly from the iTunes Store. Scroll through songs and playlists with the touch of a finger. Even browse your album artwork using Cover Flow. The Apple iPhone uses fast 3G and Wi-Fi wireless connections to deliver rich HTML email, Maps with GPS, and Safari—the most advanced web browser on a mobile device. It has Google and Yahoo! search built in. And since iPhone multitasks, you can make a phone call while emailing a photo or surfing the web over a Wi-Fi or 3G connection.

The Apple iPhone comes with some amazing applications. And you can choose from thousands more on the App Store and download them with a tap. Your iPhone gets even better with every new app. Play games. Be more productive. Keep yourself entertained. No matter what you want to do on iPhone, there's an app for that. With iPhone, Apple combined innovative hardware features with the world's most advanced mobile operating system to redefine what a mobile phone can do. Applications work together seamlessly and they sync with your computer—whether you're on a Mac or a PC. From its revolutionary Multi-Touch display to its intelligent keyboard to its smart sensors, iPhone is years ahead of any other mobile phone.

How is Apple employing the concept of marketing in the creation of the iPhone?

Answer 1

Apple is using concept of marketing in the creation of the iPhone by communicating the features it has which will deliver the value for the money customers will pay. Various features iPhone 3GS includes are as follows :

a. It has 32GB of storage with the fastest processor and three devices in one to make it a revolutionary phone with 3.5 inch display.

b. It has multi-touch display with smart sensors and innovative hardware features.

c. It has thousands of applications and apps to choose from to keep oneself entertained.

d. It uses advanced web browser for its maps with gps and web browsing.

As this phone is priced between $199 to $299 which is on higher end as compared to other cell phones available in market but it delivers the value for customer for the higher price paid, also Apple uses psychological pricing strategy for its product.