MKT00102 Consumer Behaviour For IPhone 6 Marketing Competitive

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The Consumer Decision-Making Criteria

Problem/need recognition

According to Hassan (2015, p. 152), the consumer’s need/problem dictates the products’ purchasing affinity, which in turn manipulates the value perception of the desired product. For Apple, the previous empirical studies dictates that most consumers chose to purchase the iPhone 6 due to its high performance, water resistance as well as its classy design. Apparently, the smartphone market seems very congested, where only the unique and most quality-stylish brands will survive (Hassan 2015, p. 153). The need for the durable, high performance, and unique brand has propelled the IPhone 6 marketing competitive advantage strategy to attract high market affinity.

Information search

In respect to previous empirical studies by Kim (2011), and Campbell (2005, p. 32), consumers heavily rely on the first hand information regarding a product before making purchase. For instance, many consumers would like to get testimonies, personal experiences, and even more educational information concerning iPhone user-ability before making a purchase. Conventionally, firms ought to readily avail the most helpful information to consumers regarding their innovations and inventions, which helps to more consumers at large (Kim 2011). To break the market, Apple launched several promotional campaigns to educate consumers of the unique, durable and very efficient product they had made, the iPhone 6. 

Evaluation of alternatives

Apparently, comparison and weighing of alternatives dominates the consumer decision-making process to purchase a product. Conventionally, due to the dynamic technological outburst, the smartphone market offers a wide variety of products to the global consumer index. Nevertheless, only the most convincing, properly designed, packed and well-defined products strives and dominates the market (Greenwood). Most of the consumer evaluation features towards purchasing a smartphone chronicles around durability, the ease of use, high definition features, cost, and the software used. Analytically, the iPhone 6 smartphone came with its unique design, an attic uniqueness, and a well-defined software system that attracts the classy and fashionable customers. In fact, despite most consumers considering price/cost as a selection criteria, most of the iPhone 6 consumers are from the middle class and wealthy individuals, who value the Apples’ highbred version incorporated into the smartphone.

Purchase decision

According the Howard-Sheth Consumer Model, customers conduct a thorough Smartphones’ research before making a purchase (Kim 2011). These ranges from size, durability, video and camera quality, the ease of use, quality, as well as software systems incorporated. For Apple, it has mastered the art of making consumers loyal through keeping updated and technological devices at any time. Every new innovation comes with new features, with higher software versions, where the iPhone 6 smartphone outstandingly dominated the smartphone market (Kim 2011). Therefore, consumers have remained loyal and attached to Apple, which made it easy for the iPhone 6 to penetrate the dynamic smartphone market.

Post-purchase behavior

According to Greenwood (2002), the consumer feedback channel propels the competitive advantage strategy in many organizations. In fact, the consumer post-purchase views, opinions, and perceptions may damage or magnify the products’ public image, which dictates its purchasing behavior. Conventionally, according to the previous empirical studies, negative views seem to have corrected some products’ malfunctions. For instance, the Mac book was rumored to have some performance malware, which later rectified (Greenwood, 2002). To date, Mac book remains the top-market PC in the computer industry. Nevertheless, the iPhone 6 post-purchase behavior has been positive and encouraging to the loyal and new consumers.

The iPhone 6 Target Market

Apparently, the iPhone 6 marketing and promotional strategy chronicles around creation of a high premium brand image. Initially, the iPhone 6 targeted the European market, with its first ever promotional campaign taking place in London airport. Thereafter, the Asia, Pacific, and U.S regions joined the consumer index for high affinity for the product (Kim 2011). The Apples marketing strategy was anchored onto the sales targeting thorough online E-bay selling, personal selling as well as Corporate Social Responsibility campaigns, such as the Olympic sponsorship deal. Through online advertisements and marketing, adoption of website technologies, the iPhone 6 marketing strategy grew drastically into Africa. On top of the iPhone 6 outstanding features, the Apples marketing mix strategy pierced the dynamic smartphone market through the face-to-face selling, install-activations, as well as store-retailing globally. Ultimately, the iPhone 6 seems dominant over HTC, Samsung, Sony, Blackberry, among other brands due to its durability, unique software stability, and most importantly the inbuilt anti-virus security software (Kim 2011). 

Bibliography

Campbell, C 2005, ‘The Craft Consumer: Culture, craft and consumption in a postmodern society’, Journal of Consumer Culture, vol. 5, no. 1, -pp. 23-42

Hassan, O 2015, Behavioral Factors Affecting Consumer Purchasing. International Journal of Business and Social Science , vol. 3, no.2, pp. 146-154

Greenwood, N 2002, Ethics and HRM: A review and Conceptual Analysis. “Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 261-278

Kim, A 2011, “Verizon sells out of Iphone Pre-Orders”. Accessed https://www.macrumors.com/2011/02/03/verizon-sells-out-of-iphone-pre-orders/