If you would like a brief history of Apple
and can’t be bothered to venture onto Wikpedia for the answers you seek you
should check out the below article.
In a nutshell Apple have evolved from a
small start up into the tech giant it is today.
146 million iPhones have been sold in the last 4 and half years across
the world while usage in the UK is around 75%. But it isn’t only mobile phones where Apple
has built a solid competitive advantage. They have also successfully dominated
the personal computer and MP3 industries. Regardless of the market Apple
enters, its brand has always been traditionally built on a firm foundation of
innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and disruption.
And therein lies the issue in recent times
for Apple! Whether it is right or wrong many are predicting the company has
lost its spark for innovation and will continue to experience a decline in
brand value as it loses its flair for disruption. One tell tale sign that this
this grim commentary may have legs can be seen with the recent news that the
iPad has experienced a decline in sales compared to a rise in sales of all
major competitors.
You maybe quick to draw the conclusion that
decline in sales is expected when you are the market leader operating in a
saturated market. And whereas many marketers are quick to jump on the bandwagon
and predict that the end is nigh for Apple we shouldn’t forget this important
fact. It is tough at the top and Apple may now be simply becoming a victim of
its success in the areas it made such a widespread impact in. So if this is the
case what could be some other potential reasons for Apples decline in brand
value?
Some believe a fall in brand loyalty has led
to a decrease in sales value and market share for the company. Apple wouldn’t be the first company to not
give loyalty the proper respect it deserves. Little to no effort has been made
to understand the vast array of consumer and how this data can generate
measurable sales value for the company. The lack of emphasis from Apple to lock
the customer into the Apple brand maybe the reason why some competitors in the
android market have grown up to 67% in the same year Apple has experienced
decline.
Reading the above it is clear that there
are several reasons why Apple has experienced recent misfortunes. However, we can
also seen in the majority of articles featured in this blog that many regard the
perceived lack of innovation from the famous rebels at Apple as the main reason
the brand is struggling. And you may suggest that this is a concern Apple shares
when we see how this year there was a 250% increase in R and D from Apple to bring
the total investment to $3.5 billion. Apple had to do something to address these concerns,
as lack of innovation is a clear concern from all major analysts who continue
to twist their knives into the core of the company.
A is for anxiety at Apple! Can the tech giant
continue to rule the market through innovation?So what does the future look like for
Apple? Well the Brand Avenger would suggest regardless of what the critics say
we need to give apple credit where credit is due. The company still enjoys the
luxury of being the 6th largest company in the US and is expecting a
9% increase in sales in 2013. So whereas it is clear Apple needs to launch the
next big thing that will changes the world sooner rather than later let’s not
be too quick to put all our apples in one basket on this subject.
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