Apple in 2010

1. What are the chief elements of Apple’s overall competitive strategy? How well do the pieces fit together? Is the strategy evolving?

Apple has done an excellent job of developing a very distinct strategy through industry leading innovation. Apples overall competitive strategies were well fit for their industry. They used the differentiation strategy to beat their competitors, and offered a valuable product that differed from the rest. The chief elements in Apple’s overall strategy would be to separate the company from other competitors. Apple has its own operating system as opposed to its competitors, such as android phones, which use the same operating system. Because of this, Apple has been very flexible in designing new products. The pieces seem to fit well together for Apple. Their strategy is evolving little by little as technology advances. Having a unique operating system helps the company evolve and stand out.

2. What are the key elements of Apple’s strategy in computers, personal media players, and smartphones? Have its strategies in its core businesses yielded success? Explain.

Apples computer sales started out slow because of their prices being much higher than competitors. Their unique operating system was also difficult to learn at first. The iPod and iPad helped boost their sales. Apple continued to bring new products to the market while keeping their technology and software closed to any developers and any possible rivals. Their shares suddenly increased when they created the Mac computer and after schools chose to use them for educational purposes. The unique style and ease of use gained more customers that were interested in the product. The iPhone was also a great success to Apple. They continued to advance the phones by designing newer models with slight advancements every year. They then created the App Store that allowed their customers to build their own applications. This continued to help their sales and build their business success....