Case Study ReportOutline and Grading Guide (150 points)COMPANY NAME/WEBSITE/INDUSTRYState the company name, website address and industryBACKGROUND/HISTORYBriefly describe the company in the case...

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Apple
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Company Name/Website/Industry:
The company taken for analysis for the project is „Apple Inc‟, which is one of the biggest
player of the technology industry, the website of the company is „http://www.apple.com/.‟
Background/History:
Apple Inc, is an American multinational organization which deals in manufacturing,
designing and marketing computers, computer software and different consumer electronics. The
company has been listed in NASDAQ exchange under „AAPL‟ ticker symbol. The company is
headed by Mr. Bill Campbell.
Apple Inc, is considered to be one the biggest player of personal PC‟s , mobile
communication devices and portable music and video players. The Company‟s products and
services includes a wide array of Mac line products of desktop and portable computers, iPhone,
the iPod line of portable digital music and video players, Apple TV, Xserve, a portfolio of
consumer and professional software applications, the Mac OS X operating system, third-party
digital content and applications through the iTunes Store, and a variety of accessory, service and
support offerings. The Company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, its retail
stores, its direct sales force, and third-party wholesalers, retailers, and value-added resellers. In
addition, the Company sells a variety of third-party Mac, iPhone and iPod compatible products,
including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and various other
accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores. The Company sells to consumer,
small and mid-sized business (“SMB”), education, enterprise, government, and creative markets.
(Apple, Annual report, 2010).
After the demise of Steve Jobs, Tim Cook was elected as the CEO of the company. The
net sales of the company for the year 2011 were $108249 millions and the net income of the
http://www.apple.com/
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company was $25922 millions. The company has been consistent in its performance and is one
of the best performing companies in technology industry. The company focuses on managing
and organizing its financial resources in an optimal manner so as to facilitate growth. The
company invests large portion of financial resources in research and development, so as to have a
competitive advantage.
SWOT Analysis:
Strengths
 Strong management: Apple is a
brand known to the world, with its
strong management capabilities, the
firm has been successful in making its
place globally. The company has
formulated the strategies which revolve
around commitment, innovation, focus
and technology. Thus the company‟s
strong management capabilities is one
of the strength of the company
 Innovation: Apple being a
technological company is focused on
innovation.
 Brand recognition and image:
Apple‟ logo is recognized worldwide.
With its strong brand image and
innovation it perceives strong value
 Diversity in the product range:
Apple has successfully diversified its
product portfolio from PC‟s to music
system to iphones. Wide range of
differentiated products are available in
the market.
 Strong control over supply
chain: The supply chain of the
company works on strict disciplinary
chain. As company believes that ready
availability of the products to
consumers is one of the most important
aspects for success. Thus, the company
pursues strong supply chain so as to
have fast and ready availability of its
products in the market.
Weakness:
 Price: High prices of products
of Apple Inc.
 Specific interface: Apple only
operates on Mac
 Defects in Apple Nano: Apple
Nano was reported as having a faulty
screen
 Weak relation with Microsoft
and intel
 Market Share: Despite of the
innovative products, Apple is not able
to gain much market share.
 Slow turnaround n high priced
products of Apple Inc.
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 Strong and loyal customers: The
company focuses on building loyalty of
customers. Through differentiated
products, innovation and style the
company builds loyal customers. The
company focuses on gives added value
to its customers to build a strong base.
The company also associates different
athletes with its brand so as to build a
connection with its customers.
 Strong Innovation: Innovation is
one of the building blocks of the
company on which the company
moves. The company innovates in
designing its products through different...