Apple’s business strategy focuses on creating a unique brand identity through simplicity, innovation, and emotional branding. They offer a diverse product portfolio, including cutting-edge technology, and emphasize direct sales through Apple Stores and online platforms. Their supply chain management ensures efficient production and timely delivery. Marketing efforts highlight the brand’s values and leverage influencer partnerships.
Strategy
Description
Example
Simplicity and Innovation
Apple focuses on user-friendly interfaces, minimalist design, and groundbreaking technology.
The introduction of the iPhone with a touch screen interface and iOS.
Emotional Branding
Apple establishes emotional connections with customers, fostering loyalty and retention.
Emotional ads like “Think Different” featuring iconic figures.
Diverse Product Portfolio
Apple offers a range of devices and services to cater to various customer segments.
iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and a variety of services like Apple Music and Apple TV+.
Direct Sales
Apple prioritizes direct sales through Apple Stores and online platforms, enhancing customer experience.
The global network of Apple Stores where customers can experience products firsthand.
Supply Chain Management
Apple maintains an efficient supply chain for timely production and delivery while ensuring quality control.
Timely launches of new products like the iPhone and iPad.
Marketing and Brand Values
Apple’s marketing emphasizes brand values like creativity and individuality through emotional storytelling.
Iconic marketing campaigns like “1984” and “Get a Mac.”
Influencer Partnerships
Apple collaborates with influencers and celebrities to amplify its reach and create buzz around products.
Partnerships with celebrities like Selena Gomez and influencers for Apple Music promotions.
As of 2023, major Apple shareholders comprised Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway with 5.73% of the company’s stock (valued at over $130 billion). Followed by other individual shareholders like Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, with about 3.3 million shares, Artur Levinson, chairman of Apple, with over 4.5 million shares, and others.
Apple has a business model that is divided into products and services. Apple generated over $394 billion in revenues in 2022, of which $205.5 came from iPhone sales, $40 billion came from Mac sales, over $41 billion came from accessories and wearables (AirPods, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Beats products, HomePod, iPod touch, and accessories), $29.3 billion came from iPad sales, and $78.13 billion came from services.
iPhone and Services sales represented the main revenue drivers in 2022. Within the service revenues, the fastest growing sub-segment was the advertising businessApple built on top of the App Store, followed by the Mac, Accessories & Wearables, and the iPad.
In 2022, most of Apple’s sales (62%) came from indirect channels (comprising third-party cellular networks, wholesalers/retailers, and resellers). These channels are critical for sales amplification, scale, and subsidies (to enable the iPhone to be purchased by many people). In comparison, the direct channel represented 38% of the total revenues. Stores are critical for customer experience, enabling the service business, and branding at scale.
In 2022, Apple generated 62% from indirect channels vs. 38% from its direct channel. In 2021, 64% of Apple’s sales came by indirect channels vs. 36% from its direct channels in 2021.
Apple is a tech giant, and as such, it encompasses a set of value propositions that make Apple’s brand recognized, among consumers. The three fundamental value propositions of Apple’s brand leverage the “Think Different” motto; reliable tech devices for mass markets; and starting in 2019, Apple also started to emphasize more and more privacy to differentiate itself from other tech giants.
Apple’s mission is “to bring the best user experience to its customers through its innovative hardware, software, and services.” And in a manifesto dated 2019 Tim Cook set the vision specified as “We believe that we are on the face of the earth to make great products and that’s not changing.”
In 2022, Apple is worth two and a half trillion dollars. Apple generated over $205 billion from iPhone sales in 2022, which accounted for over 52% of its net sales—followed by services revenues at over $78 billion, wearables and accessories at over $41 billion, Mac sales at $40 billion, and iPad sales at over $29 billion.
Apple’s mission is “to bring the best user experience to its customers through its innovative hardware, software, and services.” And in a manifesto dated 2019 Tim Cook set the vision specified as “We believe that we are on the face of the earth to make great products and that’s not changing.”
It costs Apple $501 to make an iPhone 14 Pro Max, and the company sells it at a base price of $1099. This makes Apple’s base markup on the latest iPhone model at 119% Apple is the only tech company able to sell its tech products at a such a premium, thanks to a combination of hardware, software and marketplace.
While Apple Tim Cook’s salary has been $3 million since 2016, most of Tim Cook’s compensation is performance-based. For instance, in 2022, while the salary of Tim Cook was $3 million, he had total compensation of over $99 million, which comprised stock awards and other incentives and bonuses.
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
