Sample:1. Identify the competitive strategy that Apple have utilised in order to develop their current competitive position, giving examples of actions they have taken to accomplish this strategy.
Introduction
“Taken in totality, the features new to the iPhone 5s make what I consider to be the best smartphone on the market even better, helped enormously by Apple owning the entire end-to-end experience.” – USA Today
In a world ruled by mega-businesses like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Nike and Walmart, one wonders at the secret success stories along with a little envy perhaps. Giants certainly didn’t grow on their own or happen automatically like birth and death. What was the business process involved?
Business Strategies
The why, what, when, where and how applied to a business situation immediately provides a definitive understanding. (Ghauri and Gronhang, 2005)
The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy (Michael Porter, 1980) puts it succinctly: competition, customers, suppliers, potential entrants and substitute products matter. Though cheaper substitutes like Chinese products abound, costly Apple has found profitable niches among the better paying customers through innovation, brand awareness and customer loyalty.
In Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, Porter indicates cost leadership, differentiation and market segmentation. Apple successfully achieved product differentiation with several outstanding products; customers hav