Analysis Of Apple Ipad

The following report will be concerned with developing a marketing campaign for Apple Computer, Inc. The product in question is the Apple ipad that is designed to compete with similar products made by Sony, Amazon and others. At the present time, Apple has released its ipad, which is now in its fourth incineration. The report will discuss research findings about the ipad’s target market, the features of the product, consumers’ views on the advantages and disadvantages of tablets, and the competition that currently exists in the tablet market. This will be followed by an outline of the proposed marketing campaign to launch the Apple ipad.

Target Market

The target market for the ipad is divided into two major segments: the academic community, and people who love to read. Reid (2005) notes that tablets appeal to young people who are comfortable with using personal digital technology. However, the recently-launched Amazon Kindle was successfully targeted to “passionate readers” of all ages rather than to “young people, or early-adopting technophiles” (Well read 2009, p. 71). Rowlands, et al. (2007) conducted an online survey of staff and students at the University College of London. The results showed that a large minority (44%) of the UCL community were using e-books. According to Rowlands, et al., this is comparable to the findings of similar studies at other academic institutions. The research by Rowlands, et al. also showed that age was not a major factor in the attraction to e-readers/tablets although men were more likely than women to favor reading from a screen.

In another study, Nicholas, et al. (2008) surveyed students, teachers and staff members from more than 120 universities. The results of this study showed...

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...portunity to expand sales by producing some advertisements that emphasize how the ipad can be used not just for studying, but also for pleasurable reading. As seen in the evidence presented by Rowlands, et al. (2007), although consumers previously thought of tablets mainly as educational tools, there is a growing trend of consumers using the devices for leisure reading as well. Other ads will focus on the potential appeal of the ipad to women consumers. The research evidence shows that tablets have traditionally appealed to men more than women; however, there are signs that women are becoming increasingly interested in such products. Because of this, the launch of the ipad will include some ads and promotions that feature the use of female models and female celebrities, and which are placed in media that are specifically designed to appeal to female consumers.