Seeking Fortunes in China’s Hands, Essay Example

Which US company is the focus of this article? In which specific country/region of the world is this company’s business the topic of the article?           

The company discussed in the present article is Apple Inc. and its entry to the Chinese market. The product launched in China is IPhone of Apple Inc.’s production.

What is the main idea of article?  Provide a brief summary.

The article discusses the tendencies that Apple Inc. witnessed for the year 2009 in the Chinese market of apps they produce. Despite the fact that IPhones’ popularity in China is tremendous, the sales are not showing high figures and are surprisingly low as compared to the US and other international sales statistics. There are several reasons that researchers of the Chinese market of Apple’s IPhones name. among them one may find the hardships of dealing with currency (IPhones’s prices are still calculated in US dollars and the ability to buy one is determined by the fact whether the individual has a credit card issued by a Chinese bank- surely these formalities discourage those wishing to make a purchase); the prosperity of piracy in China that allows the citizens to buy cheaper content and apps as well as obtain them with the Chinese instructions, which lets them handle the app more comfortably. Thus, the logical conclusion made at the end of the article is that Apple Inc. has to consider the analyzed challenges and to eliminate them, making Chinese instructions available and reducing prices, making the app more affordable for the common public.

From the article, can you describe the target market?

The target market grasps the whole China – it is the international step that has been made by Apple Inc. to get a share in one more market. However, judging from the results of the study conducted after approaching the Chinese market, it represents the community with low financial opportunities and lack of wish to pay excessive money for something that they can get at a lower price. Piracy is prospering at the target market discussed, so this fact should also be taken into consideration by the Apple marketers.

Please describe in detail the marketing challenge(s) faced by this US company in the international business situation that is the topic of the news article.  What is the role for marketing in meeting these particular challenges? Describe in detail what marketing should do/ is doing as stated in the article and in your opinion.

The first marketing challenge that was met by Apple Inc. is the low purchasing power of Chinese citizens that resulted in prospering piracy in the country. The more skilful marketers who found the products that were of more interest to buyers managed to earn considerable sums of money on pirate apps just because they managed to interest people and to feel what apps and what games would be a success with the Chinese. Apple Inc. did not generate any alternative ways to deal with piracy in China, which resulted in the loss of their profits.

The second challenge was the incoherence in payment systems widely accepted in Europe and the US but not that popular in China. According to the initial plan of marketers, it was possible to buy an IPhone in China only with the help of a credit card issued by a Chinese Bank, and prices were fixed in US dollars, which considerably complicated the buying process.

Based on your learning thus far in this course, are there any insights/recommendations that you would offer the marketing team of this company with regard to the particular situation/issues described in the article?

Taking into account my marketing knowledge obtained in the process of the present course I would advise the marketers to take closer looks at the peculiarities of the target market, including financial, cultural and social implications thereof. China is a highly specific Eastern market that has to be considered not in the usual way but separately. Payment details have to be designed in the way comfortable not for the company but for the buyers; Chinese content and instructions should be included as a number one priority for the Chinese-speaking market; a profound marketing campaign against pirate apps and products should be conducted all the time to raise the prestige of licensed apps’ purchase and to increase the attractiveness of Apple Inc.’s apps for the public. Surely, the issue of pricing should be seriously considered – if the accustomed pricing does not fit for China’s profile, some modification has to be undertaken to make apps more affordable, though lacking some elements.

Why did you choose this particular article? Please be specific. How does this article fit into the context of our course/how is it relevant to our course? 

The choice for the present article was not random because the article really covers all topics included in the assignment. I looked through the information it offered at found it useful for me and proper for the course of marketing challenges for US companies in the foreign markets.

Did you learn anything in particular from the PROCESS that you followed to search and choose your article. How many articles did you read/research before choosing this article?

The process of looking for the article provided me with much interesting information on the US business and international businesses that operate in the US and worldwide. I learned much about the ways businesses of all scales handle the crisis at the present period of time. Anti-crisis measures are surely the main topic of all articles met nowadays, and I learned much about such companies as Toyota saving hundreds of dollars due to their new marketing strategy and about Microsoft as well as many other companies before I found the present article. In general I had to look through 14 articles before I found this one.

Which marketing concepts or terminology that you have learned thus far in this course (or in other marketing courses) were you able to apply to this assignment/marketing situation? Please specify which concepts and how these concepts apply.

First of all, such concepts as purchasing power in then target market and the combination of supply and demand were of major help during the study of the present article. Challenges that the company faced as soon as it reached the target market are also essential in understanding of the hidden underwater stones that can await a successful product in diverse markets.

What is your key learning from this article?

My key learning from the article is that despite a strong marketing strategy of entering a new market with a popular app it is also necessary to consider the deeper peculiarities of the target market. IPhones have proven to be wonderfully sold due to the successful branding thereof; however, the challenge met in China concerns some secondary factors such a piracy and Chinese content. These elements were not considered though they should have been; for this reason the problem turned out as described in the article.

In your opinion, how do you think the learning experience from this assignment benefits you personally and/or in your major field of study?

Marketing is a very intricate sphere of business, and generation of a successful marketing strategy depends on a great number of factors. As soon as all of them have been considered, there is a strong chance for the outcome to be positive. However, one of the main considerations that have to be put to the fore in the process of judging the target market is the specificity of the market and its members. Deep preliminary research is necessary before the introduction of the product in the target market – these activities will enable the marketers to foresee the major challenges that have not been foreseen by the marketers of Apple Inc.