Description
Results of a controlled experiment on the role of brand awareness in the consumer choice process showed that brand awareness was a dominant choice heuristic among awarenessgroup subjects.
MARKET RESEARCH ON BRAND AWARENESS FOR
BRANDED P.C
SUMITTED BY :-
SHRIKANT S PANIKAR (Roll No # 46)
SIDDHARTH VYAS (Roll No # 47)
SHAKTI KUMAR SINGH (Roll No # 45)
SUNIL KUMAR (Roll No # 48)
IN FULFILLMENT OF PGDM (MARKETING)
SINHGAD INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
AND RESEARH
S! No! 4"#4A$4B%& NEAR PM OTRIO POST
KONDH'A ( SAS'AD ROAD KONDH'A (BK)
PUNE)48
SINHGAD INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
AND RESEARCH, KONDHWA (BK)
DECLARATION
We hereby declare that the project titled “To Dee!"#$e %e B!&$' A(&!e$e)) *o!
B!&$'e' P.C+ is an original piece of research work carried out by us under the guidance and
supervision of M!. P&$,&- N&$'.!,&!. The information has been collected from genuine &
authentic sources. The work has been submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement of
PGDM (MRKT).
P/&0e: S#1$&.!e:
D&e: N&"e o* %e
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S!&H#TH '(#S
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We would like to acknowledge all the help and guidelines received by our espected and
Well informed *arketing -aculty at S!.# /Sinhgad !nstitute of .usiness *anagement and
esearch0 as this *arketing esearch would not have been possible without they e1pert
guidance.
!n short we would like to thank the following for all their 2fforts and Support3
? M! P&$,&- N&$'.!,&! (M&!,e#$1 Re)e&!0% F&0./2 & SIBAR)
? M! 3#)%&/ B%o/e (M&!,e#$1 F&0./2 & SIBAR)
? A// o.! Te&""&e) &$' Co//e&1.e).
E*+,-./0+ 1-22345
esults of a controlled e1periment on the role of brand awareness in the consumer choice
process showed that brand awareness was a dominant choice heuristic among awareness4
group subjects. Subjects with no brand awareness tended to sample more brands and selected
the high4quality brand on the final choice significantly more often than those with brand
awareness. Thus5 when quality differences e1ist among competing brands5 consumers may
6pay a price6 for employing simple choice heuristics such as brand awareness in the interest
of economi7ing time and effort. However5 building brand awareness is a viable strategy for
advertising aimed at increasing brand4choice probabilities.
.rand awareness can be measured by showing a consumer the brand and asking whether or
not they knew of it beforehand. However5 in common market research practice a variety of
recognition and recall measures of brand awareness are employed all of which test the brand
name8s association to a product category cue5 this came about because most market research
in the 9:th ;entury was conducted by post or telephone5 actually showing the brand to
consumers usually required more e1pensive face4to4face interviews /until web4based
interviews became possible0. This has led many te1tbooks to conceptuali7e brand awareness
simply as its measures5 that is5 knowledge that the brand is a member of a particular product
category. .rand awareness consists of both brand recognition5 which is the ability of
consumers to confirm that they have previously been e1posed to your brand5 and brand
recall5 which reflects the ability of consumers to name your brand when given the product
category5 category need5 or some other similar cue.
Aided awareness occurs when you show or read a list of brands and the person e1presses
familiarity with your brand only after they hear or see it.
Top-of-mind awareness occurs when you ask a person to name brands within a product
category and your brand pops up first on the list.
P4/2345 o67+,./0+8 To research whether .rand awareness in .randed %;<s affects the sales or
helps the etailer in making a sale.
S+,o9:345 o67+,./0+8 To research and see which .rand is ahead in =Top4of4the4*ind
#wareness> among .randed %;<s.
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T;+ 4+1+34,; P4o7+,. is on the topic of =.rand #wareness of .randed %;<s /%ersonal
;omputers0>.
$ow first let us look at the definition of a .rand3
T;+ :+</9/./o9 o< 6439:8 # brand is an identifiable entity that makes specific promises of
value.
!n its simplest form5 a brand is nothing more and nothing less than the promises of value you
or your product makes. These promises can be implied or e1plicitly stated5 but none4the4less5
value of some type is promised.
$ow let us further define .rand #wareness3
B439: 3=34+9+11 is when people recogni7e your brand as yours. This does not necessarily
mean they prefer your brand /brand preference05 attach a high value to5 or associate any
superior attributes to your brand5 it just means they recogni7e your brand and can identify it
under different conditions.
.rand awareness consists of both brand recognition5 which is the ability of consumers to
confirm that they have previously been e1posed to your brand5 and brand recall5 which
reflects the ability of consumers to name your brand when given the product category5
category need5 or some other similar cue.
Aided awareness occurs when you show or read a list of brands and the person e1presses
familiarity with your brand only after they hear or see it.
Top-of-mind awareness occurs when you ask a person to name brands within a product
category and your brand pops up first on the list.
When you think about facial tissue5 gelatins5 and adhesive bandages5 do the brands
"leene1A5 Bell4CA5 and .and4#idA come to mindD These brands enjoy strong top4of4mind
awareness in their respective categories.
T;+ P-4>o1+ of this research to evaluate the amount of .rand #wareness enjoyed by
different brands of %;<s in the market.
H/1.o4/,3l ? T+,;9/,3l B3,@A4o-9: o< B439:1
.rands identify the source of market of a product and allow consumers4either individuals or
organi7ations4to assign responsibility to a particular manufacturer or distributor. ;onsumers may
evaluate the identical product differently depending on how it is branded. ;onsumers learn about
brands through past e1periences with the product and its marketing program. They find out which
brands satisfy their needs and which ones do not. #s consumers< lives become more complicated5
rushed5and time4starved5the ability of a brand to simplify decisions making and reduce risk is
invaluable.
.rands also perform valuable functions for firms. -irst5 they simplify product handling or tracing.
.rands help to organi7e inventory and accounting records. # brand also offers the firm legal
protection for unique features or aspects of the product. The brand name can be protected through
registered trademarksE manufacturing processes can be protected through patentsE and packaging can
be protected through copyrights and designs.These intellectual property rights ensure that the firm can
safely invest in the brand and reap the benefits of a valuable asset.
.rands can signal a certain level of quality so that satisfied buyers can easily choose the product
again. .rand loyalty provides predictability and security of demand for the firm and creates barriers to
entry that make it difficult for other firms to enter the market. ,oyalty also can translate into a
willingness to pay a higher priceFoften 9: to 9? percent more. #lthough competitors may easily
duplicate manufacturing processes and product designs5 they cannot easily match lasting impressions
in the minds of individuals and organi7ations from years of marketing activity and product
e1perience. !n this sense5 branding can be seen as a powerful means to secure a competitive
advantage.
To firms5 brands thus represent enormously valuable pieces of legal property that can influence
consumer behavior5 be sought and sold5 provide the security of sustained future revenues to their
owner. ,arge earning multiple have been paid for brands in mergers or acquisitions5 starting with the
boom years of the mid4@GH:s. The price premium is often justified on the basis of assumptions of the
e1tra profits that could be e1tracted and sustained from the brands5 as well as the tremendous
difficulty and e1pense of creating similar brands from scratch. Wall Street believes that strong brands
result in better earnings and profit performance for firms5 which5 in turn5 creates greater value for
shareholders. *uch of the recent interest in brands by senior management has been result of these
bottom4line financial considerations. =*arketing *emo3 The brand eport card> lists @: key
characteristics based on a review of the world<s strongest brands.
S,o>+ o< 1.-:5
!s to check that does .rand #wareness among .randed %;<s affects the sales or creates a
specific image about the brand which helps the .rand in gaining an advantage over the
competitors. #s the esearch *ethodology used for this research would be %ersonal
!nterview or Telephonic !nterviews of the Targeted *asses using a set of questionnaires
designed to get the response which would help in achieving the objective of the research. The
,imitations faced in this research would be that it would be constituted on the data gathered
from an already decided Target audience5 which would be very small /namely I:4?:
consumers0. Hence we would not be able to come to a strong recommendation as the number
of the responses would be limited. However5 on the other hand the data gathered would be
very accurate and not vague5 which would help us come to conclusion which in turn will help
us to reach the objective of this research.
I2>o4.39,+#R+l+039,+ o< .;+ M34@+. R+1+34,;
The importance of this market research would be5 that it will help us to determine which
computer .rands enjoy different benefits due to their .rand #wareness in the mind of the
consumers. Cur research work will help us define how does brand awareness helps the
customer to pick or choose that specific brand and get a clear picture as in is .rand
#wareness really important part of the marketing strategy or is it just a burden on the
marketing system.
.rand awareness is an important way of promoting commodity4related products. This is because for
these products5 there are very few factors that differentiate one product from its competitors.
Therefore5 the product that maintains the highest brand awareness compared to its competitors will
usually get the most sales5 our research findings will help us in determining those factors.
We would also be able to gauge which brand enjoys the top spot in =Top4of4the4*ind
#wareness> among .randed %;<s.
6. O4-e0#7e)
P4/2345 o67+,./0+8 To research whether .rand awareness in .randed %;<s affects the sales or
helps the etailer in making a sale.
The following point would be addressed3
%! B439: A=34+9+11 <o4 B439:+: PB1 /9 ,o91-2+4 2/9:1!
C! E<<+,. o9 13l+!
S+,o9:345 o67+,./0+8 To research and see which .rand is ahead in =Top4of4the4*ind
#wareness> among .randed %;<s.
The -ollowing points would be addressed3
@. To ,;+,@ =;/,; B439: +97o51 .;+ .o> 1>o. /9 DTo>)o<).;+)2/9:B B439: A=34+9+11!
9. I2>3,. o< .;+ 132+ o9 13l+1!
8. Re)e&!0% Me%o'o/o12
S.+>!% T;+ :+,/1/o9 3l.+493./0+ 39: .;+ 4+1+34,; o67+,./0+1
4*arketing management must be careful not to define the problem too broadly or too
narrowly for the marketing researcher. $ot all research projects can be specific.
Some research is e1ploratory4 its goal is to shed light on the real nature of the
problem
and to suggest possible solutions or new ideas.
S.+>)C D+0+lo> .;+ R+1+34,; Pl39
The second step of marketing research calls for developing the most efficient plan for
gathering the needed information .The marketing manager needs to know the cost of
the esearch plan before approving it. &esigning a research plan calls for decision on
data sources5 research approaches5 research instruments5 sampling plan5 and contact
methods.
DATA SOURES4 The researcher gather secondary data5 primary data5 or both.
Secondary Data are data that were collected for another purpose and already e1ists
Somewhere.
Primary Data are data freshly gathered for a specific purpose or for a specific
research
%roject.
esearchers usually start their investigation by e1amining some of the rich
variety of secondary data to see whether the problem can be partly or wholly solved
without collecting costly primary data. Secondary data provide a starting point and
offer the advantages of lower cost and ready availability. When the needed data do not
e1ists or are dated5 inaccurate5 or unreliable5 the researcher will have to collect primary
data. *ost marketing research projects involve some primary data collection. The
$ormal procedure is to interview some people individually or in group.
RESEARH APPROAHES4 %rimary data can be collected in ? ways
%! OBSERVATIONAL RESEARH-&ata can be gathered by observing the relevant actors
;onsumers can be unobtrusively observed as they shop or as they consume products.
C! FOUS GROUP RESEARH)# focus group is a gathering of J to @: people who are
;arefully selected based on certain demographic5 psychographic5 or other
considerations
and brought together to discuss at length various topics of interest. %articipants are
normally paid a small sum for attending.
E! SURVEY RESEARH-;ompanies undertake surveys to learn about people
knowledge5 beliefs5 preferences5 and satisfaction5 and to measure these magnitude in
the general population.
4! BEHAVIORAL DATA-;ustomers leave traces of their purchasing behavior in store
scanning data5 catalog purchases5 and customer database. *uch can be learned by
analy7ing these data. ;ustomer<s actual purchase reflects preferences and often are
more reliable than statements they offer to market researchers.
5! EFPERIMENTAL RESEARH-The most scientifically valid research is e1periment4
4tal research. The purpose of this research is to capture cause and effect relationships
by eliminating competing e1planations of the observed finding. 21periments call for
selecting matched groups of subjects5 subjecting them to different treatments5
controlling e1traneous variables and checking whether observed response
differences are statistically significant.
RESEARH INSTRUMENTS
GUESTIONNAIRES-# questionnaire consists of a set of questions presented to
respondent.
.ecause of its fle1ibility5 the questionnaire is by far the most common instrument
used
to collect primary data. !n preparing a questionnaire5 the researcher carefully chooses
the questions and their form5 wording5 and sequence. The form of the question can
influence the response. *arketing researchers distinguish between closed4end and
open4end questions. ;losed4end questions specify all the possible answer and provide
answer that are easier to interpret and tabulate. Cpen4end questions allow respondents
to answer in their own words and often reveal more about how people think.
GUALITATIVE MEASURES-Some marketers prefer more qualitative methods for
gauging consumer opinion because consumer action do not always match their
answers
to survey questions. Kualitative research technique is relatively unstructured
measure4
ment approaches that permit a range of possible responses5 and they are a creative
means of ascertaining consumer perception that may otherwise be difficult to
uncover.
the range of possible qualitative research technique is limited only by the creativity of
the marketing research.
MEHANIAL DEVIES-*echanical devices are occasionally used in marketing
research. 2.g.4galvanometer can measure the interest of emotions around by e1posure
to a specific ad or picture. The techistoscope flashes an ad to a subject with and
e1posure interval that may range from less than one hundredth of a second to several
seconds. #fter each e1posure5 the respondent describes everything he or she recalls.
SAMPLING PLAN
%! S32>l/9A -9/.8 ';o /1 .o 6+ 1-40+5+:H The marketing researcher must define the target
population that will be sampled. Cnce the sampling unit is determined5 a sampling
must be developed so that everyone in the target population has an equal or known
chance Cf being sampled.
C! S32>l+ 1/I+8 Ho= 2395 >+o>l+ 1;o-l: 6+ 1-40+5+:H ,arge samples give more reliable
result than small samples. However5 it is not necessary to sample the entire target
population or even a substantial portion to achieve reliable results. Samples of less
than ! L of a population can often provide good reliability5 with a credible sampling
procedure.
E! S32>l/9A >4o:,:-4+3 Ho= )%o./' %e !e)
$'e$) 4e 0%o)e$C To obtain a representative
sample5 a probability sample of the population should be drawn. %robability sampling
allows the calculation of confidence limits for sampling error non4probability
samples
are very useful in many circumstance 5even though they do not allow sampling error
to
be measured
ONTAT METHOD
M3/l G-+1./o993/4+8 The mail questionnaire is the best way to reach people who would
not give personal interviews or whose responses might be biased or distorted by the
interviewers5 *ail questionnaires require simple and clearly worded
questions. )nfortunately3 the response rate is usually low or slow
T+l+>;o9+ I9.+40/+=8 I. is the best method for gathering information quickly. The
!nterviewer is also able to clarify questions if respondents do not understand them.
The
esponse rate is typically higher than in the case of mailed questionnaires. The main
drawback is that the interviews have to be short and not too personal.
P+41o93l /9.+40/+=8 !t is the most versatile method. The interviewer can ask more questions
and record additional observations about the respondents5 such as dress and body
language. #t the same time5 personal interviewing is the most e1pensive method and
requires most more administrative planning and supervision than the other three. !t is
also subject to interviewer bias or distortion.
O9l/9+ /9.+40/+=8 T;+4+ are so many ways to use net to do research. # company can
include
a questionnaire on its website and offer an incentive to answer the questionnaire5 or it
can place a banner on some frequently visited site such as yahoo5 inviting people to
answer some questions and possibly win a pri7e.
STEP E!oll+,. T;+ I9<o423./o9
The data collection phase of marketing research is generally the most e1pensive and the
most prone to error. !n the case of surveys5 four major problem arise. Some respondents
will not be at home and must be contacted again . Cther respondents will refuse to
cooperate. Still others will give biased or dishonest answers. -inally some interviewers
will be biased or dishonest. +etting the right respondent is critical.
STEP 4! A93l5I+ .;+ I9<o423./o9
The ne1t to last step in the process is to e1tract finding from the collected data. The
researcher tabulates the data and develop frequency distribution. #verages and measures
of dispersion are computed for the major variables. The researcher will also apply some
advanced statistical techniques and decision models in the hope of discovering additional
findings.
STEP 5! P4+1+9. .;+ F/9:/9A
#s the last step5 the researcher presents the findings. The researcher should present
-inding that are relevant to the major marketing decisions facing management.
S.+> 6! M3@+ .;+ D+,/1/o9
# growing number of organi7ations are using a marketing decision support system to
help their marketing managers make better marketing decisions.
!n our research we would be using the esearch #pproach of DS-40+5 R+1+34,;B with the
help of the esearch instrument in the form of DG-+1./o993/4+1B and the ;ontact *ethod
used will be DP+41o93l I9.+40/+=B.
9. Co":&$2 P!o*#/e)
;ompany %rofiles for some of the leading companies in the field of .randed %;<s
Type %ublic
/$#S&#K3 &2,,0 & /S2H"3 MII@0
-ounded #ustin5 Te1as /$ovember M5 @GHM0 /as 6%;8s ,imited60. !%C on Bune 995 @GHH5 at
NH.?:Oshare3 appro1imately I years and P months after founding -ounder *ichael S. &ell
Headquarters ound ock5 Te1as
)nited States #rea served Worldwide "ey people *ichael S. &ell
/;hairman & /;2C0
!ndustry Technology %roducts &esktops
Servers
$otebooks
%eripherals
%rinters *arket cap )SN M?.:G .illion /20080
Q9R
evenue S )SN J@.@II .illion /20080
QIR
Cperating income S )SN I.MM: billion /20080
QIR
$et income S )SN 9.GMP billion /20080
QIR
Total assets S )SN 9P.?J@ billion /20080
QIR
Total equity T )SN I.PI? billion /20080
QIR
2mployees H95P:: /20080
Subsidiaries #lienware
#S#% Software
2qual ,ogic
Website &ell.com
o9.:J!
The multinational technology company &ell5 !nc. develops5 manufactures5 sells5 and supports
personal computers and other computer4related products. .ased in ound ock5 Te1as5 &ell
employs more than HH5::: people worldwide.
&ell grew during the @GH:s and @GG:s to become /for a time0 the largest seller of %;s and
servers. #s of 9::H it held the second spot in computer4sales within the industry behind the
Hewlett4%ackard ;ompany. The company currently sells personal computers5 servers5 data
storage devices5 network switches5 software5 computer peripherals and televisions.
!n 9::J5 Fortune maga7ine ranked &ell as the 9?th4largest company in the -ortune ?:: list5
Hth on its annual 6Top 9:6 list of the most4admired companies in the )nited States. !n 9:
&ell ranked IMth and Hth respectively on the equivalent lists for the year. # 9::J publication
identified &ell as one of IH high4performance companies in the S&% ?:: which had
consistently out4performed the market over the previous @? years
H/1.o45
Background and origins
While a student at the )niversity of Te1as at #ustin in @GHM5 *ichael &ell founded the
company as %;8s ,imited with capital of N@:::. Cperating from *ichael &ell8s off4campus
dorm4room at &obie ;enter Q@R5 the startup aimed to sell !.* %;4compatible computers built
from stock components. *ichael &ell started trading in the belief that by selling personal
computer4systems directly to customers5 %;8s ,imited could better understand customers8
needs and provide the most effective computing solutions to meet those needs. *ichael &ell
dropped out of school in order to focus full4time on his fledgling business5 after getting about
NI::5::: in e1pansion4capital from his family.
!n @GH?5 the company produced the first computer of its own design F the 6Turbo %;65 sold
for )SNPG? F which contained an !ntel H:HH4compatible processor running at a speed of
H *H7. %;8s ,imited advertised the systems in national computer4maga7ines for sale directly
to consumers5 and custom4assembled each ordered unit according to a selection of options.
This offered buyer<s prices lower than those of retail brands5 but with greater convenience
than assembling the components themselves. #lthough not the first company to use this
model5 %;8s ,imited became one of the first to succeed with it. The company grossed more
than NPI million in its first year.
The company changed its name to 6&ell ;omputer ;orporation6 in @GHH. !n @GHG5 &ell
;omputer set up its first on4site4service programs in order to compensate for the lack of local
retailers prepared to act as service centers. #lso in @GHP5 the company set up its first
operations in the )nited "ingdomE eleven more international operations followed within the
ne1t four years. !n Bune @GHH5 &ell8s market capitali7ation grew by NI: million to NH: million
from its initial public offering of I.? million shares at NH.?: a share. !n @GG:5 &ell ;omputer
;orporation tried selling its products indirectly through warehouse clubs and computer
superstores5 but met with little success5 and the company re4focused on its more successful
direct4to4consumer sales model. !n @GG95 -ortune maga7ine included &ell ;omputer
;orporation in its list of the world8s ?:: largest companies.
!n @GGJ5 &ell began selling computers via its web site.
!n @GGG5 &ell overtook ;ompaq to become the largest seller of personal computers in the
)nited States of #merica with N9? billion in revenue reported in Banuary 9:::.
!n 9::95 &ell attempted to e1pand by tapping into the multimedia and home4entertainment
markets with the introduction of televisions5 handhelds5 and digital audio players. &ell has
also produced &ell4brand printers for home and small4office use.
!n 9::I5 at the annual company meeting5 the stockholders approved changing the company
name to 6&ell !nc.6 to recogni7e the company8s e1pansion beyond computers.
!n 9::M5 the company announced that it would build a new assembly4plant near Winston4
Salem5 $orth ;arolinaE the city and county provided &ell with NIP.9 million in incentive
packagesE the state provided appro1imately N9?: million in incentives and ta1 breaks. !n Buly5
*ichael &ell stepped aside as ;hief 21ecutive Cfficer while retaining his position as
;hairman of the .oard. "evin ollins5 who had held a number of e1ecutive posts at &ell5
became the new ;2C.
!n 9::?5 the share of sales coming from international markets increased5 as revealed in the
company8s press releases for the first two quarters of its fiscal 9::? year. !n -ebruary 9::?
&ell appeared in first place in a ranking of the 6*ost #dmired ;ompanies6 published by
-ortune maga7ine. !n $ovember 9::? .usiness Week maga7ine published an article titled
6!t8s .ad to Worse at &ell6 about shortfalls in projected earnings and sales5 with a worse4
than4predicted third4quarter financial performance F a bad omen for a company that had
routinely underestimated its earnings. &ell acknowledged that faulty capacitors on the
motherboards of the Cptiple1 +U9P: and +U9H: had already cost the company NI::
million. The ;2C5 "evin ollins5 attributed the bad performance partially to &ell8s focus on
low4end %;s.
!n 9::J5 &ell purchased the computer hardware manufacturer #lienware. &ell !nc.8s plan
anticipated #lienware continuing to operate independently under its e1isting management.
#lienware e1pected to benefit from &ell8s efficient manufacturing system.
Cn Banuary I@5 9:5 "evin .. ollins5 ;2C of the company since 9::M5 resigned as both
;2C and as a director5 and *ichael &ell resumed his former role as ;2C. !nvestors and
many shareholders had called for ollins8 resignation because of poor company performance.
#t the same time5 the company announced that5 for the fourth time in five quarters5 earnings
would fail to reach consensus analyst4estimates.
!n -ebruary 9: &ell became the subject of formal investigations by the )S S2; and the
)nited States #ttorney for the Southern &istrict of $ew (ork. The company has not formally
filed financial reports for either the third or fourth fiscal quarter of 9::J5 and several class4
action lawsuits have arisen in the wake of its recent financial performance. &ell !nc8s lack of
formal financial disclosure would normally subject the company to de4listing from the
$#S&#K5 but the e1change has granted &ell a waiver5 allowing the stock to trade normally.
Cn *arch @5 9:5 the company issued a preliminary quarterly earnings report which showed
gross sales of [email protected] billion5 down ?L year4over4year5 and net income of NJHP million /I:
cents per share05 down IIL. $et earnings would have declined even more if not for the
effects of eliminated employee bonuses5 which accounted for si1 cents per share. $#S&#K
e1tended the company8s deadline for filing financials to *ay M.
P+41o99+l
Cn Banuary I@5 9: *ichael &ell returned to the company as ;2C. #s chairman of the
board5 *r. &ell had significant input into the company8s operations during ollins8 years as
;2C. However with the return of *ichael &ell as ;2C5 the company saw immediate changes
in operations5 the e1odus of many senior vice4presidents and new blood brought in from
outside the company.
&epartures announced include3
• "evin ollins5 ;2C
QIMR
• Bames Schneider5 ;-C
QIMR
• Bohn *edica5 senior vice president5 consumer products
QI?R
• Boe *arengi5 senior vice president5 #mericas
QI?R
• Bohn Hamlin5 senior vice president5 worldwide online operations
QIJR
• %aul *c"innon5 senior vice president5 human resources
QI?R
• osenda %arra5 senior vice presidentOgeneral manager5 home and small business group
QIPR
• +lenn 2. $eland5 senior vice president5 procurement
QIHR
#dditions announced include3
• *ichael &ell5 ;2C and co4;hairman of the .oard /previously ;hairman of the .oard0
• &on ;arty5 ;-C and co4;hairman of the .oard /previously .oard member0
• *ichael . ;annon5 former ;2C of Solectron5 as %resident5 +lobal Cperations
QIGR
• on +arriques5 who formerly headed *otorola8s mobile phone unit5 as %resident5 +lobal
;onsumer +roup
QM:R
• Stephen -. Schuckenbrock5 Senior 'ice %resident5 +lobal Services
QIHR
*r. &ell announced a number of initiatives and plans /part of the 6&ell 9.:6 initiative0 to
improve the company8s financial performance. These include3
• elimination of 9::J bonuses for employees with some discretionary awards
• reduction in the number of managers reporting directly to *r. &ell from 9: to @9
• in a noted departure from previous years5 6build5 partner5 and buy6 to increase services
capabilities
• reduction of 6bureaucracy6
Cn #pril 9I5 9::H5 &ell announced the closure of one of its biggest ;anadian call4centers in
"anata5 Cntario F terminating appro1imately @@:: employees5 with ?:: of those
redundancies effective on the spot5 and with the official closure of the center scheduled for
the summer. /The call4center had opened in 9::J after the city of Cttawa won a bid to host it.
,ess then a year later5 &ell !nc planned to double its workforce to nearly I5::: workers and
to add a new building. Bournalists cited a high ;anadian dollar and suggested high pay4rates
as among the reasons for the cuts. The company had also announced the shutdown of its
2dmonton5 #lberta office5 losing G:: jobs. !n total5 &ell announced the ending of about H5H::
jobs in 9:49::H F @:L of its workforce.
P4o:-,.1
Scope and brands
The corporation markets specific brand names to different market segments3
• B.)#$e)) C/&)): including Cpti%le15 ,atitude5 and %recision5 where the company8s advertising
emphasi7es long life4cycles5 reliability and serviceability3
• Cpti%le1 4 office desktop computer systems
• n Series 4 desktop and notebook computers shipped with ,inu1 or -ree&CS
installed
• 'ostro 4 small4business desktop and notebook systems
• ,atitude 4 commercially4focused notebooks
• %recision 4 workstation systems and high4performance notebooks. /Some of
them including ,inu1 pre4installed.
QMIR
0
• %ower2dge 4 business servers
• %ower'ault 4 direct4attach and some network4attached storage /$#S0
• %ower;onnect 4 network switches
• &ell 2*; 4 storage area networks /S#$s0
• 2qual,ogic 4 enterprise class iS;S! S#$s
• Ho"e>Co$)."e! C/&)): including !nspiron and U%S brands5 emphasi7ing value5
performance and e1pandability3
• !nspiron 4 consumer desktop and notebook systems
• Studio 4 medium4end consumer slim hybrid desktop and laptop systems
• U%S 4 enthusiast and high4performance desktop and notebook systems
• #lienware /U%S 21treme0 4 high4performance gaming systems
• Pe!#:%e!&/): &ell has also diversified its product line to include peripheral products such as
)S. keydrives5 ,;& televisions5 and printers.
• &ell monitors ,;& T's5 plasma T's and projectors for H&T' and monitors
• Se!7#0e) &$' ).:!3
• &ell Cn ;all 4 e1tended support services /mainly for the removal of spyware
and computer viruses0
• &ell Support ;enter 4 e1tended support services /similar to 6&ell Cn ;all60
for customers in the 2*2#. The Solution ;enters also support hardware for
customers outside of warranty.
• &ell .usiness Support 4 a commercial service4contract that provides an
industry4certified technician with a lower call4volume than in normal queuesE it
covers hardware4 and some software4support.
• (our Tech Team 4 a new support4queue available to home users who
purchased their systems through either &ell8s website or &ell phone4centers. These
customers gain access to a speciali7ed queue currently located in Tampa5 -lorida.
;ustomers can requesting a technician with whom they have worked previously5 and
the technicians can troubleshoot a wider range of problems F including some that
would fall under the 6&ell on ;all6 category. &ata backup and virus removal remain
out4of4scope for this queue.
&ell also offers ed Hat and S)S2 ,inu1 for serversE as well as 6bare4bones6 computers
without pre4installed software /available on n Series by default and by request on U%S and
!nspiron systems0 at significantly lower prices. &ue to &ell8s licensing contract with
*icrosoft5 &ell allegedly
Qcitation neededR
cannot offer those systems on their website and customers
have to request them e1plicitly. /&ell does offer those systems on their web site at
http3OOwww.dell.comOcontentOproductsOfeatures.asp1OprecnVnD
cWus&csW:M&lWen&sWbsd&redirectW@ 0. &ell has to ship such systems with a -ree&CS disk
included in the bo1 and must issue a so4called 6Windows refund6 or a merchandise credit
after sale of the system at the 6regular6 retail price.
• D#)0o$#$.e' :!o'.0)>4!&$')3
• #1im 4 %&#s using *icrosoft8s Windows *obile /discontinued on #pril G5
9:
QMMR
0
• &imension 4 home and 6small office5 home office6 desktop computers
/discontinued Buly 9:E replaced by !nspiron desktops0
• &ell &igital Bukebo1 4 *%I players /discontinued #ugust 9::J0
• &ell %ower#pp 4 application4based severs
• &ell Cmniple1 4 MHJ4 and %entium4based desktop and tower computers
previously supported to run server and desktop operating systems.
o22+4,/3l 31>+,.1
Traditional business-model
Traditionally5 &ell has sold all its products F whether to end4use consumers or to corporate
customers F using a direct4sales model via the !nternet and the telephone4network. &ell
maintains a negative cash conversion cycle /;;;0 through use of this model3 in other words5
&ell !nc. receives payment for the products before it has to pay for the materials.
&ell also practices just4in4time /B!T0 inventory4management5 profiting from its attendant
benefits. &ell8s B!T approach utili7es the 6pull6 system by building computers only after
customers place orders and by requesting materials from suppliers as needed. !n this way &ell
mirrors Toyota by following Toyota Way %rinciple XI /6)se 8pull8 systems to avoid
overproduction60. Since the days of the original dominance of telephone4ordering5 the
!nternet has significantly enhanced &ell<s business model5 making it easier for customers and
potential customers to contact &ell directly.
This model also has enabled &ell to provide very customi7able systems at an affordable rate5
since &ell8s manufacturing arm builds specifically for each customer. Cther computer4
manufacturers5 including +ateway and Hewlett4%ackard5 have attempted to adapt
similar
business4models5 but due to timing andOor retail4channel pressures
they have not achieved the
same results as &ell.
# &ell e1ecutive writes
#nalysts say3 They /&ell0 have a negative M? days ;;;5 which means that their sales are
converted in hard cash M? days .2-C2 the sale.
! say3 They have a negative M? days ;;;5 which means that their sales are converted in hard
cash M? days .2-C2 &ell needs to pay for purchase invoices to vendors.
&ell has also sold at retail5 as e1plained in the 6*arketing6 section of this article.
O4A39/I3./o9
# board of directors of nine people runs the company. *ichael &ell5 the founder of the
company5 serves on the board. Cther board members include &on ;arty5 William +ray5 Budy
,ewent5 "laus ,uft5 #le1 *andl5 *ichael #. *iles5 and Sam $unn. Shareholders elect the
nine board members at meetings5 and those board members who do not get a majority of
votes must submit a resignation to the board5 which will subsequently choose whether or not
to accept the resignation. The board of directors usually sets up five committees which have
oversight over specific matters. These committees include the #udit ;ommittee5 which
handles accounting issues5 including auditing and reportingE the ;ompensation ;ommittee5
which approves compensation for the ;2C and other employees of the companyE the -inance
;ommittee5 which handles financial matters such as proposed mergers and acquisitionsE the
+overnance and $ominating ;ommittee5 which handles various corporate matters /including
nomination of the board0E and the #ntitrust ;ompliance ;ommittee5 which attempts to
prevent company practices from violating antitrust laws.
The corporate structure and management of &ell e1tends beyond the board of directors. The
&ell +lobal 21ecutive *anagement ;ommittee sets the strategic direction for how the
corporation keeps customers at the forefront5 from designing and manufacturing computer
systems to offering products that meet customers8 requirements to providing sufficient service
and support. &ell has regional senior vice presidents for countries other than the )nited
States5 including &avid *armonti for 2*2# and Stephen B. -elice for #siaOBapan. #s of
9:5 other officers included *artin +arvin /senior vice president for worldwide
procurement0 and Susan 2. Sheskey /vice president and chief information officer0.
M34@+./9A
&ell advertisements have appeared in several types of media including television5 the
!nternet5 maga7ines5 catalogs and newspapers. Some of &ell !nc8s marketing strategies
include lowering prices at all times of the year5 offering free bonus products /such as &ell
printers05 and offering free shipping in order to encourage more sales and to stave off
competitors. !n 9::J5 &ell cut its prices in an effort to maintain its @G.9L market share.
However5 this also cut profit4margins by more than half5 from H.P to M.I percent. To maintain
its low prices5 &ell continues to accept most purchases of its products via the !nternet and
through the telephone network5 and to move its customer4care division to !ndia and 2l
Salvador.
# popular )nited States television and print ad campaign in the early 9:::s featured the actor
.en ;urtis playing the part of 6Steven65 a lightly mischievous blond4haired kid who came to
the assistance of bereft computer purchasers. 2ach television advertisement usually ended
with Steven8s catch4phrase3 6&ude5 you8re gettin8 a &ellY6
# subsequent advertising campaign featured interns at &ell headquarters /with ;urtis8
character appearing in a small cameo at the end of one of the first commercials in this
particular campaign0.
# &ell advertising campaign for the U%S line of gaming computers featured in print in the
September 9::J issue of Wired *aga7ine. !t used as a tagline the common term in !nternet
and gamer slang3 6-TW65 meaning 6-or The Win6. However5 &ell !nc. soon dropped the
campaign.
!n the first4person shooter game -.2.#.. 21traction %oint5 several computers visible on
desks within the game have recogni7able &ell U%S model characteristics5 sometimes even
including the &ell logo on the monitors.
!n 9: &ell switched advertising agencies in the )S from ..&C to *other. !n Buly 9:5
&ell released new advertising created by *other to support the !nspiron and U%S lines. The
ads featured music from the -laming ,ips and &evo who re4formed especially to record the
song in the ad 6Work it Cut6.
Type %ublic /$(S23 H%K0 -ounded %alo #lto5 ;alifornia /@GIG0
-ounder .ill Hewlett5
;o4founder
&avid %ackard
Headquarters %alo #lto5 ;alifornia5 )S#
"ey people *ark '. Hurd5 ;hairman5 ;2C and %resident
;athie ,esjak5 ;-C and 2'%
#nn ,ivermore5 2'% TS+
andall &. *ott5 ;!C and 2'%
*ichael Holston5 +eneral ;ounsel and 2'%
!ndustry ;omputer Systems
;omputer %eripherals
;omputer Software
;onsulting
!T Services *arket cap N@9M.?P. )S& /9::H0
Q@R
evenue SN@:M.I billion )S& /9:0 $et
income SNP.I billion )S& /9:0 2mployees @P95::: /9::H0
Q9R
&ivisions Snapfish5 H%
,abs5 %ro;urve5 ;ompaq5 2&S
Website www.hp.com
www.hpshopping.com
www.;ompaq.com
www.2&S.com
www.voodoo%;.com
www.lightscribe.com
H% is a technology company that operates in more than @P: countries around the world. We
e1plore how technology and services can help people and companies address their problems
and challenges5 and reali7e their possibilities5 aspirations and dreams. We apply new thinking
and ideas to create more simple5 valuable and trusted e1periences with technology5
continuously improving the way our customers live and work.
$o other company offers as complete a technology product portfolio as H%. We provide
infrastructure and business offerings that span from handheld devices to some of the world8s
most powerful supercomputer installations. We offer consumers a wide range of products and
services from digital photography to digital entertainment and from computing to home
printing. This comprehensive portfolio helps us match the right products5 services and
solutions to our customers8 specific needs.
M393A+2+9.
• ;hairman of the .oard5 ;2C5 and %resident3 *ark Hurd /*arch 9G5 9::? 4 current5 appointed
;hairman September 995 9::J0
H/1.o45
• ;o4founder3 &avid %ackard /%resident3 @GMPE ;hairman3 @GJMZ@GJGE ;hairman @GP@F@GGI0
• ;o4founder3 William Hewlett /'ice %resident3 @GMPE 21ecutive 'ice %resident3 @G?PE
%resident3 @GJME ;2C3 @GJGE ;hairman of the 21ecutive ;ommittee @GPHE 'ice ;hairman
@GHIF@GHP0
• ;2C3 Bohn #. (oung /@GPHFCctober I@5 @GG90
• ;2C3 ,ewis %latt /$ovember @5 @GG9FBuly @H5 @GGGE ;hairman @GGIFBuly @H5 @GGG0
• ;hairman3 ichard Hackborn /Banuary5 9:::FSeptember 995 9:::E ,ead !ndependent
&irector September 995 9::JF0
• ;2C3 ;arly -iorina /Buly @G5 @GGGF-ebruary G5 9::?E ;hairwoman September 995 9:::F
-ebruary G5 9::?0
• !nterim ;2C3 obert Wayman /-ebruary G5 9::?F*arch 9H5 9::?0
• ;hairwoman3 %atricia ;. &unn /-ebruary G5 9::?FSeptember 995 9::J0.
• ;2C3 *ark Hurd /;2C3 #pril @5 9::?FE ;hairman3 September 995 9::JF0
T+,;9oloA5 39: >4o:-,.1
6The new Hewlett4%ackard G@::# personal computer6 is 6ready5 willing5 and able ... to relieve you of
waiting to get on the big computer.6
# H% ;ompaq computer and a Hewlett4%ackard &eskjet ?PM: printer owned by the Houston
!ndependent School &istrict
# modern H% %avilion ,aptop
# modern H% digital cameraE the H% %hotosmart H@P.
# camera that uses the S&!C interface
H% has successful lines of printers5 scanners5 digital cameras5 calculators5 %&#s5 servers5
workstation computers5 and computers for home and small business use computersE many of
the computers came from the 9::9 merger with ;ompaq. H% today promotes itself as
supplying not just hardware and software5 but also a full range of services to design5
implement and support !T infrastructure.
The three business segments3 2nterprise Storage and Servers /2SS05 H% Services /H%S05 and
H% Software are structured beneath the broader Technology Solutions +roup /TS+0.
I23A/9A 39: P4/9./9A G4o-> (IPG)
#ccording to H%8s 9::? ).S. S2; @:4" filing5
Q@?R
H%8s !maging and %rinting +roup is 6the
leading imaging and printing systems provider in the world for printer hardware5 printing
supplies and scanning devices5 providing solutions across customer segments from individual
consumers to small and medium businesses to large enterprises.6 This division is currently
headed by 'yomesh Boshi.
%roducts and technology associated with the !maging and %rinting +roup include3
• !nkjet and ,aserBet printers5 consumables and related products
• Cfficejet all4in4one multifunction printerOscannerOfa1es
• ,arge -ormat %rinters
• !ndigo &igital %ress
• H% Web Betadmin printer management software
• H% Cutput *anagement suite of software5 including H% Cutput Server
• ,ightScribe optical recording technology that laser4etches labels on disks
• H% %hotosmart digital cameras and photo printers
• H% S%a* Hosted within !%+5 S%a* is an internal consulting group that supports all H%
businesses on mission4critical strategic and operation decisions.
P+41o93l S51.+21 G4o-> (PSG)
H%8s %ersonal Systems +roup claims to be 6one of the leading vendors of personal computers
/6%;s60 in the world based on unit volume shipped and annual revenue.6
%ersonal Systems +roup productsOtechnology include3
• .usiness %;s and accessories
• ;onsumer %;s and accessories including the H% %avilion5 ;ompaq %resario and 'oodoo%;
series
• Workstations for )ni15 Windows and ,inu1 systems
• Handheld ;omputing including i%#K %ocket %; handheld computing devices /from
;ompaq0
• &igital 6;onnected6 2ntertainment including H% *ediaSmart T's5 H% *ediaSmart Servers5
H% *edia'aults5 and &'&[W drives. H% resold the #pple i%od until $ovember 9::?.
• Home Storage Servers
Type %ublic /$#S&#K3 ##%,5 ,S23 :H&\5 -W.3 #%;0 -ounded ;alifornia5 )nited States /#pril
@5 @GPJ5 as #pple ;omputer5 !nc.0
Headquarters @ !nfinite ,oop5 ;upertino5 ;alifornia
"ey people Steve Bobs5 ;2C & ;o4founder
Steve Wo7niak5 ;o4founder
Timothy &. ;ook5 ;CC
%eter Cppenheimer5 ;-C
%hilip W. Schiller5 S'% *arketing
Bonathan !ve5 S'% !ndustrial &esign
Tony -adell5 S'% i%od &ivision
on Bohnson5 S'% etail
Sina Tamaddon5 S'% #pplications
.ertrand Serlet5 S'% Software 2ngineering
Scott -orstall5 S'%
i%hone software !ndustry ;omputer hardware
;omputer software
;onsumer electronics %roducts *ac
i%od
i%hone
#pple T'
*ac CS U
*ac CS U Server
i,ife
iWork
;inema &isplay
#ir%ort evenue )SN9M.
billion S /TT* -( 9:0
Q@R
Cperating income )SNM.M@ billion S
/@H.IPL operating margin0
Q@R
$et income )SNI.?: billion S /TT* -( 9:0
/@M.?JL profit margin0
Q@R
2mployees #ppro1imately 9H5::: /Buly I5 9::H0 Website #pple.com
H/1.o45
#pple was established on #pril @5 @GPJ by Steve Bobs5 Steve Wo7niak and onald Wayne5
QGR
to sell the #pple ! personal computer kit. They were hand4built by Wo7niak
Q@:R
Q@@R
and first
shown to the public at the Homebrew ;omputer ;lub.
Q@9R
The #pple ! was sold as a
motherboard /with ;%)5 #*5 and basic te1tual4video chips0Fless than what is today
considered a complete personal computer.
Q@IR
The #pple ! went on sale in Buly @GPJ and was
market4priced at )SNJJJ.JJ.
#pple was incorporated Banuary I5 @GPP without Wayne5 who sold his share of the company
back to Bobs and Wo7niak for NH::. *ike *arkkula provided essential business e1pertise and
funding of )SN9?:5::: during the incorporation of #pple.
The #pple !! was introduced on #pril @J5 @GPP at the first West ;oast ;omputer -aire. !t
differed from its major rivals5 the TS4H: and ;ommodore %2T5 because it came with color
graphics and an open architecture. While early models used ordinary cassette tapes as storage
devices5 they were superseded by the introduction of a ? @OM inch floppy disk drive and
interface5 the &isk !!.
The #pple !! was chosen to be the desktop platform for the first 6killer app6 of the business
worldFthe 'isi;alc spreadsheet program. 'isi;alc created a business market for the #pple
!!5 and gave home users an additional reason to buy an #pple !!Fcompatibility with the
office. #ccording to .rian .agnall5 #pple e1aggerated its sales figures and was a distant third
place to ;ommodore and Tandy until 'isi;alc came along.
.y the end of the @GP:s5 #pple had a staff of computer designers and a production line. The
#pple !! was succeeded by the #pple !!! in *ay @GH: as the company competed with !.*
and *icrosoft in the business and corporate computing market.
Bobs and several #pple employees including Bef askin visited Uero1 %#; in &ecember
@GPG to see the Uero1 #lto. Uero1 granted #pple engineers three days of access to the %#;
facilities in return for )SN@ million in pre4!%C #pple stock.
Q9JR
Bobs was immediately
convinced that all future computers would use a +)!5 and development of a +)! began for
the #pple ,isa
H+3:K-34.+41
#pple !nc.5 @ !nfinite ,oop5 ;upertino5 ;#.
#pple !nc.8s world corporate headquarters are located in the middle of Silicon 'alley5 at @
!nfinite ,oop5 ;upertino5 ;alifornia. This #pple campus has si1 buildings which total
H?:5::: sq ft /PG5::: m]0 and was built in @GGI by Sobrato &evelopment ;os.
Q@@@R
!n 9::J5 #pple announced its intention to build a second campus on ?: acres assembled from
various contiguous plots. The new campus5 also in ;upertino5 will be about one mile /@.J km0
east of the current campus.
Q@@9R
EO1
• @GPPZ@GH@3 *ichael 6Scotty6 Scott
• @GH@Z@GHI3 #. ;. 6*ike6 *arkkula
• @GHIZ@GGI3 Bohn Sculley
• @GGIZ@GGJ3 *ichael Spindler
• @GGJZ@GGP3 +il #melio
• @GGPZ%resent3 Steve Bobs /!nterim ;2C @GGP49:::0
-44+9. Bo34: o< D/4+,.o41
• .ill ;ampbell5 ;hairman of !ntuit !nc.
• *illard &re1ler5 ;hairman and ;2C of B.;rew
• #l +ore5 -ormer 'ice %resident of the )nited States
• Steve Bobs5 ;2C and ;o4founder of #ppleE also a director of The Walt &isney ;ompany
• #ndrea Bung5 ;hairman and ;2C of #von %roducts
• #rthur &. ,evinson5 ;hairman and ;2C of +enentech
• 2ric 2. Schmidt5 ;hairman and ;2C of +oogle
• Berry (ork5 ;hairman5 %resident5 and ;2C of Harwinton ;apital
-44+9. +*+,-./0+1
• Steve Bobs5 ;hief 21ecutive Cfficer
• Timothy &. ;ook5 ;hief Cperating Cfficer
• %eter Cppenheimer5 ;hief -inancial Cfficer
• %hilip W. Schiller5 Senior 'ice %resident of Worldwide %roduct *arketing
• Tony -adell5 Senior 'ice %resident of the i%od &ivision
• Bonathan !ve5 Senior 'ice %resident of !ndustrial &esign
• .ertrand Serlet5 Senior 'ice %resident of Software 2ngineering
• on Bohnson5 Senior 'ice %resident of etail
• Sina Tamaddon5 Senior 'ice %resident of #pplications
• Scott -orstall5 Senior 'ice %resident of i%hone Software
• &aniel ;ooperman5 Senior 'ice %resident5 +eneral ;ounsel and Secretary
-44+9. >4o:-,.1
See also: ist of products discontinued by Apple !nc"
See also: Timeline of Apple products
Mac and accessories
The *ac mini5 low4cost desktop computer.
• *ac mini5 consumer sub4desktop computer introduced in Banuary 9::?.
• i*ac5 consumer all4in4one desktop computer that was first introduced by #pple in @GGH. !ts
popularity helped revive the company8s fortunes.
Q?9R
• *ac %ro5 workstation4class desktop computer introduced in #ugust 9::J.
• *ac.ook5 consumer notebook introduced in 9::J5 available in white and black variants.
• *ac.ook #ir5 ultra4thin5 ultra4portable notebook5 introduced in Banuary 9::H.
• *ac.ook %ro5 professional portable computer alternative to the *ac.ook5 introduced in
Banuary 9::J.
• Userve5 rack mounted5 dual core5 dual processor @) server.
#pple sells a variety of computer accessories for *ac computers including the #ir%ort
wireless networking products5 Time ;apsule5 #pple ;inema &isplay5 *ighty *ouse5 the
#pple Wireless "eyboard computer keyboard5 and the #pple )S. *odem.
/Po:
i%od $ano
Cn Cctober 9I5 9:5 #pple introduced the i%od digital music player. !t has evolved to
include various models targeting the needs of different users. The i%od is the market leader in
portable music players by a significant margin5 with more than @:: million units shipped as
of #pril G5 9:. #pple has partnered with $ike to introduce the $ike[i%od Sports "it
enabling runners to synchroni7e and monitor their runs with iTunes and the $ike[ website.
#pple currently sells four variants of the i%od.
• i%od classic5 portable media player introduced in 9:5 with @9:+. capacity.
• i%od nano5 portable media player introduced in 9::?5 available in H and @J +. models.
• i%od shuffle5 digital audio player introduced in 9::?5 available in @ and 9 +. models.
• i%od touch5 portable media player introduced in September 9:5 available in H5 @J and I9
+. models.
/P;o9+
#t the *acworld ;onference & 21po in Banuary 9:5 Steve Bobs revealed the long
anticipated
QPGR
i%hone5 a convergence of an !nternet4enabled smartphone and i%od.
QH:R
The
i%hone combines a 9.?+ quad band +S* and 2&+2 cellular phone with features found in
hand held devices5 running a scaled4down versions of #pple8s *ac CS U5 with various *ac
CS U applications such as Safari and *ail. !t also includes web4based and &ashboard apps
such as +oogle *aps and Weather. The i%hone features a I.?4inch /HG mm0 touch screen
display5 M or H +. of memory5 .luetooth5 and Wi4-i /both 6b6 and 6g60.
QH@R
The i%hone first
became available on Bune 9G5 9: for NMGG /M +.0 and N?GG /H +.0.
QH9R
Cn Bune G5 9::H5 at
WW&; 9::H5 Steve Bobs announced that the i%hone I+ would be available on Buly @@5 9::H.
QHIR
This version added support for I+ networking and assisted4+%S navigation5 among other
things.
QHMR
A>>l+ TV
#t the 9: *acworld conference5 Bobs demonstrated the #pple T'5 /previously known as
the iT'05 a set4top video device intended to bridge the sale of content from iTunes with high4
definition televisions. The device links up to a user8s T' and syncs5 either via Wi4-i or a
wired network5 with one computer8s iTunes library and streams from an additional four. The
#pple T' incorporates a M: +. hard drive for storage5 includes outputs for H&*! and
component video5 and plays video at a ma1imum resolution of P9. Cn *ay I@5 9: a
@J: +. drive was released alongside the e1isting M: +. model and on Banuary @?5 9::H a
software update was released5 which allowed media to be purchased directly from the #pple
T'.
So<.=34+
#pple develops its own operating system to run on *acs5 *ac CS U5 the latest version being
*ac CS U v@:.? ,eopard. #pple also independently develops computer software titles for its
*ac CS U operating system. *uch of the software #pple develops is bundled with its
computers. #n e1ample of this is the consumer4oriented i,ife software package which
bundles i&'&5 i*ovie5 i%hoto5 iTunes5 +arage.and5 and iWeb. -or presentation5 page layout
and word processing5 iWork is available5 which includes "eynote5 %ages5 and $umbers.
iTunes5 KuickTime media player5 and Safari web browser are available as free downloads for
both *ac CS U and Windows.
#pple also offers a range of professional software titles. Their range of server software
includes the operating system *ac CS U ServerE #pple emote &esktop5 a remote systems
management applicationE WebCbjects5 Bava Web application serverE and Usan5 a Storage
#rea $etwork file system. -or the professional creative market5 there is #perture for
professional #W4format photo processingE -inal ;ut Studio5 a video production suiteE
,ogic5 a comprehensive music toolkit and Shake5 an advanced effects composition program.
#pple also offers online services with *obile*e /formerly .*ac0 which bundles personal
web pages5 email5 +roups5 i&isk5 backup5 iSync5 and ,earning ;enter online tutorials.
*obile*e is a subscription4based internet suite that capitali7es on the ability to store
personal data on an online server and thereby keep all web4connected devices in sync.
#ccording to surveys by B. &. %ower5 #pple has the highest brand and repurchase loyalty of
any computer manufacturer. While this brand loyalty is considered unusual for any product5
#pple appears not to have gone out of its way to create it. #t one time5 #pple evangelists
were actively engaged by the company5 but this was after the phenomenon was already firmly
established. #pple evangelist +uy "awasaki has called the brand fanaticism 6something that
was stumbled upon6. #pple has5 however5 supported the continuing e1istence of a network of
*ac )ser +roups in most major and many minor centers of population where *ac computers
are available.
*ac users meet at the 2uropean #pple 21po and the San -rancisco *acworld ;onference &
21po trade shows where #pple introduces new products each year to the industry and public.
*ac developers in turn gather at the annual #pple Worldwide &evelopers ;onference.
#pple Store openings can draw crowds of thousands5 with some waiting in line as much as a
day before the opening or flying in from other countries for the event.
QGHR
The $ew (ork ;ity
-ifth #venue 6;ube6 store had a line as long as half a mileE a few *ac fans took the
opportunity of the setting to propose marriage. The +in7a opening in Tokyo was estimated in
the thousands with a line e1ceeding eight city blocks.
Bohn Sculley told T#e $uardian newspaper in @GGP3 6%eople talk about technology5 but
#pple was a marketing company. !t was the marketing company of the decade.6
*arket research indicates that #pple draws its customer base from an unusually artistic5
creative5 and well4educated population5 which may e1plain the platform<s visibility within
certain youthful5 avant4garde subcultures.
;.D&& P!e)e$&#o$
-or our *arket esearch we used 9 *arket surveys3
@. ;onsumer Survey
9. etailer Survey
We have attached the actual questionnaire used for the *arket esearch so that you can get
an idea as in which Kuestions are being asked5 what do we achieve by the response received
and how to interpret the same data to attain our primary and secondary objectives.
#fter you have gone through the Survey -orm attached a &ata analysis for the same data
gathered is represented through +raphical epresentations wherever required.
The data gathered was from a target audience of ?: consumers and @: retailers through the
form of Kuestionnaires by the means of personal interview conducted by our group members.
D&& A$&/2)#)
-rom ;ustomer survey Kuestion @ we were able to derive the following graphical
representation3
% of Consumers with PC's
Have PC's,
86, 86%
Don’t Have,
14, 14%
Have PC's
Don’t Have
-rom ;ustomer survey Kuestion 9 we were able to come to the following graphical
representation3
M&!,e )%&!e o* B!&$'e' 3) A))e"4/e'.
27%
73%
B!&$'e'
A))e"4/e'
However the following data was gathered mostly from %rofessionals and students and hence
the strong inclination was towards assembled %; as the youth mostly chooses to define their
own configuration and specifications.
!n ;ustomer survey Kuestion I did put forward the need to be represented in any graphical
form hence moving forward^.
-rom ;ustomer survey Kuestion M
th
we were able to come to the following graphical
representation3
0
10
1
20
2
30
3
1st !tr
T2:e) o* M&!,e#$1
0o"".$##0&#o$)
T2:e) o* Me'#& .)e' *o! B!&$' A(&!e$e))
T3 0o""e!0#&/)
Ne() :&:e!
DM&1&E#$e)
O.'oo!
A'7e!)#)e"e$
Re&#/ P&":%/e)
I$e!$e
S&/e) C&//)
-rom ;ustomer survey Kuestion ?
th
we were able to come to the following graphical
representation3
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
% of the
"ar#et
N&"e o* %e Co":&$#e)
To: ; P!e**e!e' B!&$') *o! B!&$'e' PCF)
Co":&G ; 9< 6?
IBM 6? = 6
A::/e @.; 9.; ;
H: 5? 55.; 8@.;
De// 8@.; 85 6<.;
P!o**e)#o$&/) S.'e$) Re&#/e!)
-rom ;ustomer survey Kuestion J
th
we were able to come to the following graphical
representation3
0
20
40
60
80
100
P!e*!e$0e)
$arious Prefren%es
Consumers Prefren%es
&thers
'ran( Po)u*arit+
Pri%e
,oo#s
;ustomer survey Kuestion P
th
and Hth did not put forward any need to be represented in any
graphical form hence moving forward^.
-rom ;ustomer survey Kuestion G
th
we were able to come to the following graphical
representation3
C.)o"e!) C%o#0e #$ B!&$') 3S P!#0e
2-%
22%
4-%
BRAND
PRICE
BOTH
-rom etailer Surveys Kuestion 9
nd
we were able to come to the following graphical
representation3
4-
6
3
28
14
0
10
20
30
40
0
Com)a.
De**
To: ; Se//#$1 B!&$') O* PCF)
Co":&G
H:
A::/e
De//
HCL
<.Co$0/.)#o$
$ow through the research conducted we have gathered the information that .rand #wareness
does impact the customer<s mindset especially the .rands which enjoy the Top4of4the4mind
#wareness.
#ccording to !&; /!D% is t#e premier global pro&ider of mar'et intelligence( ad&isory
ser&ices( and e&ents for t#e information tec#nology( telecommunications( and consumer
tec#nology mar'ets" !D% #elps !T professionals( business e)ecuti&es( and t#e in&estment
community ma'e fact-based decisions on tec#nology purc#ases and business strategy" *ore
t#an +(000 !D% analysts pro&ide global( regional( and local e)pertise on tec#nology and
industry opportunities and trends in o&er +00 countries" For more t#an ,, years( !D% #as
pro&ided strategic insig#ts to #elp our clients ac#ie&e t#eir 'ey business ob-ecti&es" !D% is a
subsidiary of !D$( t#e world.s leading tec#nology media( researc#( and /&ents %ompany"0 (
in the third quarter of 9::M5 the sum total of branded %;s has e1ceeded that of assembled %;s
in the overall %; market5 with the former accounting for ?:.? percent and the latter MG.?
percent. However5 in the consumer %; market5 the assembled %; is still ahead of branded
%;s5 although the percentage has dropped from P: percent to less than ?? percent towards the
end of 9::M.
The figure below /-ig @:0 shows us the ,eading .rands in terms of sales in the .randed %;<s
section. /%rimary Cbjective0
,eading .rands
)nits
/9::I0
*arketshare/percent0 )nits /9::M0 %ercentage of )nits Shipped(ear4on4(ear +rowth /percent0
H;, 9I95@JG G.9 M5MI5?I? @I.P G@.:M
H% 99@5GJM H.H I5HM5:?H @@.G PI.:I
!.* @I95?H9 ?.I @5GH5GPI J.9 ?:.H
Source 3 !&; !ndia
However in the Top4of4the4*ind #wareness category the scene is quite different 5 the figure
below will illustrate.
0
10
20
30
40
0
60
70
80
-0
100
% of the
"ar#et
N&"e o* %e Co":&$#e)
To:-o*-%e-"#$' B!&$' A(&!e$e)) *o! B!&$'e' PCF)
IBM 6? = 6
A::/e @.; 9< 66
H: 66 5; 8@.<
De// 9A.; 86 8;.9
P!o**e)#o$&/) S.'e$) Re&#/e!)
=. L#"#&#o$) > F..!e S0o:e.
The limitations faced by the .randed %;<s in the market are mainly due to many issues
regarding to their price5 parts availability5 etc. #ccording to !&;5 in the third quarter of 9:5
the sum total of branded %;s has e1ceeded that of assembled %;s in the overall %; market5
with the former accounting for ?:.? percent and the latter MG.? percent. However5 in the
consumer %; market5 the assembled %; is still ahead of branded %;s5 although the
percentage has dropped from P: percent to less than ?? percent towards the end of 9:.
$ow by the help of our research we were able to find that .rand #wareness in .randed %;<s
does affect the consumer<s choice while making the final decision5 which in turn helps the
retails in making the sale5 however sometimes it also backfires as the customers tend to drive
towards a brand which does not make a sound profit for the retailer5 however the customer is
aware of the image that brand carries with it and hence only chooses that specific brand.
#s the $o. of interviews carried on for this *arket esearch was limited to only ?:
consumers and @: etailers it is difficult to gauge the overall market tendency toward the
particular brands based on their .rand #wareness.
There were also some difficulties in getting the particular information about the sales info
from the etailers as they were either incompetent in providing the info or they simply
refused to do so. Some retailers even refused to talk to us as they were of the idea that we
were going to reveal their marketing strategies in the market or even worse5 share it with their
competitors.
-uture recommendations in this research would be to carry out an e4survey /Survey
conducted on any particular website0 as it was discovered during the interviews that most of
the consumers before buying a pc always do some research regarding the same on the web5
hence we can target these audiences in giving us a better and a clear picture on this given
topic.
?. Re0o""e$'&#o$)
#s for growth verticals5 education and e4governance were the hot segments for %;
penetration and volumes. !n an effort to drive volumes5 vendors should adopt B439:
A=34+9+11 by penetrating the consumer minds through different 234@+./9A ,;399+l1 and
also by lo=),o1. >4/,/9A >ol/,/+1 in these sectors.
H;, !nfo systems5 for instance5 has already pushed the price barrier down with the launch of
the H;, 27eebee %ride at s @95GG:. Hence they are already enjoying the Top Spot in terms
of sales the *arket.
Top ? ecommendations3
? ;ompanies should use multiple marketing channels to create .rand #wareness among
the targeted segments.
? etailers should have through knowledge about the .rands and the products they deal
in/sometimes retailers do not provide complete info about the product which in turn
drives the customer to different brand and that creates a negative impact on the Top4
of4the4mind .rand #wareness towards that product0.
? Having ,ive &emos for the particular .rands which do not have enough .rand
#wareness among the masses to make them aware what that .rand offers.
? etailers should be aware which market audiences their .rands target and should
focus all of their marketing strategies on the same.
? ;ompanies should try and use low4cost pricing policies as cost4effectively as they
can.
@. B#4/#o1!&:%2
P.4/#)%e' Boo,3 4 *arketing *anagement
.y5 %hilip "otler & "evin ,ane "eller.
P.4/#)%e!3 4 %rentice Hall of !ndia %rivate ,imited.
P/&0e: - $ew &elhi.
Ye&! o* P.4/#0&#o$)3 4 9::J.
E'##o$3 4 @9
th.
P.4/#)%e' A!#0/e)34 ;ompany profile of &ell from ===!'@/>+:/3!,o2
;ompany profile of H% from ===!'/@/>+:/3!,o2
;ompany profile of #pple from ===!'/@/>+:/3!,o2
-igure no.@: from ===./:,!,o2
doc_380322354.pdf
Results of a controlled experiment on the role of brand awareness in the consumer choice process showed that brand awareness was a dominant choice heuristic among awarenessgroup subjects.
MARKET RESEARCH ON BRAND AWARENESS FOR
BRANDED P.C
SUMITTED BY :-
SHRIKANT S PANIKAR (Roll No # 46)
SIDDHARTH VYAS (Roll No # 47)
SHAKTI KUMAR SINGH (Roll No # 45)
SUNIL KUMAR (Roll No # 48)
IN FULFILLMENT OF PGDM (MARKETING)
SINHGAD INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
AND RESEARH
S! No! 4"#4A$4B%& NEAR PM OTRIO POST
KONDH'A ( SAS'AD ROAD KONDH'A (BK)
PUNE)48
SINHGAD INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
AND RESEARCH, KONDHWA (BK)
DECLARATION
We hereby declare that the project titled “To Dee!"#$e %e B!&$' A(&!e$e)) *o!
B!&$'e' P.C+ is an original piece of research work carried out by us under the guidance and
supervision of M!. P&$,&- N&$'.!,&!. The information has been collected from genuine &
authentic sources. The work has been submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement of
PGDM (MRKT).
P/&0e: S#1$&.!e:
D&e: N&"e o* %e
).'e$):
SH!"#$T S %#$!"#
S!&H#TH '(#S
SH#"T! ")*# S!$+H
S)$!, ")*#
A0,$o(/e'1e"e$
We would like to acknowledge all the help and guidelines received by our espected and
Well informed *arketing -aculty at S!.# /Sinhgad !nstitute of .usiness *anagement and
esearch0 as this *arketing esearch would not have been possible without they e1pert
guidance.
!n short we would like to thank the following for all their 2fforts and Support3
? M! P&$,&- N&$'.!,&! (M&!,e#$1 Re)e&!0% F&0./2 & SIBAR)
? M! 3#)%&/ B%o/e (M&!,e#$1 F&0./2 & SIBAR)
? A// o.! Te&""&e) &$' Co//e&1.e).
E*+,-./0+ 1-22345
esults of a controlled e1periment on the role of brand awareness in the consumer choice
process showed that brand awareness was a dominant choice heuristic among awareness4
group subjects. Subjects with no brand awareness tended to sample more brands and selected
the high4quality brand on the final choice significantly more often than those with brand
awareness. Thus5 when quality differences e1ist among competing brands5 consumers may
6pay a price6 for employing simple choice heuristics such as brand awareness in the interest
of economi7ing time and effort. However5 building brand awareness is a viable strategy for
advertising aimed at increasing brand4choice probabilities.
.rand awareness can be measured by showing a consumer the brand and asking whether or
not they knew of it beforehand. However5 in common market research practice a variety of
recognition and recall measures of brand awareness are employed all of which test the brand
name8s association to a product category cue5 this came about because most market research
in the 9:th ;entury was conducted by post or telephone5 actually showing the brand to
consumers usually required more e1pensive face4to4face interviews /until web4based
interviews became possible0. This has led many te1tbooks to conceptuali7e brand awareness
simply as its measures5 that is5 knowledge that the brand is a member of a particular product
category. .rand awareness consists of both brand recognition5 which is the ability of
consumers to confirm that they have previously been e1posed to your brand5 and brand
recall5 which reflects the ability of consumers to name your brand when given the product
category5 category need5 or some other similar cue.
Aided awareness occurs when you show or read a list of brands and the person e1presses
familiarity with your brand only after they hear or see it.
Top-of-mind awareness occurs when you ask a person to name brands within a product
category and your brand pops up first on the list.
P4/2345 o67+,./0+8 To research whether .rand awareness in .randed %;<s affects the sales or
helps the etailer in making a sale.
S+,o9:345 o67+,./0+8 To research and see which .rand is ahead in =Top4of4the4*ind
#wareness> among .randed %;<s.
T&4/e o* Co$e$)
5. I$!o'.0#o$.
6. O4-e0#7e).
8. Re)e&!0% Me%o'o/o12.
9. Co":&$2 P!o*#/e.
;. D&& P!e)e$&#o$.
?.@ D&& Co//e0#o$.
;.6 D&& A$&/2)#).
<. Co$0/.)#o$)
=. L#"#&#o$) > F..!e )0o:e.
?. Re0o""e$'&#o$).
@. B#4/#o1!&:%2
5A. A$$eB.!e
5. I$!o'.0#o$
T;+ 4+1+34,; P4o7+,. is on the topic of =.rand #wareness of .randed %;<s /%ersonal
;omputers0>.
$ow first let us look at the definition of a .rand3
T;+ :+</9/./o9 o< 6439:8 # brand is an identifiable entity that makes specific promises of
value.
!n its simplest form5 a brand is nothing more and nothing less than the promises of value you
or your product makes. These promises can be implied or e1plicitly stated5 but none4the4less5
value of some type is promised.
$ow let us further define .rand #wareness3
B439: 3=34+9+11 is when people recogni7e your brand as yours. This does not necessarily
mean they prefer your brand /brand preference05 attach a high value to5 or associate any
superior attributes to your brand5 it just means they recogni7e your brand and can identify it
under different conditions.
.rand awareness consists of both brand recognition5 which is the ability of consumers to
confirm that they have previously been e1posed to your brand5 and brand recall5 which
reflects the ability of consumers to name your brand when given the product category5
category need5 or some other similar cue.
Aided awareness occurs when you show or read a list of brands and the person e1presses
familiarity with your brand only after they hear or see it.
Top-of-mind awareness occurs when you ask a person to name brands within a product
category and your brand pops up first on the list.
When you think about facial tissue5 gelatins5 and adhesive bandages5 do the brands
"leene1A5 Bell4CA5 and .and4#idA come to mindD These brands enjoy strong top4of4mind
awareness in their respective categories.
T;+ P-4>o1+ of this research to evaluate the amount of .rand #wareness enjoyed by
different brands of %;<s in the market.
H/1.o4/,3l ? T+,;9/,3l B3,@A4o-9: o< B439:1
.rands identify the source of market of a product and allow consumers4either individuals or
organi7ations4to assign responsibility to a particular manufacturer or distributor. ;onsumers may
evaluate the identical product differently depending on how it is branded. ;onsumers learn about
brands through past e1periences with the product and its marketing program. They find out which
brands satisfy their needs and which ones do not. #s consumers< lives become more complicated5
rushed5and time4starved5the ability of a brand to simplify decisions making and reduce risk is
invaluable.
.rands also perform valuable functions for firms. -irst5 they simplify product handling or tracing.
.rands help to organi7e inventory and accounting records. # brand also offers the firm legal
protection for unique features or aspects of the product. The brand name can be protected through
registered trademarksE manufacturing processes can be protected through patentsE and packaging can
be protected through copyrights and designs.These intellectual property rights ensure that the firm can
safely invest in the brand and reap the benefits of a valuable asset.
.rands can signal a certain level of quality so that satisfied buyers can easily choose the product
again. .rand loyalty provides predictability and security of demand for the firm and creates barriers to
entry that make it difficult for other firms to enter the market. ,oyalty also can translate into a
willingness to pay a higher priceFoften 9: to 9? percent more. #lthough competitors may easily
duplicate manufacturing processes and product designs5 they cannot easily match lasting impressions
in the minds of individuals and organi7ations from years of marketing activity and product
e1perience. !n this sense5 branding can be seen as a powerful means to secure a competitive
advantage.
To firms5 brands thus represent enormously valuable pieces of legal property that can influence
consumer behavior5 be sought and sold5 provide the security of sustained future revenues to their
owner. ,arge earning multiple have been paid for brands in mergers or acquisitions5 starting with the
boom years of the mid4@GH:s. The price premium is often justified on the basis of assumptions of the
e1tra profits that could be e1tracted and sustained from the brands5 as well as the tremendous
difficulty and e1pense of creating similar brands from scratch. Wall Street believes that strong brands
result in better earnings and profit performance for firms5 which5 in turn5 creates greater value for
shareholders. *uch of the recent interest in brands by senior management has been result of these
bottom4line financial considerations. =*arketing *emo3 The brand eport card> lists @: key
characteristics based on a review of the world<s strongest brands.
S,o>+ o< 1.-:5
!s to check that does .rand #wareness among .randed %;<s affects the sales or creates a
specific image about the brand which helps the .rand in gaining an advantage over the
competitors. #s the esearch *ethodology used for this research would be %ersonal
!nterview or Telephonic !nterviews of the Targeted *asses using a set of questionnaires
designed to get the response which would help in achieving the objective of the research. The
,imitations faced in this research would be that it would be constituted on the data gathered
from an already decided Target audience5 which would be very small /namely I:4?:
consumers0. Hence we would not be able to come to a strong recommendation as the number
of the responses would be limited. However5 on the other hand the data gathered would be
very accurate and not vague5 which would help us come to conclusion which in turn will help
us to reach the objective of this research.
I2>o4.39,+#R+l+039,+ o< .;+ M34@+. R+1+34,;
The importance of this market research would be5 that it will help us to determine which
computer .rands enjoy different benefits due to their .rand #wareness in the mind of the
consumers. Cur research work will help us define how does brand awareness helps the
customer to pick or choose that specific brand and get a clear picture as in is .rand
#wareness really important part of the marketing strategy or is it just a burden on the
marketing system.
.rand awareness is an important way of promoting commodity4related products. This is because for
these products5 there are very few factors that differentiate one product from its competitors.
Therefore5 the product that maintains the highest brand awareness compared to its competitors will
usually get the most sales5 our research findings will help us in determining those factors.
We would also be able to gauge which brand enjoys the top spot in =Top4of4the4*ind
#wareness> among .randed %;<s.
6. O4-e0#7e)
P4/2345 o67+,./0+8 To research whether .rand awareness in .randed %;<s affects the sales or
helps the etailer in making a sale.
The following point would be addressed3
%! B439: A=34+9+11 <o4 B439:+: PB1 /9 ,o91-2+4 2/9:1!
C! E<<+,. o9 13l+!
S+,o9:345 o67+,./0+8 To research and see which .rand is ahead in =Top4of4the4*ind
#wareness> among .randed %;<s.
The -ollowing points would be addressed3
@. To ,;+,@ =;/,; B439: +97o51 .;+ .o> 1>o. /9 DTo>)o<).;+)2/9:B B439: A=34+9+11!
9. I2>3,. o< .;+ 132+ o9 13l+1!
8. Re)e&!0% Me%o'o/o12
S.+>!% T;+ :+,/1/o9 3l.+493./0+ 39: .;+ 4+1+34,; o67+,./0+1
4*arketing management must be careful not to define the problem too broadly or too
narrowly for the marketing researcher. $ot all research projects can be specific.
Some research is e1ploratory4 its goal is to shed light on the real nature of the
problem
and to suggest possible solutions or new ideas.
S.+>)C D+0+lo> .;+ R+1+34,; Pl39
The second step of marketing research calls for developing the most efficient plan for
gathering the needed information .The marketing manager needs to know the cost of
the esearch plan before approving it. &esigning a research plan calls for decision on
data sources5 research approaches5 research instruments5 sampling plan5 and contact
methods.
DATA SOURES4 The researcher gather secondary data5 primary data5 or both.
Secondary Data are data that were collected for another purpose and already e1ists
Somewhere.
Primary Data are data freshly gathered for a specific purpose or for a specific
research
%roject.
esearchers usually start their investigation by e1amining some of the rich
variety of secondary data to see whether the problem can be partly or wholly solved
without collecting costly primary data. Secondary data provide a starting point and
offer the advantages of lower cost and ready availability. When the needed data do not
e1ists or are dated5 inaccurate5 or unreliable5 the researcher will have to collect primary
data. *ost marketing research projects involve some primary data collection. The
$ormal procedure is to interview some people individually or in group.
RESEARH APPROAHES4 %rimary data can be collected in ? ways
%! OBSERVATIONAL RESEARH-&ata can be gathered by observing the relevant actors
;onsumers can be unobtrusively observed as they shop or as they consume products.
C! FOUS GROUP RESEARH)# focus group is a gathering of J to @: people who are
;arefully selected based on certain demographic5 psychographic5 or other
considerations
and brought together to discuss at length various topics of interest. %articipants are
normally paid a small sum for attending.
E! SURVEY RESEARH-;ompanies undertake surveys to learn about people
knowledge5 beliefs5 preferences5 and satisfaction5 and to measure these magnitude in
the general population.
4! BEHAVIORAL DATA-;ustomers leave traces of their purchasing behavior in store
scanning data5 catalog purchases5 and customer database. *uch can be learned by
analy7ing these data. ;ustomer<s actual purchase reflects preferences and often are
more reliable than statements they offer to market researchers.
5! EFPERIMENTAL RESEARH-The most scientifically valid research is e1periment4
4tal research. The purpose of this research is to capture cause and effect relationships
by eliminating competing e1planations of the observed finding. 21periments call for
selecting matched groups of subjects5 subjecting them to different treatments5
controlling e1traneous variables and checking whether observed response
differences are statistically significant.
RESEARH INSTRUMENTS
GUESTIONNAIRES-# questionnaire consists of a set of questions presented to
respondent.
.ecause of its fle1ibility5 the questionnaire is by far the most common instrument
used
to collect primary data. !n preparing a questionnaire5 the researcher carefully chooses
the questions and their form5 wording5 and sequence. The form of the question can
influence the response. *arketing researchers distinguish between closed4end and
open4end questions. ;losed4end questions specify all the possible answer and provide
answer that are easier to interpret and tabulate. Cpen4end questions allow respondents
to answer in their own words and often reveal more about how people think.
GUALITATIVE MEASURES-Some marketers prefer more qualitative methods for
gauging consumer opinion because consumer action do not always match their
answers
to survey questions. Kualitative research technique is relatively unstructured
measure4
ment approaches that permit a range of possible responses5 and they are a creative
means of ascertaining consumer perception that may otherwise be difficult to
uncover.
the range of possible qualitative research technique is limited only by the creativity of
the marketing research.
MEHANIAL DEVIES-*echanical devices are occasionally used in marketing
research. 2.g.4galvanometer can measure the interest of emotions around by e1posure
to a specific ad or picture. The techistoscope flashes an ad to a subject with and
e1posure interval that may range from less than one hundredth of a second to several
seconds. #fter each e1posure5 the respondent describes everything he or she recalls.
SAMPLING PLAN
%! S32>l/9A -9/.8 ';o /1 .o 6+ 1-40+5+:H The marketing researcher must define the target
population that will be sampled. Cnce the sampling unit is determined5 a sampling
must be developed so that everyone in the target population has an equal or known
chance Cf being sampled.
C! S32>l+ 1/I+8 Ho= 2395 >+o>l+ 1;o-l: 6+ 1-40+5+:H ,arge samples give more reliable
result than small samples. However5 it is not necessary to sample the entire target
population or even a substantial portion to achieve reliable results. Samples of less
than ! L of a population can often provide good reliability5 with a credible sampling
procedure.
E! S32>l/9A >4o:,:-4+3 Ho= )%o./' %e !e)
$'e$) 4e 0%o)e$C To obtain a representativesample5 a probability sample of the population should be drawn. %robability sampling
allows the calculation of confidence limits for sampling error non4probability
samples
are very useful in many circumstance 5even though they do not allow sampling error
to
be measured
ONTAT METHOD
M3/l G-+1./o993/4+8 The mail questionnaire is the best way to reach people who would
not give personal interviews or whose responses might be biased or distorted by the
interviewers5 *ail questionnaires require simple and clearly worded
questions. )nfortunately3 the response rate is usually low or slow
T+l+>;o9+ I9.+40/+=8 I. is the best method for gathering information quickly. The
!nterviewer is also able to clarify questions if respondents do not understand them.
The
esponse rate is typically higher than in the case of mailed questionnaires. The main
drawback is that the interviews have to be short and not too personal.
P+41o93l /9.+40/+=8 !t is the most versatile method. The interviewer can ask more questions
and record additional observations about the respondents5 such as dress and body
language. #t the same time5 personal interviewing is the most e1pensive method and
requires most more administrative planning and supervision than the other three. !t is
also subject to interviewer bias or distortion.
O9l/9+ /9.+40/+=8 T;+4+ are so many ways to use net to do research. # company can
include
a questionnaire on its website and offer an incentive to answer the questionnaire5 or it
can place a banner on some frequently visited site such as yahoo5 inviting people to
answer some questions and possibly win a pri7e.
STEP E!oll+,. T;+ I9<o423./o9
The data collection phase of marketing research is generally the most e1pensive and the
most prone to error. !n the case of surveys5 four major problem arise. Some respondents
will not be at home and must be contacted again . Cther respondents will refuse to
cooperate. Still others will give biased or dishonest answers. -inally some interviewers
will be biased or dishonest. +etting the right respondent is critical.
STEP 4! A93l5I+ .;+ I9<o423./o9
The ne1t to last step in the process is to e1tract finding from the collected data. The
researcher tabulates the data and develop frequency distribution. #verages and measures
of dispersion are computed for the major variables. The researcher will also apply some
advanced statistical techniques and decision models in the hope of discovering additional
findings.
STEP 5! P4+1+9. .;+ F/9:/9A
#s the last step5 the researcher presents the findings. The researcher should present
-inding that are relevant to the major marketing decisions facing management.
S.+> 6! M3@+ .;+ D+,/1/o9
# growing number of organi7ations are using a marketing decision support system to
help their marketing managers make better marketing decisions.
!n our research we would be using the esearch #pproach of DS-40+5 R+1+34,;B with the
help of the esearch instrument in the form of DG-+1./o993/4+1B and the ;ontact *ethod
used will be DP+41o93l I9.+40/+=B.
9. Co":&$2 P!o*#/e)
;ompany %rofiles for some of the leading companies in the field of .randed %;<s
Type %ublic
/$#S&#K3 &2,,0 & /S2H"3 MII@0
-ounded #ustin5 Te1as /$ovember M5 @GHM0 /as 6%;8s ,imited60. !%C on Bune 995 @GHH5 at
NH.?:Oshare3 appro1imately I years and P months after founding -ounder *ichael S. &ell
Headquarters ound ock5 Te1as
)nited States #rea served Worldwide "ey people *ichael S. &ell
/;hairman & /;2C0
!ndustry Technology %roducts &esktops
Servers
$otebooks
%eripherals
%rinters *arket cap )SN M?.:G .illion /20080
Q9R
evenue S )SN J@.@II .illion /20080
QIR
Cperating income S )SN I.MM: billion /20080
QIR
$et income S )SN 9.GMP billion /20080
QIR
Total assets S )SN 9P.?J@ billion /20080
QIR
Total equity T )SN I.PI? billion /20080
QIR
2mployees H95P:: /20080
Subsidiaries #lienware
#S#% Software
2qual ,ogic
Website &ell.com
o9.:J!
The multinational technology company &ell5 !nc. develops5 manufactures5 sells5 and supports
personal computers and other computer4related products. .ased in ound ock5 Te1as5 &ell
employs more than HH5::: people worldwide.
&ell grew during the @GH:s and @GG:s to become /for a time0 the largest seller of %;s and
servers. #s of 9::H it held the second spot in computer4sales within the industry behind the
Hewlett4%ackard ;ompany. The company currently sells personal computers5 servers5 data
storage devices5 network switches5 software5 computer peripherals and televisions.
!n 9::J5 Fortune maga7ine ranked &ell as the 9?th4largest company in the -ortune ?:: list5
Hth on its annual 6Top 9:6 list of the most4admired companies in the )nited States. !n 9:
&ell ranked IMth and Hth respectively on the equivalent lists for the year. # 9::J publication
identified &ell as one of IH high4performance companies in the S&% ?:: which had
consistently out4performed the market over the previous @? years
H/1.o45
Background and origins
While a student at the )niversity of Te1as at #ustin in @GHM5 *ichael &ell founded the
company as %;8s ,imited with capital of N@:::. Cperating from *ichael &ell8s off4campus
dorm4room at &obie ;enter Q@R5 the startup aimed to sell !.* %;4compatible computers built
from stock components. *ichael &ell started trading in the belief that by selling personal
computer4systems directly to customers5 %;8s ,imited could better understand customers8
needs and provide the most effective computing solutions to meet those needs. *ichael &ell
dropped out of school in order to focus full4time on his fledgling business5 after getting about
NI::5::: in e1pansion4capital from his family.
!n @GH?5 the company produced the first computer of its own design F the 6Turbo %;65 sold
for )SNPG? F which contained an !ntel H:HH4compatible processor running at a speed of
H *H7. %;8s ,imited advertised the systems in national computer4maga7ines for sale directly
to consumers5 and custom4assembled each ordered unit according to a selection of options.
This offered buyer<s prices lower than those of retail brands5 but with greater convenience
than assembling the components themselves. #lthough not the first company to use this
model5 %;8s ,imited became one of the first to succeed with it. The company grossed more
than NPI million in its first year.
The company changed its name to 6&ell ;omputer ;orporation6 in @GHH. !n @GHG5 &ell
;omputer set up its first on4site4service programs in order to compensate for the lack of local
retailers prepared to act as service centers. #lso in @GHP5 the company set up its first
operations in the )nited "ingdomE eleven more international operations followed within the
ne1t four years. !n Bune @GHH5 &ell8s market capitali7ation grew by NI: million to NH: million
from its initial public offering of I.? million shares at NH.?: a share. !n @GG:5 &ell ;omputer
;orporation tried selling its products indirectly through warehouse clubs and computer
superstores5 but met with little success5 and the company re4focused on its more successful
direct4to4consumer sales model. !n @GG95 -ortune maga7ine included &ell ;omputer
;orporation in its list of the world8s ?:: largest companies.
!n @GGJ5 &ell began selling computers via its web site.
!n @GGG5 &ell overtook ;ompaq to become the largest seller of personal computers in the
)nited States of #merica with N9? billion in revenue reported in Banuary 9:::.
!n 9::95 &ell attempted to e1pand by tapping into the multimedia and home4entertainment
markets with the introduction of televisions5 handhelds5 and digital audio players. &ell has
also produced &ell4brand printers for home and small4office use.
!n 9::I5 at the annual company meeting5 the stockholders approved changing the company
name to 6&ell !nc.6 to recogni7e the company8s e1pansion beyond computers.
!n 9::M5 the company announced that it would build a new assembly4plant near Winston4
Salem5 $orth ;arolinaE the city and county provided &ell with NIP.9 million in incentive
packagesE the state provided appro1imately N9?: million in incentives and ta1 breaks. !n Buly5
*ichael &ell stepped aside as ;hief 21ecutive Cfficer while retaining his position as
;hairman of the .oard. "evin ollins5 who had held a number of e1ecutive posts at &ell5
became the new ;2C.
!n 9::?5 the share of sales coming from international markets increased5 as revealed in the
company8s press releases for the first two quarters of its fiscal 9::? year. !n -ebruary 9::?
&ell appeared in first place in a ranking of the 6*ost #dmired ;ompanies6 published by
-ortune maga7ine. !n $ovember 9::? .usiness Week maga7ine published an article titled
6!t8s .ad to Worse at &ell6 about shortfalls in projected earnings and sales5 with a worse4
than4predicted third4quarter financial performance F a bad omen for a company that had
routinely underestimated its earnings. &ell acknowledged that faulty capacitors on the
motherboards of the Cptiple1 +U9P: and +U9H: had already cost the company NI::
million. The ;2C5 "evin ollins5 attributed the bad performance partially to &ell8s focus on
low4end %;s.
!n 9::J5 &ell purchased the computer hardware manufacturer #lienware. &ell !nc.8s plan
anticipated #lienware continuing to operate independently under its e1isting management.
#lienware e1pected to benefit from &ell8s efficient manufacturing system.
Cn Banuary I@5 9:
5 "evin .. ollins5 ;2C of the company since 9::M5 resigned as both ;2C and as a director5 and *ichael &ell resumed his former role as ;2C. !nvestors and
many shareholders had called for ollins8 resignation because of poor company performance.
#t the same time5 the company announced that5 for the fourth time in five quarters5 earnings
would fail to reach consensus analyst4estimates.
!n -ebruary 9:
&ell became the subject of formal investigations by the )S S2; and the )nited States #ttorney for the Southern &istrict of $ew (ork. The company has not formally
filed financial reports for either the third or fourth fiscal quarter of 9::J5 and several class4
action lawsuits have arisen in the wake of its recent financial performance. &ell !nc8s lack of
formal financial disclosure would normally subject the company to de4listing from the
$#S&#K5 but the e1change has granted &ell a waiver5 allowing the stock to trade normally.
Cn *arch @5 9:
5 the company issued a preliminary quarterly earnings report which showed gross sales of [email protected] billion5 down ?L year4over4year5 and net income of NJHP million /I:
cents per share05 down IIL. $et earnings would have declined even more if not for the
effects of eliminated employee bonuses5 which accounted for si1 cents per share. $#S&#K
e1tended the company8s deadline for filing financials to *ay M.
P+41o99+l
Cn Banuary I@5 9:
*ichael &ell returned to the company as ;2C. #s chairman of the board5 *r. &ell had significant input into the company8s operations during ollins8 years as
;2C. However with the return of *ichael &ell as ;2C5 the company saw immediate changes
in operations5 the e1odus of many senior vice4presidents and new blood brought in from
outside the company.
&epartures announced include3
• "evin ollins5 ;2C
QIMR
• Bames Schneider5 ;-C
QIMR
• Bohn *edica5 senior vice president5 consumer products
QI?R
• Boe *arengi5 senior vice president5 #mericas
QI?R
• Bohn Hamlin5 senior vice president5 worldwide online operations
QIJR
• %aul *c"innon5 senior vice president5 human resources
QI?R
• osenda %arra5 senior vice presidentOgeneral manager5 home and small business group
QIPR
• +lenn 2. $eland5 senior vice president5 procurement
QIHR
#dditions announced include3
• *ichael &ell5 ;2C and co4;hairman of the .oard /previously ;hairman of the .oard0
• &on ;arty5 ;-C and co4;hairman of the .oard /previously .oard member0
• *ichael . ;annon5 former ;2C of Solectron5 as %resident5 +lobal Cperations
QIGR
• on +arriques5 who formerly headed *otorola8s mobile phone unit5 as %resident5 +lobal
;onsumer +roup
QM:R
• Stephen -. Schuckenbrock5 Senior 'ice %resident5 +lobal Services
QIHR
*r. &ell announced a number of initiatives and plans /part of the 6&ell 9.:6 initiative0 to
improve the company8s financial performance. These include3
• elimination of 9::J bonuses for employees with some discretionary awards
• reduction in the number of managers reporting directly to *r. &ell from 9: to @9
• in a noted departure from previous years5 6build5 partner5 and buy6 to increase services
capabilities
• reduction of 6bureaucracy6
Cn #pril 9I5 9::H5 &ell announced the closure of one of its biggest ;anadian call4centers in
"anata5 Cntario F terminating appro1imately @@:: employees5 with ?:: of those
redundancies effective on the spot5 and with the official closure of the center scheduled for
the summer. /The call4center had opened in 9::J after the city of Cttawa won a bid to host it.
,ess then a year later5 &ell !nc planned to double its workforce to nearly I5::: workers and
to add a new building. Bournalists cited a high ;anadian dollar and suggested high pay4rates
as among the reasons for the cuts. The company had also announced the shutdown of its
2dmonton5 #lberta office5 losing G:: jobs. !n total5 &ell announced the ending of about H5H::
jobs in 9:
49::H F @:L of its workforce. P4o:-,.1
Scope and brands
The corporation markets specific brand names to different market segments3
• B.)#$e)) C/&)): including Cpti%le15 ,atitude5 and %recision5 where the company8s advertising
emphasi7es long life4cycles5 reliability and serviceability3
• Cpti%le1 4 office desktop computer systems
• n Series 4 desktop and notebook computers shipped with ,inu1 or -ree&CS
installed
• 'ostro 4 small4business desktop and notebook systems
• ,atitude 4 commercially4focused notebooks
• %recision 4 workstation systems and high4performance notebooks. /Some of
them including ,inu1 pre4installed.
QMIR
0
• %ower2dge 4 business servers
• %ower'ault 4 direct4attach and some network4attached storage /$#S0
• %ower;onnect 4 network switches
• &ell 2*; 4 storage area networks /S#$s0
• 2qual,ogic 4 enterprise class iS;S! S#$s
• Ho"e>Co$)."e! C/&)): including !nspiron and U%S brands5 emphasi7ing value5
performance and e1pandability3
• !nspiron 4 consumer desktop and notebook systems
• Studio 4 medium4end consumer slim hybrid desktop and laptop systems
• U%S 4 enthusiast and high4performance desktop and notebook systems
• #lienware /U%S 21treme0 4 high4performance gaming systems
• Pe!#:%e!&/): &ell has also diversified its product line to include peripheral products such as
)S. keydrives5 ,;& televisions5 and printers.
• &ell monitors ,;& T's5 plasma T's and projectors for H&T' and monitors
• Se!7#0e) &$' ).:
!3• &ell Cn ;all 4 e1tended support services /mainly for the removal of spyware
and computer viruses0
• &ell Support ;enter 4 e1tended support services /similar to 6&ell Cn ;all60
for customers in the 2*2#. The Solution ;enters also support hardware for
customers outside of warranty.
• &ell .usiness Support 4 a commercial service4contract that provides an
industry4certified technician with a lower call4volume than in normal queuesE it
covers hardware4 and some software4support.
• (our Tech Team 4 a new support4queue available to home users who
purchased their systems through either &ell8s website or &ell phone4centers. These
customers gain access to a speciali7ed queue currently located in Tampa5 -lorida.
;ustomers can requesting a technician with whom they have worked previously5 and
the technicians can troubleshoot a wider range of problems F including some that
would fall under the 6&ell on ;all6 category. &ata backup and virus removal remain
out4of4scope for this queue.
&ell also offers ed Hat and S)S2 ,inu1 for serversE as well as 6bare4bones6 computers
without pre4installed software /available on n Series by default and by request on U%S and
!nspiron systems0 at significantly lower prices. &ue to &ell8s licensing contract with
*icrosoft5 &ell allegedly
Qcitation neededR
cannot offer those systems on their website and customers
have to request them e1plicitly. /&ell does offer those systems on their web site at
http3OOwww.dell.comOcontentOproductsOfeatures.asp1OprecnVnD
cWus&csW:M&lWen&sWbsd&redirectW@ 0. &ell has to ship such systems with a -ree&CS disk
included in the bo1 and must issue a so4called 6Windows refund6 or a merchandise credit
after sale of the system at the 6regular6 retail price.
• D#)0o$#$.e' :!o'.0)>4!&$')3
• #1im 4 %&#s using *icrosoft8s Windows *obile /discontinued on #pril G5
9:
QMMR
0
• &imension 4 home and 6small office5 home office6 desktop computers
/discontinued Buly 9:
E replaced by !nspiron desktops0• &ell &igital Bukebo1 4 *%I players /discontinued #ugust 9::J0
• &ell %ower#pp 4 application4based severs
• &ell Cmniple1 4 MHJ4 and %entium4based desktop and tower computers
previously supported to run server and desktop operating systems.
o22+4,/3l 31>+,.1
Traditional business-model
Traditionally5 &ell has sold all its products F whether to end4use consumers or to corporate
customers F using a direct4sales model via the !nternet and the telephone4network. &ell
maintains a negative cash conversion cycle /;;;0 through use of this model3 in other words5
&ell !nc. receives payment for the products before it has to pay for the materials.
&ell also practices just4in4time /B!T0 inventory4management5 profiting from its attendant
benefits. &ell8s B!T approach utili7es the 6pull6 system by building computers only after
customers place orders and by requesting materials from suppliers as needed. !n this way &ell
mirrors Toyota by following Toyota Way %rinciple XI /6)se 8pull8 systems to avoid
overproduction60. Since the days of the original dominance of telephone4ordering5 the
!nternet has significantly enhanced &ell<s business model5 making it easier for customers and
potential customers to contact &ell directly.
This model also has enabled &ell to provide very customi7able systems at an affordable rate5
since &ell8s manufacturing arm builds specifically for each customer. Cther computer4
manufacturers5 including +ateway and Hewlett4%ackard5 have attempted to adapt
similar
business4models5 but due to timing andOor retail4channel pressures
they have not achieved the
same results as &ell.
# &ell e1ecutive writes
#nalysts say3 They /&ell0 have a negative M? days ;;;5 which means that their sales are
converted in hard cash M? days .2-C2 the sale.
! say3 They have a negative M? days ;;;5 which means that their sales are converted in hard
cash M? days .2-C2 &ell needs to pay for purchase invoices to vendors.
&ell has also sold at retail5 as e1plained in the 6*arketing6 section of this article.
O4A39/I3./o9
# board of directors of nine people runs the company. *ichael &ell5 the founder of the
company5 serves on the board. Cther board members include &on ;arty5 William +ray5 Budy
,ewent5 "laus ,uft5 #le1 *andl5 *ichael #. *iles5 and Sam $unn. Shareholders elect the
nine board members at meetings5 and those board members who do not get a majority of
votes must submit a resignation to the board5 which will subsequently choose whether or not
to accept the resignation. The board of directors usually sets up five committees which have
oversight over specific matters. These committees include the #udit ;ommittee5 which
handles accounting issues5 including auditing and reportingE the ;ompensation ;ommittee5
which approves compensation for the ;2C and other employees of the companyE the -inance
;ommittee5 which handles financial matters such as proposed mergers and acquisitionsE the
+overnance and $ominating ;ommittee5 which handles various corporate matters /including
nomination of the board0E and the #ntitrust ;ompliance ;ommittee5 which attempts to
prevent company practices from violating antitrust laws.
The corporate structure and management of &ell e1tends beyond the board of directors. The
&ell +lobal 21ecutive *anagement ;ommittee sets the strategic direction for how the
corporation keeps customers at the forefront5 from designing and manufacturing computer
systems to offering products that meet customers8 requirements to providing sufficient service
and support. &ell has regional senior vice presidents for countries other than the )nited
States5 including &avid *armonti for 2*2# and Stephen B. -elice for #siaOBapan. #s of
9:
5 other officers included *artin +arvin /senior vice president for worldwide procurement0 and Susan 2. Sheskey /vice president and chief information officer0.
M34@+./9A
&ell advertisements have appeared in several types of media including television5 the
!nternet5 maga7ines5 catalogs and newspapers. Some of &ell !nc8s marketing strategies
include lowering prices at all times of the year5 offering free bonus products /such as &ell
printers05 and offering free shipping in order to encourage more sales and to stave off
competitors. !n 9::J5 &ell cut its prices in an effort to maintain its @G.9L market share.
However5 this also cut profit4margins by more than half5 from H.P to M.I percent. To maintain
its low prices5 &ell continues to accept most purchases of its products via the !nternet and
through the telephone network5 and to move its customer4care division to !ndia and 2l
Salvador.
# popular )nited States television and print ad campaign in the early 9:::s featured the actor
.en ;urtis playing the part of 6Steven65 a lightly mischievous blond4haired kid who came to
the assistance of bereft computer purchasers. 2ach television advertisement usually ended
with Steven8s catch4phrase3 6&ude5 you8re gettin8 a &ellY6
# subsequent advertising campaign featured interns at &ell headquarters /with ;urtis8
character appearing in a small cameo at the end of one of the first commercials in this
particular campaign0.
# &ell advertising campaign for the U%S line of gaming computers featured in print in the
September 9::J issue of Wired *aga7ine. !t used as a tagline the common term in !nternet
and gamer slang3 6-TW65 meaning 6-or The Win6. However5 &ell !nc. soon dropped the
campaign.
!n the first4person shooter game -.2.#.. 21traction %oint5 several computers visible on
desks within the game have recogni7able &ell U%S model characteristics5 sometimes even
including the &ell logo on the monitors.
!n 9:
&ell switched advertising agencies in the )S from ..&C to *other. !n Buly 9:5 &ell released new advertising created by *other to support the !nspiron and U%S lines. The
ads featured music from the -laming ,ips and &evo who re4formed especially to record the
song in the ad 6Work it Cut6.
Type %ublic /$(S23 H%K0 -ounded %alo #lto5 ;alifornia /@GIG0
-ounder .ill Hewlett5
;o4founder
&avid %ackard
Headquarters %alo #lto5 ;alifornia5 )S#
"ey people *ark '. Hurd5 ;hairman5 ;2C and %resident
;athie ,esjak5 ;-C and 2'%
#nn ,ivermore5 2'% TS+
andall &. *ott5 ;!C and 2'%
*ichael Holston5 +eneral ;ounsel and 2'%
!ndustry ;omputer Systems
;omputer %eripherals
;omputer Software
;onsulting
!T Services *arket cap N@9M.?P. )S& /9::H0
Q@R
evenue SN@:M.I billion )S& /9:
0 $et income SNP.I billion )S& /9:
0 2mployees @P95::: /9::H0Q9R
&ivisions Snapfish5 H%
,abs5 %ro;urve5 ;ompaq5 2&S
Website www.hp.com
www.hpshopping.com
www.;ompaq.com
www.2&S.com
www.voodoo%;.com
www.lightscribe.com
H% is a technology company that operates in more than @P: countries around the world. We
e1plore how technology and services can help people and companies address their problems
and challenges5 and reali7e their possibilities5 aspirations and dreams. We apply new thinking
and ideas to create more simple5 valuable and trusted e1periences with technology5
continuously improving the way our customers live and work.
$o other company offers as complete a technology product portfolio as H%. We provide
infrastructure and business offerings that span from handheld devices to some of the world8s
most powerful supercomputer installations. We offer consumers a wide range of products and
services from digital photography to digital entertainment and from computing to home
printing. This comprehensive portfolio helps us match the right products5 services and
solutions to our customers8 specific needs.
M393A+2+9.
• ;hairman of the .oard5 ;2C5 and %resident3 *ark Hurd /*arch 9G5 9::? 4 current5 appointed
;hairman September 995 9::J0
H/1.o45
• ;o4founder3 &avid %ackard /%resident3 @GMPE ;hairman3 @GJMZ@GJGE ;hairman @GP@F@GGI0
• ;o4founder3 William Hewlett /'ice %resident3 @GMPE 21ecutive 'ice %resident3 @G?PE
%resident3 @GJME ;2C3 @GJGE ;hairman of the 21ecutive ;ommittee @GPHE 'ice ;hairman
@GHIF@GHP0
• ;2C3 Bohn #. (oung /@GPHFCctober I@5 @GG90
• ;2C3 ,ewis %latt /$ovember @5 @GG9FBuly @H5 @GGGE ;hairman @GGIFBuly @H5 @GGG0
• ;hairman3 ichard Hackborn /Banuary5 9:::FSeptember 995 9:::E ,ead !ndependent
&irector September 995 9::JF0
• ;2C3 ;arly -iorina /Buly @G5 @GGGF-ebruary G5 9::?E ;hairwoman September 995 9:::F
-ebruary G5 9::?0
• !nterim ;2C3 obert Wayman /-ebruary G5 9::?F*arch 9H5 9::?0
• ;hairwoman3 %atricia ;. &unn /-ebruary G5 9::?FSeptember 995 9::J0.
• ;2C3 *ark Hurd /;2C3 #pril @5 9::?FE ;hairman3 September 995 9::JF0
T+,;9oloA5 39: >4o:-,.1
6The new Hewlett4%ackard G@::# personal computer6 is 6ready5 willing5 and able ... to relieve you of
waiting to get on the big computer.6
# H% ;ompaq computer and a Hewlett4%ackard &eskjet ?PM: printer owned by the Houston
!ndependent School &istrict
# modern H% %avilion ,aptop
# modern H% digital cameraE the H% %hotosmart H@P.
# camera that uses the S&!C interface
H% has successful lines of printers5 scanners5 digital cameras5 calculators5 %&#s5 servers5
workstation computers5 and computers for home and small business use computersE many of
the computers came from the 9::9 merger with ;ompaq. H% today promotes itself as
supplying not just hardware and software5 but also a full range of services to design5
implement and support !T infrastructure.
The three business segments3 2nterprise Storage and Servers /2SS05 H% Services /H%S05 and
H% Software are structured beneath the broader Technology Solutions +roup /TS+0.
I23A/9A 39: P4/9./9A G4o-> (IPG)
#ccording to H%8s 9::? ).S. S2; @:4" filing5
Q@?R
H%8s !maging and %rinting +roup is 6the
leading imaging and printing systems provider in the world for printer hardware5 printing
supplies and scanning devices5 providing solutions across customer segments from individual
consumers to small and medium businesses to large enterprises.6 This division is currently
headed by 'yomesh Boshi.
%roducts and technology associated with the !maging and %rinting +roup include3
• !nkjet and ,aserBet printers5 consumables and related products
• Cfficejet all4in4one multifunction printerOscannerOfa1es
• ,arge -ormat %rinters
• !ndigo &igital %ress
• H% Web Betadmin printer management software
• H% Cutput *anagement suite of software5 including H% Cutput Server
• ,ightScribe optical recording technology that laser4etches labels on disks
• H% %hotosmart digital cameras and photo printers
• H% S%a* Hosted within !%+5 S%a* is an internal consulting group that supports all H%
businesses on mission4critical strategic and operation decisions.
P+41o93l S51.+21 G4o-> (PSG)
H%8s %ersonal Systems +roup claims to be 6one of the leading vendors of personal computers
/6%;s60 in the world based on unit volume shipped and annual revenue.6
%ersonal Systems +roup productsOtechnology include3
• .usiness %;s and accessories
• ;onsumer %;s and accessories including the H% %avilion5 ;ompaq %resario and 'oodoo%;
series
• Workstations for )ni15 Windows and ,inu1 systems
• Handheld ;omputing including i%#K %ocket %; handheld computing devices /from
;ompaq0
• &igital 6;onnected6 2ntertainment including H% *ediaSmart T's5 H% *ediaSmart Servers5
H% *edia'aults5 and &'&[W drives. H% resold the #pple i%od until $ovember 9::?.
• Home Storage Servers
Type %ublic /$#S&#K3 ##%,5 ,S23 :H&\5 -W.3 #%;0 -ounded ;alifornia5 )nited States /#pril
@5 @GPJ5 as #pple ;omputer5 !nc.0
Headquarters @ !nfinite ,oop5 ;upertino5 ;alifornia
"ey people Steve Bobs5 ;2C & ;o4founder
Steve Wo7niak5 ;o4founder
Timothy &. ;ook5 ;CC
%eter Cppenheimer5 ;-C
%hilip W. Schiller5 S'% *arketing
Bonathan !ve5 S'% !ndustrial &esign
Tony -adell5 S'% i%od &ivision
on Bohnson5 S'% etail
Sina Tamaddon5 S'% #pplications
.ertrand Serlet5 S'% Software 2ngineering
Scott -orstall5 S'%
i%hone software !ndustry ;omputer hardware
;omputer software
;onsumer electronics %roducts *ac
i%od
i%hone
#pple T'
*ac CS U
*ac CS U Server
i,ife
iWork
;inema &isplay
#ir%ort evenue )SN9M.
billion S /TT* -( 9:0Q@R
Cperating income )SNM.M@ billion S
/@H.IPL operating margin0
Q@R
$et income )SNI.?: billion S /TT* -( 9:
0/@M.?JL profit margin0
Q@R
2mployees #ppro1imately 9H5::: /Buly I5 9::H0 Website #pple.com
H/1.o45
#pple was established on #pril @5 @GPJ by Steve Bobs5 Steve Wo7niak and onald Wayne5
QGR
to sell the #pple ! personal computer kit. They were hand4built by Wo7niak
Q@:R
Q@@R
and first
shown to the public at the Homebrew ;omputer ;lub.
Q@9R
The #pple ! was sold as a
motherboard /with ;%)5 #*5 and basic te1tual4video chips0Fless than what is today
considered a complete personal computer.
Q@IR
The #pple ! went on sale in Buly @GPJ and was
market4priced at )SNJJJ.JJ.
#pple was incorporated Banuary I5 @GPP without Wayne5 who sold his share of the company
back to Bobs and Wo7niak for NH::. *ike *arkkula provided essential business e1pertise and
funding of )SN9?:5::: during the incorporation of #pple.
The #pple !! was introduced on #pril @J5 @GPP at the first West ;oast ;omputer -aire. !t
differed from its major rivals5 the TS4H: and ;ommodore %2T5 because it came with color
graphics and an open architecture. While early models used ordinary cassette tapes as storage
devices5 they were superseded by the introduction of a ? @OM inch floppy disk drive and
interface5 the &isk !!.
The #pple !! was chosen to be the desktop platform for the first 6killer app6 of the business
worldFthe 'isi;alc spreadsheet program. 'isi;alc created a business market for the #pple
!!5 and gave home users an additional reason to buy an #pple !!Fcompatibility with the
office. #ccording to .rian .agnall5 #pple e1aggerated its sales figures and was a distant third
place to ;ommodore and Tandy until 'isi;alc came along.
.y the end of the @GP:s5 #pple had a staff of computer designers and a production line. The
#pple !! was succeeded by the #pple !!! in *ay @GH: as the company competed with !.*
and *icrosoft in the business and corporate computing market.
Bobs and several #pple employees including Bef askin visited Uero1 %#; in &ecember
@GPG to see the Uero1 #lto. Uero1 granted #pple engineers three days of access to the %#;
facilities in return for )SN@ million in pre4!%C #pple stock.
Q9JR
Bobs was immediately
convinced that all future computers would use a +)!5 and development of a +)! began for
the #pple ,isa
H+3:K-34.+41
#pple !nc.5 @ !nfinite ,oop5 ;upertino5 ;#.
#pple !nc.8s world corporate headquarters are located in the middle of Silicon 'alley5 at @
!nfinite ,oop5 ;upertino5 ;alifornia. This #pple campus has si1 buildings which total
H?:5::: sq ft /PG5::: m]0 and was built in @GGI by Sobrato &evelopment ;os.
Q@@@R
!n 9::J5 #pple announced its intention to build a second campus on ?: acres assembled from
various contiguous plots. The new campus5 also in ;upertino5 will be about one mile /@.J km0
east of the current campus.
Q@@9R
EO1
• @GPPZ@GH@3 *ichael 6Scotty6 Scott
• @GH@Z@GHI3 #. ;. 6*ike6 *arkkula
• @GHIZ@GGI3 Bohn Sculley
• @GGIZ@GGJ3 *ichael Spindler
• @GGJZ@GGP3 +il #melio
• @GGPZ%resent3 Steve Bobs /!nterim ;2C @GGP49:::0
-44+9. Bo34: o< D/4+,.o41
• .ill ;ampbell5 ;hairman of !ntuit !nc.
• *illard &re1ler5 ;hairman and ;2C of B.;rew
• #l +ore5 -ormer 'ice %resident of the )nited States
• Steve Bobs5 ;2C and ;o4founder of #ppleE also a director of The Walt &isney ;ompany
• #ndrea Bung5 ;hairman and ;2C of #von %roducts
• #rthur &. ,evinson5 ;hairman and ;2C of +enentech
• 2ric 2. Schmidt5 ;hairman and ;2C of +oogle
• Berry (ork5 ;hairman5 %resident5 and ;2C of Harwinton ;apital
-44+9. +*+,-./0+1
• Steve Bobs5 ;hief 21ecutive Cfficer
• Timothy &. ;ook5 ;hief Cperating Cfficer
• %eter Cppenheimer5 ;hief -inancial Cfficer
• %hilip W. Schiller5 Senior 'ice %resident of Worldwide %roduct *arketing
• Tony -adell5 Senior 'ice %resident of the i%od &ivision
• Bonathan !ve5 Senior 'ice %resident of !ndustrial &esign
• .ertrand Serlet5 Senior 'ice %resident of Software 2ngineering
• on Bohnson5 Senior 'ice %resident of etail
• Sina Tamaddon5 Senior 'ice %resident of #pplications
• Scott -orstall5 Senior 'ice %resident of i%hone Software
• &aniel ;ooperman5 Senior 'ice %resident5 +eneral ;ounsel and Secretary
-44+9. >4o:-,.1
See also: ist of products discontinued by Apple !nc"
See also: Timeline of Apple products
Mac and accessories
The *ac mini5 low4cost desktop computer.
• *ac mini5 consumer sub4desktop computer introduced in Banuary 9::?.
• i*ac5 consumer all4in4one desktop computer that was first introduced by #pple in @GGH. !ts
popularity helped revive the company8s fortunes.
Q?9R
• *ac %ro5 workstation4class desktop computer introduced in #ugust 9::J.
• *ac.ook5 consumer notebook introduced in 9::J5 available in white and black variants.
• *ac.ook #ir5 ultra4thin5 ultra4portable notebook5 introduced in Banuary 9::H.
• *ac.ook %ro5 professional portable computer alternative to the *ac.ook5 introduced in
Banuary 9::J.
• Userve5 rack mounted5 dual core5 dual processor @) server.
#pple sells a variety of computer accessories for *ac computers including the #ir%ort
wireless networking products5 Time ;apsule5 #pple ;inema &isplay5 *ighty *ouse5 the
#pple Wireless "eyboard computer keyboard5 and the #pple )S. *odem.
/Po:
i%od $ano
Cn Cctober 9I5 9:
5 #pple introduced the i%od digital music player. !t has evolved to include various models targeting the needs of different users. The i%od is the market leader in
portable music players by a significant margin5 with more than @:: million units shipped as
of #pril G5 9:
. #pple has partnered with $ike to introduce the $ike[i%od Sports "it enabling runners to synchroni7e and monitor their runs with iTunes and the $ike[ website.
#pple currently sells four variants of the i%od.
• i%od classic5 portable media player introduced in 9:
5 with @9:+. capacity.• i%od nano5 portable media player introduced in 9::?5 available in H and @J +. models.
• i%od shuffle5 digital audio player introduced in 9::?5 available in @ and 9 +. models.
• i%od touch5 portable media player introduced in September 9:
5 available in H5 @J and I9 +. models.
/P;o9+
#t the *acworld ;onference & 21po in Banuary 9:
5 Steve Bobs revealed the long anticipated
QPGR
i%hone5 a convergence of an !nternet4enabled smartphone and i%od.
QH:R
The
i%hone combines a 9.?+ quad band +S* and 2&+2 cellular phone with features found in
hand held devices5 running a scaled4down versions of #pple8s *ac CS U5 with various *ac
CS U applications such as Safari and *ail. !t also includes web4based and &ashboard apps
such as +oogle *aps and Weather. The i%hone features a I.?4inch /HG mm0 touch screen
display5 M or H +. of memory5 .luetooth5 and Wi4-i /both 6b6 and 6g60.
QH@R
The i%hone first
became available on Bune 9G5 9:
for NMGG /M +.0 and N?GG /H +.0.QH9R
Cn Bune G5 9::H5 at
WW&; 9::H5 Steve Bobs announced that the i%hone I+ would be available on Buly @@5 9::H.
QHIR
This version added support for I+ networking and assisted4+%S navigation5 among other
things.
QHMR
A>>l+ TV
#t the 9:
*acworld conference5 Bobs demonstrated the #pple T'5 /previously known as the iT'05 a set4top video device intended to bridge the sale of content from iTunes with high4
definition televisions. The device links up to a user8s T' and syncs5 either via Wi4-i or a
wired network5 with one computer8s iTunes library and streams from an additional four. The
#pple T' incorporates a M: +. hard drive for storage5 includes outputs for H&*! and
component video5 and plays video at a ma1imum resolution of P9
. Cn *ay I@5 9: a @J: +. drive was released alongside the e1isting M: +. model and on Banuary @?5 9::H a
software update was released5 which allowed media to be purchased directly from the #pple
T'.
So<.=34+
#pple develops its own operating system to run on *acs5 *ac CS U5 the latest version being
*ac CS U v@:.? ,eopard. #pple also independently develops computer software titles for its
*ac CS U operating system. *uch of the software #pple develops is bundled with its
computers. #n e1ample of this is the consumer4oriented i,ife software package which
bundles i&'&5 i*ovie5 i%hoto5 iTunes5 +arage.and5 and iWeb. -or presentation5 page layout
and word processing5 iWork is available5 which includes "eynote5 %ages5 and $umbers.
iTunes5 KuickTime media player5 and Safari web browser are available as free downloads for
both *ac CS U and Windows.
#pple also offers a range of professional software titles. Their range of server software
includes the operating system *ac CS U ServerE #pple emote &esktop5 a remote systems
management applicationE WebCbjects5 Bava Web application serverE and Usan5 a Storage
#rea $etwork file system. -or the professional creative market5 there is #perture for
professional #W4format photo processingE -inal ;ut Studio5 a video production suiteE
,ogic5 a comprehensive music toolkit and Shake5 an advanced effects composition program.
#pple also offers online services with *obile*e /formerly .*ac0 which bundles personal
web pages5 email5 +roups5 i&isk5 backup5 iSync5 and ,earning ;enter online tutorials.
*obile*e is a subscription4based internet suite that capitali7es on the ability to store
personal data on an online server and thereby keep all web4connected devices in sync.
#ccording to surveys by B. &. %ower5 #pple has the highest brand and repurchase loyalty of
any computer manufacturer. While this brand loyalty is considered unusual for any product5
#pple appears not to have gone out of its way to create it. #t one time5 #pple evangelists
were actively engaged by the company5 but this was after the phenomenon was already firmly
established. #pple evangelist +uy "awasaki has called the brand fanaticism 6something that
was stumbled upon6. #pple has5 however5 supported the continuing e1istence of a network of
*ac )ser +roups in most major and many minor centers of population where *ac computers
are available.
*ac users meet at the 2uropean #pple 21po and the San -rancisco *acworld ;onference &
21po trade shows where #pple introduces new products each year to the industry and public.
*ac developers in turn gather at the annual #pple Worldwide &evelopers ;onference.
#pple Store openings can draw crowds of thousands5 with some waiting in line as much as a
day before the opening or flying in from other countries for the event.
QGHR
The $ew (ork ;ity
-ifth #venue 6;ube6 store had a line as long as half a mileE a few *ac fans took the
opportunity of the setting to propose marriage. The +in7a opening in Tokyo was estimated in
the thousands with a line e1ceeding eight city blocks.
Bohn Sculley told T#e $uardian newspaper in @GGP3 6%eople talk about technology5 but
#pple was a marketing company. !t was the marketing company of the decade.6
*arket research indicates that #pple draws its customer base from an unusually artistic5
creative5 and well4educated population5 which may e1plain the platform<s visibility within
certain youthful5 avant4garde subcultures.
;.D&& P!e)e$&#o$
-or our *arket esearch we used 9 *arket surveys3
@. ;onsumer Survey
9. etailer Survey
We have attached the actual questionnaire used for the *arket esearch so that you can get
an idea as in which Kuestions are being asked5 what do we achieve by the response received
and how to interpret the same data to attain our primary and secondary objectives.
#fter you have gone through the Survey -orm attached a &ata analysis for the same data
gathered is represented through +raphical epresentations wherever required.
The data gathered was from a target audience of ?: consumers and @: retailers through the
form of Kuestionnaires by the means of personal interview conducted by our group members.
D&& A$&/2)#)
-rom ;ustomer survey Kuestion @ we were able to derive the following graphical
representation3
% of Consumers with PC's
Have PC's,
86, 86%
Don’t Have,
14, 14%
Have PC's
Don’t Have
-rom ;ustomer survey Kuestion 9 we were able to come to the following graphical
representation3
M&!,e )%&!e o* B!&$'e' 3) A))e"4/e'.
27%
73%
B!&$'e'
A))e"4/e'
However the following data was gathered mostly from %rofessionals and students and hence
the strong inclination was towards assembled %; as the youth mostly chooses to define their
own configuration and specifications.
!n ;ustomer survey Kuestion I did put forward the need to be represented in any graphical
form hence moving forward^.
-rom ;ustomer survey Kuestion M
th
we were able to come to the following graphical
representation3
0
10
1
20
2
30
3
1st !tr
T2:e) o* M&!,e#$1
0o"".$##0&#o$)
T2:e) o* Me'#& .)e' *o! B!&$' A(&!e$e))
T3 0o""e!0#&/)
Ne() :&:e!
DM&1&E#$e)
O.'oo!
A'7e!)#)e"e$
Re&#/ P&":%/e)
I$e!$e
S&/e) C&//)
-rom ;ustomer survey Kuestion ?
th
we were able to come to the following graphical
representation3
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
% of the
"ar#et
N&"e o* %e Co":&$#e)
To: ; P!e**e!e' B!&$') *o! B!&$'e' PCF)
Co":&G ; 9< 6?
IBM 6? = 6
A::/e @.; 9.; ;
H: 5? 55.; 8@.;
De// 8@.; 85 6<.;
P!o**e)#o$&/) S.'e$) Re&#/e!)
-rom ;ustomer survey Kuestion J
th
we were able to come to the following graphical
representation3
0
20
40
60
80
100
P!e*!e$0e)
$arious Prefren%es
Consumers Prefren%es
&thers
'ran( Po)u*arit+
Pri%e
,oo#s
;ustomer survey Kuestion P
th
and Hth did not put forward any need to be represented in any
graphical form hence moving forward^.
-rom ;ustomer survey Kuestion G
th
we were able to come to the following graphical
representation3
C.)o"e!) C%o#0e #$ B!&$') 3S P!#0e
2-%
22%
4-%
BRAND
PRICE
BOTH
-rom etailer Surveys Kuestion 9
nd
we were able to come to the following graphical
representation3
4-
6
3
28
14
0
10
20
30
40
0
Com)a.
De**
To: ; Se//#$1 B!&$') O* PCF)
Co":&G
H:
A::/e
De//
HCL
<.Co$0/.)#o$
$ow through the research conducted we have gathered the information that .rand #wareness
does impact the customer<s mindset especially the .rands which enjoy the Top4of4the4mind
#wareness.
#ccording to !&; /!D% is t#e premier global pro&ider of mar'et intelligence( ad&isory
ser&ices( and e&ents for t#e information tec#nology( telecommunications( and consumer
tec#nology mar'ets" !D% #elps !T professionals( business e)ecuti&es( and t#e in&estment
community ma'e fact-based decisions on tec#nology purc#ases and business strategy" *ore
t#an +(000 !D% analysts pro&ide global( regional( and local e)pertise on tec#nology and
industry opportunities and trends in o&er +00 countries" For more t#an ,, years( !D% #as
pro&ided strategic insig#ts to #elp our clients ac#ie&e t#eir 'ey business ob-ecti&es" !D% is a
subsidiary of !D$( t#e world.s leading tec#nology media( researc#( and /&ents %ompany"0 (
in the third quarter of 9::M5 the sum total of branded %;s has e1ceeded that of assembled %;s
in the overall %; market5 with the former accounting for ?:.? percent and the latter MG.?
percent. However5 in the consumer %; market5 the assembled %; is still ahead of branded
%;s5 although the percentage has dropped from P: percent to less than ?? percent towards the
end of 9::M.
The figure below /-ig @:0 shows us the ,eading .rands in terms of sales in the .randed %;<s
section. /%rimary Cbjective0
,eading .rands
)nits
/9::I0
*arketshare/percent0 )nits /9::M0 %ercentage of )nits Shipped(ear4on4(ear +rowth /percent0
H;, 9I95@JG G.9 M5MI5?I? @I.P G@.:M
H% 99@5GJM H.H I5HM5:?H @@.G PI.:I
!.* @I95?H9 ?.I @5GH5GPI J.9 ?:.H
Source 3 !&; !ndia
However in the Top4of4the4*ind #wareness category the scene is quite different 5 the figure
below will illustrate.
0
10
20
30
40
0
60
70
80
-0
100
% of the
"ar#et
N&"e o* %e Co":&$#e)
To:-o*-%e-"#$' B!&$' A(&!e$e)) *o! B!&$'e' PCF)
IBM 6? = 6
A::/e @.; 9< 66
H: 66 5; 8@.<
De// 9A.; 86 8;.9
P!o**e)#o$&/) S.'e$) Re&#/e!)
=. L#"#&#o$) > F..!e S0o:e.
The limitations faced by the .randed %;<s in the market are mainly due to many issues
regarding to their price5 parts availability5 etc. #ccording to !&;5 in the third quarter of 9:
5 the sum total of branded %;s has e1ceeded that of assembled %;s in the overall %; market5
with the former accounting for ?:.? percent and the latter MG.? percent. However5 in the
consumer %; market5 the assembled %; is still ahead of branded %;s5 although the
percentage has dropped from P: percent to less than ?? percent towards the end of 9:
. $ow by the help of our research we were able to find that .rand #wareness in .randed %;<s
does affect the consumer<s choice while making the final decision5 which in turn helps the
retails in making the sale5 however sometimes it also backfires as the customers tend to drive
towards a brand which does not make a sound profit for the retailer5 however the customer is
aware of the image that brand carries with it and hence only chooses that specific brand.
#s the $o. of interviews carried on for this *arket esearch was limited to only ?:
consumers and @: etailers it is difficult to gauge the overall market tendency toward the
particular brands based on their .rand #wareness.
There were also some difficulties in getting the particular information about the sales info
from the etailers as they were either incompetent in providing the info or they simply
refused to do so. Some retailers even refused to talk to us as they were of the idea that we
were going to reveal their marketing strategies in the market or even worse5 share it with their
competitors.
-uture recommendations in this research would be to carry out an e4survey /Survey
conducted on any particular website0 as it was discovered during the interviews that most of
the consumers before buying a pc always do some research regarding the same on the web5
hence we can target these audiences in giving us a better and a clear picture on this given
topic.
?. Re0o""e$'&#o$)
#s for growth verticals5 education and e4governance were the hot segments for %;
penetration and volumes. !n an effort to drive volumes5 vendors should adopt B439:
A=34+9+11 by penetrating the consumer minds through different 234@+./9A ,;399+l1 and
also by lo=),o1. >4/,/9A >ol/,/+1 in these sectors.
H;, !nfo systems5 for instance5 has already pushed the price barrier down with the launch of
the H;, 27eebee %ride at s @95GG:. Hence they are already enjoying the Top Spot in terms
of sales the *arket.
Top ? ecommendations3
? ;ompanies should use multiple marketing channels to create .rand #wareness among
the targeted segments.
? etailers should have through knowledge about the .rands and the products they deal
in/sometimes retailers do not provide complete info about the product which in turn
drives the customer to different brand and that creates a negative impact on the Top4
of4the4mind .rand #wareness towards that product0.
? Having ,ive &emos for the particular .rands which do not have enough .rand
#wareness among the masses to make them aware what that .rand offers.
? etailers should be aware which market audiences their .rands target and should
focus all of their marketing strategies on the same.
? ;ompanies should try and use low4cost pricing policies as cost4effectively as they
can.
@. B#4/#o1!&:%2
P.4/#)%e' Boo,3 4 *arketing *anagement
.y5 %hilip "otler & "evin ,ane "eller.
P.4/#)%e!3 4 %rentice Hall of !ndia %rivate ,imited.
P/&0e: - $ew &elhi.
Ye&! o* P.4/#0&#o$)3 4 9::J.
E'##o$3 4 @9
th.
P.4/#)%e' A!#0/e)34 ;ompany profile of &ell from ===!'@/>+:/3!,o2
;ompany profile of H% from ===!'/@/>+:/3!,o2
;ompany profile of #pple from ===!'/@/>+:/3!,o2
-igure no.@: from ===./:,!,o2
doc_380322354.pdf