MGT4009 Contemporary Marketing Practice (Vlada) Assignment Sample

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Apple Green MacBook Marketing Strategy for Sustainability

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Introduction

The awareness of environmental sustainability rising across the globe, it puts pressure on organizations such as Apple Inc. to come up with products that are sustainable. The idea of a ‘green MacBook’ falls under the sustainable project plan of Apple’s development strategy that is already in practice through recycling of materials and minimizing energy utilization. This paper will assess the marketing context of this new product, and establish a marketing plan identifying the most effective launch and growth plan for the product.

Marketing Environment Analysis

Marketing environment analysis is the foundation in the process of launching Green MacBook. In this case this analysis will be more restricted to the macro and micro factors that may affect the product.

MGT4009 Contemporary Marketing Practice (Vlada) Assignment Sample

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Oliver Harris 8 Years | MA

Macroenvironment

Political Factors: For the Green MacBook, its political environment includes government policies that encourage international carbon neutrality and support for green technologies. Other internal and external constraints comprise regulatory, such as environmental, requirements for products and markets that Apple has to meet to adhere to the global environmental goals incorporated into its trade agreements, for example.

Economic Factors: Forces like the higher propensity to consume on earth-friendly products are other economic factors that define it. Currently, there is a trend among consumers to pay a higher price for green products, this factor has a positive implication on the chances of Green MacBook (Adams et al., 2019).

Social Factors: It is seen that consumers look forward to gaining products that have minimal negative impacts to the environment, possible due to the increase in Millennial and Gen Z consumers. This shift in the behaviour of the consumers opens a huge market opportunity for Apple.

Technological Factors: The driver technologies for the Green MacBook include energy efficient processors to reduce energy consumption and use of recycled material components. This is so because the expertise that Apple has put in place to support its technology has fostered the growth of such innovations exist.

Environmental Factors: A globally growing legal framework on emissions and the trend towards climate neutrality make sustainable activities mandatory. The Green MacBook corresponds with these trends, which can be a source of a competitive advantage for Apple.

Legal Factors: Follow EU Green Deal and Paris Agreement: these legal acts should be followed to the maximum extent possible. This is because, such regulations which Apple has continued to adhere to give it a strong standing in the market (Bocken, Schuit, & Kraaijenhagen, 2019).

Figure 1: PESTEL

Microenvironment

Of the two analyses, the following shows the microenvironment for the Green MacBook using Porter’s Five Forces framework. With this model, it becomes possible to evaluate the competitive forces that govern the industry, and put light on Apple’s strategic place in the market.

1. Threat of New Entrants

The threat of new entrants can also be said to be low in the tech industry in particular because the barriers to entry are high. Apple has brand loyalty, extensive economy of scale and great channels of distribution that favour the company. Furthermore, investment required to bring new technology and innovative product like Green MacBook are high and the barriers to entry to the industry is fairly high (de Sousa Jabbour et al., 2020).

2. Bargaining Power of Suppliers

Apple has high bargaining power in the supply chain since it is a large customer and it adapts extensive range and sources suppliers around the world. Still, in the case of the Green MacBook, Apple is to rely on such suppliers that can offer environmentally friendly materials; this might generally decrease the number of potential suppliers, and increase the supplier power slightly. Nevertheless, such risk is significantly reduced because Apple has had long-term business relationships with suppliers.

3. Bargaining Power of Buyers

Power is somewhat evenly balanced since buyers have some leverage, but sellers are protecting their turf in the high-tech sector. Customers have other options open to them, however, brand loyalty towards Apple, in addition to the Green MacBook being promoted as an eco-friendly product still has the customers locked in. Apple can afford to set higher prices and still its consumer base will stick with the company.

4. Threat of Substitutes

The threat of substitutes is moderate since other products, with features similar to what laptop offers to its users, such as tablets or smartphones, can be influential. Nonetheless, the Green MacBook is much more focused on sustainability and superior technology, minimising the impact of existing substitutes without these features.

5. Industry Rivalry

The competition is intense within the industry and the two leading competitors Dell and HP also have competitiveness in sustainability. However competition is a threat in this industry, Apple has strength in the areas of brand identity, design and strong marketing communication. The Green MacBook may well ramp up the rivalry but at the same time strengthen Apple’s position in the niche of green technologies (Geissdoerfer et al., 2019).

Figure 2: Porter's 5 forces

Marketing Strategy

The marketing strategy for the Green MacBook will be developed using the 4Ps framework: This model has four core elements they include; Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.

Product

The Green MacBook will feature The Green MacBook.

• Recycled Materials: The casing and the internal parts of the gadget will be composed of recycled aluminium and plastics, in their raw form 100%.
• Energy Efficiency: Low-power processors and energy-efficient display screens shall be employed hence less energy shall be used up by the laptop.
• Carbon Neutral Production: Lastly, there will be an expansion in the company’s commitment to reduced environmental emissions vice manufacturing process will be carbon neutral all in a bid to enhance sustainability.
• Innovative Packaging: The foods to be packed will be in biodegradable materials to reduce the amount of waste that will be produced (Han & Hwang, 2020).

Price

• Premium Pricing: Since the MacBook will be utilizing superior technology and materials with green components, this product will be in the premium brand category. The above fares well with Apple’s current pricing and portfolio and shows the value that consumers get through sustainability.
• Value Proposition: This cost will be offset by pointing at the fact that the price will be relatively higher but the energy that will be used in this system in the future will be relatively low and the effect on the environment will also be minimal (Hartmann & Moeller, 2021).

Place

• Distribution Channels: The Green MacBook will be distributed through the existing Apple stores online shops, and some environmentally friendly stores. Convinced that it must improve its sustainability performance, Apple will make sure that its supply chain is clear.
• Global Reach: The product will be introduced to the international markets, especially those that have a high level of concern about the sustainability of products.

Promotion

• Sustainability Campaign: Apple will implement a public relations campaign on the benefits of the Green MacBook as an environmentally friendly product. This will be in the form of Online advertising, Social Media Awareness, and Partnership with Environmental NGOs (Klemeš, Fan, & Tan, 2020).
• Celebrity Endorsements: The cooperation with celebrities who have a history of advocating for the environment will also improve the look of the product.
• Customer Education: Apple will also make the customers aware of the environmental cost implication of the products they buy using information posted on billboards, online mediums, and product packaging (Li & Wang, 2021).

Figure 3: 4 P's

Implementation Plan

The tactical plan to implement a new Green MacBook calls for a coupled implementation plan. This plan shall highlight the strategic activities and the time frame that is required to get the product to the market.

Research and Development (R&D)

• Timeline: It should be noted that the development of the Green MacBook should start the research and development stage at least 18 months before the intended launch. This phase will cause the design to be further refined, prototyping to begin, and testing of the material to be used to make sure this product meets the standard that Apple accepts.
• Sustainability Audits: Sustainability will also be measured by Green Audit to track the firm’s environmental performance during the entire phase of the R & D for the product(Nguyen & Yoshino, 2020).

Supply Chain Management

• Supplier Engagement: The ethical management of products and suppliers will be coordinated by Apple by sourcing sustainable materials. This process should be commenced one year prior to the inception of the project.
• Logistics Planning: Apple will logistics with the view to reducing the carbon footprint of transport with the goal of shipping products with zero net carbon (Nguyen & Yoshino, 2020).

Marketing Rollout

• Pre-Launch Marketing: With three months to go, Apple will create an early awareness of the Green MacBook through Facebook, Twitter, press releases, and sponsored bloggers.
• Launch Event: Apple will organize a ‘green launch’, that may be online or even partly online in the form of a live event saying a few words about the MacBook’s green components. The event will be recorded in such a way that anyone interested will be able to view it on the internet at any place in the world.
• Post-Launch Marketing: Further marketing strategies are to follow the same key messages based on customer feedback, case studies, and sustainability reports in order to sustain and increase the concerned customers (Reim, Parida, & Sjödin, 2019).

Sales and Distribution

• Retail Training: Apple will educate employees in its retail stores about the features and attributes that differentiate the Green MacBook to well explain to the consumers.
• Global Distribution: After production, the product will be exported from the country to other countries of the globe especially those that are deeply invested in environmentally friendly products.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Sales Metrics: It will also conduct a constant analysis of proximal sales figures or data if the product attains a particular level of reception. This will include; monitoring the rate at which they are being adopted in various locations; and among specific customers.
• Customer Feedback: A feedback mechanism like a post-launch survey will always be employed in an effort to understand the customer's responses in the subsequent iterations of products (Skrede & Swensen, 2020).
• Sustainability Impact: Every year, Apple unveils a sustainability report that will show the number of carbons saved by the Green MacBook and the company’s recycling rate of materials used in the product (Yadav, Han, & Kim, 2021).

Figure 4: Implementation plan

Conclusion

The Green MacBook is the latest addition to Apple’s series of the fight against the negative impact of technology on the environment. Thus, using its powerful brand, cutting-edge technology, and focus on environmental concerns, Apple can promote and introduce this new product to the market. The Green MacBook is not only trendy with the current global trends on sustainability but also caters to the current consumer trend on environment-friendly products. Thus, with an effective marketing mix and plan of action, the Green MacBook can be made to succeed in the already competitive market, thus cementing Apple’s position as a technology as well as an environmentally conscious company. This comprehensive approach will enable Apple to take a piece of the increasing market of environmentally conscious consumers as well as support global environmental initiatives. In this way, Apple will always be a step ahead of its competitors and, thus, the company can guarantee its sustainable development and high profitability.

References

Adams, R., Jeanrenaud, S., Bessant, J., Denyer, D., & Overy, P. (2019). Innovating for sustainability: A systematic review of innovation and sustainable development. Journal of Cleaner Production, 221, 254-266. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.02.073

Bocken, N. M., Schuit, C. S., & Kraaijenhagen, C. (2019). Experimenting with a circular business model: Lessons from eight cases. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 28, 79-95. doi:10.1016/j.eist.2018.02.001

de Sousa Jabbour, A. B. L., Jabbour, C. J. C., Foropon, C., & Filho, M. G. (2020). When titans meet – Can industry 4.0 revolutionise the Environmentally environmentally-sustainable manufacturing wave? The role of critical success factors. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 132, 18-25. doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2018.11.017

Geissdoerfer, M., Morioka, S. N., de Carvalho, M. M., & Evans, S. (2019). Business models and supply chains for the circular economy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 212, 505-520. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.11.240

Han, H., & Hwang, J. (2020). The impact of green loyalty on sustainability: The moderating role of eco-labels in the hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 91, 102456. doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102456

Hartmann, J., & Moeller, S. (2021). Chain liability in multi-tier supply chains? Responsibility attributions for unsustainable supplier behavior. Journal of Operations Management, 67(1), 1-20. doi:10.1002/joom.1100

Klemeš, J. J., Fan, Y. V., & Tan, R. R. (2020). Minimising the present and future plastic waste, energy and environmental footprints related to COVID-19. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 127, 109883. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2020.109883

Li, W., & Wang, X. (2021). Carbon neutrality target for sustainable development: Action pathways and environmental governance. Sustainable Development, 29(6), 1135-1143. doi:10.1002/sd.2192

Nguyen, H. T., & Yoshino, N. (2020). Impact of green finance on sustainable development goals in ASEAN. Sustainability, 12(19), 7979. doi:10.3390/su12197979

Reim, W., Parida, V., & Sjödin, D. (2019). Circular business models for the bio-economy: A review and new directions for future research. Sustainability, 11(19), 5114. doi:10.3390/su11195114

Skrede, G., & Swensen, G. (2020). Designing sustainable products: The circular economy of Apple's hardware. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 37(6), 453-472. doi:10.1111/jpim.12546

Yadav, P. L., Han, S. H., & Kim, H. (2021). Sustainable development and corporate environmental performance: A study of multinational corporations. Journal of Cleaner Production, 288, 125088. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.125088