Consumer Analysis and Profile

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Consumer Analysis and Profile
Introduction
Apparently, marketing is one among the most important aspects of business success in the world today. The needs of the customer ought to be reflected in the product that is being marketed. Worth pointing out also is the actuality that the level of satisfaction that a person obtains from a product depends on the extent to which the product meets their needs. The mobile phone industry is one among the most competitive markets in the world today. The fierce war among the key players is manifested in the competition between Apple Inc and Samsung. This paper is a customer analysis and profile paper for the case of the iPhone.
The Primary Target According to the most recent research, the average owner of an iPhone is a heavy browser, who accesses the internet on a daily basis, sending mails and carrying out various financial transactions on the internet. This will be the primary target for quite some time, especially now that the world is fast embracing technology and e-commerce. The primary target constitutes the people mainly aged between ages 20and 30 years (O'Grady, 2009). The most recent research, carried out in china, arguably the biggest iPhone market, indicates that the age bracket that constitutes the biggest portion of iPhone purchases is between 18 and 25 years. This age bracket is closely followed by the people between 26 and 30 and then come the under 18 age bracket. The inference therefore is that the target market is the young generation. The target or the primary target is expected to grow, since people are quickly embracing online technologies and applications such as mobile gaming and e-commerce. The market should be segmented in such a way that the marketers know exactly which strategy applies and appeals to the students and the businesspeople and freelance workers. By such segmentation, the marketer will know which features to concentrate on when targeting a particular segment – students, business people and online gamers. [pic] Source: http://www.chinaabout.net/2012-2015-strategic-marketing-plan-for-apple-iphone-series-smart-phones-in-china/
Product Positioning While the product positioning heavily depends on the reputation of the organization and the product, iPhone marketing will adopt a defensive positioning strategy. Undoubtedly, Apple Inc is the undisputed market leader as far as smart phones are concerned. The iPhone craze was more than a plus for the organization. This is especially so because the iPhone is unrivaled as far as the competition among the key players is concerned. IPhone is a market leader. The long queues outside the Apple outlets are an explanation as to why the iPhone should adopt a defensive approach (McKinley, 2005). Undoubtedly, the iPhone enjoys a wider market than its main competitor – Samsung Galaxy. Summarily, therefore, since the organization – Apple Inc – and the product, iPhone, enjoy unmatched reputation, the defensive positioning strategy will be the most effective.
My Customer Profile [pic] Source: http://www.gottaquirk.com/2009/06/05/friday-fact-box-iphone-applications/ Age and gender As mentioned in the target market analysis, the age of the target market or average customer will be between 20 and 30 years (Appleyard, 2008). This will embrace both male and female users, mainly students, business people and freelance workers. Education Considering the many applications and potential uses of the iPhone, the level of education should be average as the features are quite complicated and the features that distinguish the iPhone from all other phones require education (Dahlén & Lange, 2008). For instance, the applications that require heavy use of the internet require that one be intellectually strong with some level of education. Apparently, to make the most out of the iPhone, one requires at least high school education. Income The customer should be from the middle income bracket. This bracket can effortlessly afford to buy an iPhone. The low income bracket can strain since the product is fairly expensive due to high quality and unique features. Lifestyle, interests and hobbies The average user of the iPhone is a person, whose lifestyle is characterized by heavy internet use, either for communication, fun or business. The average user is a person that plays online games, accesses the email address at least once in a day and has access to fast internet connections (Appleyard, 2008). In point of fact, the key features of the iPhone include the multimedia features as well as the Wi-Fi connectivity. The touch screen and virtual keyboard make the use of the iPhone quite versatile. Buying preferences The target market as described above prefers buying the iPhone through the internet. The fast development of e-commerce is an explanation why this is so. The online buying option is quite convenient because, first, the buyer does not have to suffer the hassle of long outlet queues, which can be cumbersome (O'Grady, 2009). Secondly, through e-commerce, a person is able to give the exact definition of what they want, for example color and so on. On the contrary, the people queuing at the outlet may have no choice but to pick the colors available. Thirdly, the online buying option is associated with better prices as local prices may be inflated. Summarily, I can name my target market as the heavy internet using youth.

References

Appleyard, D. (2008, November 24). Profile of an iPhone User: Interesting Statistics about Yourself. Retrieved from: http://gigaom.com/2008/11/24/profile-of-an-iphone-user-interesting-statistics-about-yourself/

Dahlén, M., & Lange, F. (2008). Marketing communications. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.

McKinley, M. (2005). Marketing alignment: Breakthrough strategies for growth and profitability : the path to market leadership. Princeton, N.J: Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic.

O'Grady, J. D. (2009). Apple Inc. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press.