The Note Phone Marketing Plan – Enhancing the Marketing Plan
Lisa S Carey
Marketing Management – MKT 500
March 13, 2011
Instructor: Dr. Keith C. Jones

Marketing Plan – Enhancing the Marketing Plan for the Note Phone 1. Discuss the company’s competitors, and the strengths and weaknesses of each.
There are several companies that are the Note’s competitors, so let’s start with the top competitors: The Apple iPad is the first affordable tablet computer worth owning, but it won't replace your laptop (yet). The Xoom's spec sheet is enough to make any tablet tremble, but the price is high and Google still has some work to do before its tablet software experience is as fleshed out and intuitive as Apple's. The Galaxy Tab is a beautiful product with features that will make iPad owners envious, but its in-between size and possible carrier commitments hold it back from broad appeal. The ViewPad 7 offers a solid platform for Android 2.2, but it comes off as an oversize, overpriced smartphone--not a Netbook alternative. Now there are two competitors that we want to note as their product has not hit the markets yet, but they are targeting our segment target as well, BlackBerry Playbook and the Vizio VIA tablet both are due to release their tablets in the next 3 to 6 months. But we also have to address what the competition is using as their key platform or landscape options for their tablets as this will affect the target market as well:
Apple iPad - There's probably no explanation needed for this one. With a million iPads sold within the first month of its introduction, the iPad has quickly taken the lead position in the tablet category. Pros: Elegant hardware; vibrant App Store; ideal for media playback; large selection of games; fast processor; responsive multitouch screen; long battery life; priced as low as $499. Cons: Users must buy their software from Apple; existing Mac and Windows software isn't supported; lacks Adobe Flash compatibility; limited hardware support.
Windows tablets - Historically, tablets running Microsoft's Windows operating system made up the major share of the market. These include several subcategories, such as slates, convertible laptops, UMPCs, and MIDs. Windows-based tablets still thrive, especially in niche professional applications that demand the capabilities and broad software compatibility of Windows. Pros: Familiar interface; broadest software and hardware compatibility; Adobe Flash support; multitasking; wide range of screen sizes, pricing, and implementations. Cons: Windows desktop interface doesn't always translate well to the touch screen without intermediating software or stylus input; typically longer boot times compared with mobile OS; cumbersome software installation; more prone to computer virus; typically shorter battery life.
Android tablets - Smartphones running Google's Android OS are some of the biggest competitors to Apple's iPhone. Android takes an approach similar to Apple's iOS, offering a streamlined interface based around lightweight, third-party apps. In 2010, CNET reviewed several tablets running versions of Android up to 2.2 (aka Froyo), which essentially duplicated the Android smartphone experience onto a larger screen. Since that time, Google announced its tablet-optimized version of Android 3.0, named Honeycomb, due out in the first quarter of 2011 on Motorola's Xoom tablet. Pros: A large variety of apps; quick boot time; third-party manufacturers competing to provide hardware; one-touch access to Google Web search; options priced as low as $199. Cons: Many Android features and developer specs (pre-Honeycomb) are more fitting for smartphones than tablets; legacy apps designed for phone screens don't scale well; accessory compatibility changes from manufacturer to manufacturer; not all tablet hardware will support Android Honeycomb.
In conclusion, there are a number of product types and considerations to weigh when shopping for a tablet. Unlike most product categories, however, there is a clear and deservedly successful top product that stands out among tablets: the Apple iPad.

2. Discuss how you plan to differentiate your company from the closest competitor. Apple didn't invent the tablet; it was simply the first to craft one that was compelling enough to finally win over consumers. Therefore we need to have a product that will stand out among the competitors with color, style, platform/landscape, and a service of its own. The Note is a smartphone first that is also a mobile PC. This must be a key different to the competitors. The Note was a smaller screen at 7.5” screen, it’s faster on download, it will be easy to use as it can use adapt to either windows or android platforms which are two of the hot’s platforms on the market today. It also has lot of applications already pre-installed and the customer can choose which phone carrier they wish to use as the phone will not be locked. One other advantage will be a hybrid capacitive and reactive screen (with optional handwriting recognition), which permits both touch and stylus input. The Note brings the media to our customers and keeps them connected with anyone, anytime. As a compact with two cameras, light and convenient size, Wi-Fi with Bluetooth 4.0, as well as a battery life of up to 18 hours and a crisp TFT-LCD display, so our customers will be free to communicate, update, and enjoy content through 5G connectivity. All these things will make us different from the competitors and will be the keys to us being a different product on the market. 3. Discuss the company’s intention to be a leader or follower within the industry.
In an effort to provide our customers with the latest in technology and the best user-experience, we've provided a new environmental-friendly alternative. The Note phone will bring the polish to the smartphone industry. Overall we find that the leader in an industry benefits more from its product hitting the market first than the followers, but the follower can gain more of a returns from its product than the leader as the follower can improve on the product. A market follower is a firm in a strong, but not dominant position that is content to stay at that position. The rationale is that by developing strategies that are parallel to those of the market leader, they will gain much of the market from the leader while being exposed to very little risk. This “play it safe” strategy is how Burger King retains its position behind McDonalds. The advantages of this strategy are: no expensive R&D failures; no risk of bad business model; “best practices” are already established; able to capitalize on the promotional activities of the market leader; no risk of government anti-combines actions; minimal risk of competitive attacks; don’t waste money in a head-on battle with the market leader. We may be the follower now but we are determined to become the leaders in a very short time. By using the knowledge, hurdles, experience and obstacles it will not take us long to get there. 4. Assess the macro-environmental issues (legal, technological, social, and economic) trends with which your business must contend.
The macro-environmental analysis is the first step in examining the general business climate as it relates to our organization, but has nothing to do with the organization itself. The macro environment is primarily concerned with major issues and upcoming changes in the environment. The acronym for the macro analysis is “STEEP.” The five areas of interest are Socio-cultural and demographics; Technology; Economic conditions; Ecology and physical environment; and Political and legal. Now societal values and lifestyles change over time, and the changes in values and lifestyles may come from many sources: medical (healthy eating, life style, exercise); science (global warming, going “green”); economic (people working longer, lost of jobs, budget cuts); cultural diversity (music preferences, foods, living accommodations); and technologies (Internet shopping, smallest and cheap electronics) are just a few examples that may or may not affect our business. Therefore let’s take a closer look at economic and technologies as they are some of the biggest threats to our company success with job lost, people spending less, and the lost of discretionary income. As technology becomes easier to access and grows this too directly affect our business. Next let look at political and legal, (zoning, taxes, minimum wages, other HR issues) as these could cause prices of the product to go up so we can cover cost. And finally competition is also one of our greatest threats as more and more enter the arena of the smartphone/tablet. The whole purpose of this macro environmental analysis is to determine what outside influences may have an effect on our industry, and, therefore, the business. We must keep a watchful eye on the progress of these trends as they may have positive effects or negative effects on our business. 5. Identify the most significant trend to impact your business and discuss how the company intends to minimize or capitalize on this trend.
As a key technology decision-maker in the enterprise, our CIO needs to know what is coming, what does not work very well, and which products are ideal for employees. Sometimes, these decisions come easily. At other times, they require research into several options to see what makes one solution a better choice than another. Several significant tech trends will impact our CIOs who are trying to make these decisions. Among them: * Apple's iPad is now being adopted quite heavily by corporate customers. * The Droid X is helping to make Android a viable alternative to BlackBerry OS. * And, although Microsoft understands the corporate world, its new Windows Phone 7 software might just be a product for CIOs to ignore.
Bringing the iPad to it knees will take some planning. The device is well-designed and it works quite well. Yet, we can't forget that it does not allow for multitasking (yet), and that its chief use is for entertainment. Plus, it will only accommodate simple office-productivity functions due to the limitations of Apple's iOS. So if we can get past those issues, and keep our Note phone cheaper we will be a great alternative worth the consideration. Apple is the leader in the mobile market for now. But that can change. Apple leads the way now, but it’s facing increased pressure in the mobile space from a host of vendors like us, that want to achieve the same level of success it enjoys. But if Apple makes a bad move, it could be overtaken by some of its top competitors - US.. Conclusion: Marketing is the craft of linking the producers (or potential producers) of a product or service with customers, both existing and potential. It is an inevitable and necessary consequence of capitalism. Marketing techniques are applied in all political systems, and in many aspects of life. Marketing methods are informed by many of the social sciences, particularly psychology, sociology, and economics. Marketing research underpins these activities. Through advertising, it is also related to many of the creative arts. Successful marketers typically have a customer orientation or focus.
References
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Iacobucci, D. (2011). Marketing management: 2010 custom edition. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.
Mobile News (03/2011). Eweek.com. Retrieved March, 13, 2011 from website: http://www.eweek.com/c/s/Mobile-and-Wireless/