Apple outwardly cares about its public image and its customers (Lethman et al., 2013). Recent reports show that the company's public relations department has been ignoring various inquiries and requests from journalists and writers who attempt to cover their products and events. Apple has been blamed for seeding out information to individual friendly journalists and limiting access to their events and products to people who may appear to be less critical. Furthermore, to restore its claim of being a virtue company, Apple has sought to do a thorough clean up on the interface between its customers and the public relations department.
Situational Analysis
Strengths
One of Apple's public relations department's strengths is that its members put much of its focus on maintaining the nature of the company's brand identity. The department has depicted constancy in creating public awareness of Apple's brand (Han et al., 2010). Apple's brand awareness is, by far, the best among the top global mobile technology companies. Furthermore, Apple has a specific consumer interface page that provides high-end technological assistance and solutions to everyone. The company also has a highly dedicated workforce that develops products that align with the various consumer needs and requirements.
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Weaknesses
Apple's public relations department has inferior customer relations. The department rarely takes customer complaints and reviews seriously. The department may take too long to respond to customer reviews or writings, and sometimes they tend to ignore them. Apple has a strong base of loyal customers; therefore, the company does limit its advertisement to avoid excessive spending. In the past, the company has faced accusations of tracking its users. Tracking users is an act that largely contributes to undermining a trust that has coexisted between the company and the consumers for many years.
Opportunities
Through its public relations team, the company has the opportunity and capability to extend its network of distribution. The company currently has a limited distribution network for its products and services, giving space for lesser growth. Furthermore, the company is looking forward to launching products that make green technology fair for environmental sustainability. The company also has a team of devoted researchers and developers highly experienced in consumer product branding. The highly qualified personnel and the constant expansion of the unit enable the company to create new opportunities.
Threats
Apple has continuously faced disruption in its supply chain due to the recent coronavirus pandemic. The company's annual revenue estimates significantly dropped in 2020 at the onset of the Coronavirus. Apple also continually faces threats from counterfeit dealers common in the third world countries (Lockamy, 2017). The counterfeit dealers tend to sell fake Apple products at the same price as the original products. Also, the counterfeit products are of low quality, and this may make consumers believe that it is an Apple-made product leading to bad reviews and a cynical public for the company.
Stakeholder Analysis
Employees
The employees are one of the main stakeholders of the Apple Company (Lashinsky, 2012). Furthermore, they play a significant role in designing and creating the products that the company sells. The employees are an economic responsibility for the company as they depend on Apple for their livelihoods. The employees are essential stakeholders sing. They are the ones who steer the innovations that make Apple products so unique.
Customers
Apple has a large customer base of over 166 million people, including its supporters. The customers are urgent, legitimate, and vital stakeholders (Lashinsky, 2012). The company's customers are their ethical, legal, and economic responsibility. The customers may also be a significant threat to the company if they stop purchasing its products, and in this case, the company may need to act very quickly.
Objective
This plan aims to help the company restore its public image after a series of criticism and complaints arose due to its public relations department's poor customer relations. To achieve this, the company has to increase budgetary allocations to manage various communication sectors, mainly media and advertising.
Target Audience
The primary target audience, in this case, is the Public Relations Executive, who is professionally responsible for organizing, developing, and monitoring communications strategies. The PR Executive has the responsibility of supporting the objectives of communication to maximize global market exposure.
Strategy
Social media
Social media will be the focal point of an effective public relations of the company. It will play an essential duty to assist the PR department in relationship management, identify factors that threaten the company, and interact with various customers and its influencers worldwide.
Qualifications
Qualifications will be a necessary strategy for improving public relations by offering skill-based training to employees to effectively implement public relations strategies (Philips et al., 2009). Furthermore, qualifications are an essential component of customer service and public relations strategies. The company must put much focus on improving the employee's level of service.
Promotions
Promotions will be an essential and excellent strategy for incurring interest in its products (Davis, 2013). The company can promote its loyal customers b rewarding them and offering them discounts. Loyalty initiatives and programs will significantly help the company improve brand exposure and bring in new potential customers.
Tactics
The first tactic that the company needs to employ is the proper utilization of social media platforms like as Facebook and Twitter to connect with its customers and build a long-lasting relationship (Fogliasso et al., 2014). Secondly, the company needs to install a digital asset management system that will allow it to have access to and store digital assets. Lastly, the company needs to create publicity opportunities so that they can build a positive public image.
Timeline
The company must initiate these changes before the onset of the next financial year.
Budget
| Strategy | 1st half of 2021 Budgetary allocation |
2nd half of 2021 Budgetary allocation |
Total annual allocation |
| An integrated communication system (ICS) |
$25,000,000 |
$27,000,000 |
$52,000,000 |
| Qualifications and training of new staff |
$12,000,000 |
$10,000,000 |
$22,000,000 |
|
Promotions |
$33,000,000 |
$27,000,000 |
$60,000,000 |
| Social media management |
$3,000,000 |
$3,700,000 |
$6,700,000 |
|
Net Annual Allocation |
$140,700,000 |
||
Producing this plan was such a fantastic task since it gave me insights into how the giant communication company, Apple, functions, and relates to its customers. While collecting data for this plan, I experienced a few problems finding credible sources, but I managed to solve it.
References
Davis, A. (2013). Promotional culture: The spread of advertising, public relations, marketing, and branding . Polity.
Fogliasso, C. E., & Williams, A. (2014). Analysis of the business, societal and governmental relationships of Apple Inc. Leadership & Organizational Management Journal , 2014 (1).
Han, W., & Park, Y. (2010, December). Mapping the relations between technology, product, and service: Case of Apple Inc. (pp. 127-131). IEEE.
Lashinsky, A. (2012). Inside Apple: How America's most admired--and secretive--company works . Hachette UK.
Lehman, G., & Haslam, C. (2013, December). Accounting for the Apple Inc business model: Corporate value capture and dysfunctional economic and social consequences. In Accounting Forum (Vol. 37, No. 4, pp. 245-248). No longer published by Elsevier.
Lockamy III, A. (2017, July). An examination of external risk factors in Apple Inc.’s supply chain. In Supply Chain Forum: An International Journal (Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 177-188). Taylor & Francis.
Phillips, D., & Young, P. (2009). Online public relations: A guide to developing an online strategy in the world of social media . Kogan Page Publishers.
