Monopoly is a long forgotten possibility across industries, and thus companies have to struggle to survive and grow in an environment characterized by intense competition and dynamism. Despite existing in the same business environment, some organizations have experienced exponential growth while others have been forced out of business. The difference in success rate could be attributed to the effectiveness of the employed strategies meant to establish a firm’s brand, image and, a reputation which determines how customers’ perceive the enterprise. For example, Apple rose to dominance and maintained a formidable status that has made it a pacesetter in mobile devices innovations in a highly competitive and dynamic industry. Scholars have offered various views concerning Apple’s success, but they all come down to an image that was intertwined with Job Steve’s strong personality. Job managed to create a brand that merged aspects like innovation, exclusivity and, services meant to give end-users an unforgettable experience. The outcome has been a brand with an image that is perceived to be unbeatable thus attracting more and more people who want to associate with it creating a pool of loyal customers. In this regard, the paper offers Apple’s background by examining the company’s history, industry and, the firm’s mission, mission and strategic objectives understand its presence in the US and other countries.
History of tech start-ups often sounds like fairy tales whereby a handful of friends translate an idea into reality and from the humble beginning a company is born. A close look at Apple’s background reveals that not all good tech ideas can be converted into a business. Apple is based on Stephen G. Wozniak’s dream of building his own the computer . At the age of 26, Wozniak came up with a design for his personal computer which was based on the Altair 8800, a commercially successful computer that was introduced in 1975. Even though Wozniak presented the idea to Hewlett-Packard Company where he was an intern, the boss was not interested in the plan. Therefore, Wozniak and his old high-school mate Steve Jobs moved their operations to Job’s family garage and named their start-up company Apple. They both sold some of the most precious personal effects to raise the starting capital. Even though Wozniak’s innovation had several unique features that appealed to an average person, Job’s understood that the novice innovation would be a waste if the company lacked sufficient funding and professional management (Johnson, Li, Phan, Singer, & Trink, 2012) . Therefore, Regis McKenna, a public relation expert, and Michael Markkhula Apple’s largest shareholder were brought on board. The company experienced admirable growth over the years, and it started diversifying.
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Today, Apple’s operating income can be estimated to be US$61.3444 billion. The company maintains its headquarters in Cupertino, California in the United States and operates across 24 countries worldwide. As mentioned before, Apple has gained the reputation of serving as a pace-setter in mobile devices. Alternatively, the company has revolutionized the tech industry, and from time to time it has forced the rest of the industry to move faster into the future than expected (Rawlinson, 2017) . Since Apple deals with an array of electronic devices including smartphones, computers and, entertainment technology spaces, it is quite obvious that the firm would face competition from different sides. Despite the intense competition, Apple has managed to maintain a formidable position in the market due to its generic strategy in areas like innovation, pricing, and marketing. Such strategies give the firm a competitive advantage over its major competitors like Blackberry and Samsung.
Experts agree that for an organization to gain a competitive advantage based on its strategy, it is essential that the vision and mission statements align with the devised strategies (Rowland, 2018) . Note that the mission statement describes the company’s identity by highlighting the nature of product/service(s) it offers, targeted market and, geographical location of its operations. On the other hand, the vision statement declares the firm’s objectives, and thus it serves as a guide of decisions. Apple’s mission statement is considered unique as it emphasizes on the products and technologies that the company offers while the vision statement is focused on Apple’s fundamental values such as innovation and excellence. A closer look at the products offered by Apple, it quite apparent that the principle of striving for excellence governs the company's operation . Even though this element is not mentioned directed, it is highlighted in both the mission and vision statement. The fact that one can pinpoint the connection between the company’s vision and mission statements it becomes clear that the two are in alignment which allows the organization to ensure that all tactics influencing any area of the operations are directed towards achieving excellence.
In general, Apple’s simplified objective to offer the best through creativity and innovation has allowed the firm to excel amidst intense competition and dynamism. In essence, Apple’s defined goal allow the company to reduce the noise emerging from the chaotic environment thus allowing the company to focus all the operations towards attaining the best in all areas. In conclusion, Apple’s background counters the misconception that a good idea translates into a full-fledged business. Instead, Steve Jobs demonstrates that for the world to recognize an idea, it is essential to devise a plan that raises awareness about the product and encourages the customer to want to be associated with it.
References
Johnson , K., Li, Y., Phan, H., Singer, J., & Trink, H. (2012, January 1). The Innovative Success that is Apple, Inc. pp. 1-43. Retrieved from https://mds.marshall.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1420&context=etd/
Rawlinson, N. (2017, April 25). History of Apple: The story of Steve Jobs and the company he founded. Macworld . Retrieved from https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/apple/history-of-apple-steve-jobs-mac-3606104/
Rowland, C. (2018, August 25). Apple Inc.’s Mission Statement and Vision Statement (An Analysis). Panmore Institute . Retrieved from http://panmore.com/apple-mission-statement-vision-statement
