Apple Swot Analysis - 2

High price is the major weakness of Apple because there is a strong completion in market now, and the consumer of Apple products can easily obtain the similar function products by its competitors in a lower price. Decreasing market share can be caused to less influence its customers to using closed ecosystem of Apple. Apple Company is often blamed by other companies to disobeying their patents and also it has lost some trials as well. Such type of things can damage Apple’s reputation in market. In 2012, Tim Cook became a new CEO after the death of Steve Jobs, which was the biggest loss for Apple Company. After some time John Browett and Scott Forstall left the firm, this posed negative impact on management.

This is the source of the value of the company to its stockholders and to the stock market analyst (Yahoo Finance, 2013). The Balance Sheet may also indicate a negative Shareholder Equity which means the shareholders are losing money. The Balance Sheet also illustrates the trends in borrowing the company has used in the last year. The long term debts that are listed on the balance sheet compared to assets may indicate a problem if the debts are called in by the loaner for some unforeseen reason. There are multiple methods or ratios for determining the future profitability of a company indicated by the line items on the balance sheet (Mertz.J., 2000).

Apple Inc. has been dedicated to innovation ever since the company was first formed. Apple's recent breakthroughs were a result of a new technologies convergence upon the "digital hub" strategy (Mortensen, 2010). This strategy has served Apple well; especially during the last few years. The iPad, iPod, and iPhone were all born from this strategy. Furthermore, producing these innovative, user friendly, and design oriented products has earned them a considerable amount of customer loyalty.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is one of the world leaders in the research, development, marketing, sales and service of personal digital music & video devices, in addition to personal computers globally. Its' innovative music and digital content delivery service, iTunes, has sold over 1 billion songs to date. As of the close of their latest fiscal year the company generated $156B in Sales and generated a Gross Profit of $68B earning a Net Income of $41B (Apple Investor Relations, 2013). The intent of this analysis is to evaluate Apple's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) and provide an analysis of each. The cause, impact and recommendations for each specific strength, weakness, opportunity and threat are provided along with an action plan of how to maximize strengths and opportunities and mitigate the effects of weaknesses and threats. The Apple brand is among the most valuable in the world and its ability to innovate with successive product generations unmatched, yet this has led to a high dependence on its iPhone and iPad platforms, to the exclusion of entirely new businesses. The Apple iTunes platform and ecosystem delivers 30% of all profits and a significant portion of overall revenue, making this single business a stabilizing force in their strategic product and services roadmap (Apple Investor Relations, 2013). Despite these challenges however Apple continues to attain

Incorporated in 1977, Apple Inc. started as a partnership between Steve Jobs and John Wozniak. They started out making a box that could make long distance calls at no cost. This grew into creating computers (known as the Macintosh) and continued to grow into one of the top smartphone sellers today with a strong base of loyal customers. Currently operating both domestically and internationally, Apple specializes in mobile technologies such as laptops (Macbook), cell phones (iPhone), music players(iPod), etc. According to the Apple company website, they strive to be a “reflection of the world around [them]” (Diversity). This shows Apple is working to diversify their workforce, but it also can tie into them creating or improving their products to fit their current customers’ needs. Apple uses 99% recycled paper to make their packaging to help reduce waste and uses over 90% of renewable energy to power their operations (Environment). This shows dedication to helping improve the environment which is of great concern in society today. Overall, Apple is a company dedicated to not only making products that satisfy their customers, but they put great thought in the process of making the products by trying to reduce their carbon footprint and create a diverse workplace.

It is clear that a strong brand image is very important for Apple Inc. because a strong brand image is one that consumers trust and feel is a sound investment representing value for their money. The company's financial performance is robust and this certainly is a positive attribute and predictor for survival of the company in the present economic crisis because Apple Inc. is well established and financially sound. Apple Inc. focuses on research and development which means that the company will stay abreast

The intent of this analysis is to evaluate the threats that have the potential to significantly influence the ability of Apple to compete and succeed, in addition to evaluating the major opportunities for continual financial growth. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) generated $43.6B in Revenue and $9.5B in Net Income in it latest full fiscal quarter ended March 30, 2013, with the majority of revenue from new products less than three years old (Apple Investor Relations, 2013).

According to "Apple And The Environment" (2012), “Apple is still the only company in our industry whose entire product line not only meets but exceeds the strict energy guidelines of the ENERGY STAR specification”.   According to "IBM Supplier Conduct Principles: Guidelines" (2004), “IBM suppliers will operate in a manner that is protective of the environment. At a minimum, suppliers must comply with all applicable environmental laws, regulations and standards such as requirements regarding chemical and waste management and disposal, recycling, industrial wastewater treatment and discharge, air emissions controls, environmental permits and environmental

For more than 20 years, Apple is working to minimize the impact of the company and its products on the environment. The first environmental policy, they have developed and issued in 1990, and since that time, they continue to work to improve the energy efficiency of the products, the elimination of toxic substances and the introduction of renewable energy sources in the company premises. In 2009 Apple was the first in the

The strengths area of a SWOT analysis should focus on the internal elements of an organization. This section is where a spa would identify the strengths it currently possesses. For example, some spas may cite in this section quality customer service, low staff turnover, high customer referral rates, large product breadth, a unique spa experience, experienced staff members and a large client base.

Firstly, Apple’s considered to take environmental responsibility very serious. According to Apple report (2012), Apple seems to take responsibility for minimizing the natural effect on environmental of their operations and products. Required all their suppliers to follow local laws and directive and utilize naturally responsible producing procedures wherever Apple product are made. Apple code requires dangerous substances, wastewater, air emanations, and solid waste. Nonetheless, suppliers are required to get the needful environmental licenses and cover how their practices affect the environment. They should likewise hold fast to local standards to disallow contaminating creation and work diminish waste produced from the producing procedures. The report particularly emphasizes uses of recycled packaging and innovation towards making more sustainable products. In terms of carbon emissions, it points to 100% renewable energy for US operations and 87% renewables for global operations and highlights recent innovation reducing water waste. Still, Apple announced to leave out various toxic materials from its products (Apple, 2015). Apple also proves that it really care about the environment responsibilities reference to its ethical claims, which is “environmental responsibility”.

Most commonly known as M&A action, the currents in epic promotions from 1999 to 2004 have revealed much weaknesses of the business. In addition to this, the co-marketing settlements can restrict Pfizer’s international existence. This weakness can cause much damage in future.

In this business report, I have decided to carry out a SWOT Analysis on Apple Inc. I have chosen to base this on Apple Inc., as they are a large-scale business in which many people have used or tested one of their products. I wanted to discover whether Apple Inc. is as good a business as people suggest.

This investigative study sets out to enact a SWOT analysis of Apple Inc. During the report I will discuss the current market position of Apple, it’s strengths and weaknesses going forward, as well as any potential opportunities or threats to it’s business model. It will culminate with an analysis of whether SWOT is an effective tool in helping a tech-giant such as Apple improve or update its business.

Apple’s management implementing certain policies and values efforts to create market demand for its products. For instance, the company’s stance against climate change (Apple, 2015b) indicates its commitment to sustainability. Stated in the company’s 2015 Environmental Responsibility Report, Apple upholds its stance through renewable energy usage and eliminating destructive usage of paper (2015b). This is effective as this will satisfy consumer demand for sustainable products and in that way will attract new customers and ensure retention of existing customers that are keen to contribute towards saving the environment.