Apple 英国市场分析.docx

UKAppleMarketIngeneral,therearethreecomponentstoformamarket:buyer,seller,andcommodity.Itistheplaceinwhichsellingandbuyingoccurs.IntheBritishApplemarket,applegrowersaretheoriginalsellers,andconsumersarethebuyersinthemarket.Inthismarket,applesaretradedbetweenthebuyersandthesellers.Applegrowerssellapplestoconsumersthroughthemarket.Inmarketingperspective,marketcanberecognizedastplace,(distributionchannel),whichisakeycomponentof4Psmarketingmix(Diaz,2022).Distributionchannelcanbedividedintodifferenttypes,andparticipantsindifferenttypesofdistributionchannelvarygreatly(seefig1below).TheBritishapplemarketcanbeclassifiedunderthedistributionchannelsellingthroughretailers.SupermarketssuchasTescoandSainsbury,saretheretailersinthedistributionchannel.SellingDirectlytoConsumersFig1:TypesofdistributionchannelConSIImerPreferenCeinUKAPPleMarketConsumerpreferenceisakeyconceptinmarketingpractice.Itinvolvesintheselectionofproductsandservicesbyconsumersaccordingtotheirperceptionsofthebenefitsthatprovidedbytheproductsandservices(Dalyetal,2003).Itexplainshowcustomersrankproductsorservicesandwhytheypreferacertainproductoverothers(Montossietal,2022).Consumerpreferencecanbeusedasamaincriterioninsegmentation.Theunderstandingofconsumerpreferenceallowsmarketerstomakesurethatthevaluepropositionmeetscustomerneeds.IntheUKappleindustry,thefailuretomeetthechangeinbuyingfashionisamainproblemthatlimitstheattractivenessofBritishapplesforconsumers.TheconsumerpreferenceintheUKappleindustryliesinthedemandofshiny,firmapplewhichsmellgreat,withnospots,bruising,orblemishes.ThevalueofBritishapplefocusesondiversityandflavour.However,thepromotionofconveniencestoresandsupermarketsintheUKismainlyarrangedtomeetthecustomerneedofIorry-Ioadsofthesameproduct,weekin,weekoutthatdrivenbythefastpacelife.TheBritishvarietiesofapplefailtomeetthisneed.ThishasbecomeakeychallengeforthedevelopmentofUKappleindustry.Thegrowthofappledependsgreatlyonclimateandlandscape.Hence,applefromdifferentcountriesvarysignificantlyintermsoftaste,varieties,size,production,andevennutritionalingredient.Inmarketingpractice,differentfeaturesofapplesareoftenusedasthesellingpoints.Sinceproductionofapplecanbeaffectedbyclimate,itisoftennecessaryforretailerstostockcertaintypesofapples.Moreover,longtransportationcanalsomakestockofcertaintypesofapplenecessaryinordertoconstantlymeetconsumerneeds.Thechangesofconsumerpreferenceaddpressureontheproductionofapplesbyapplegrowers.Applegrowersarerequiredtoincreasetheproductionofappletomeetcustomerneeds,butthisisdifficulttobeachievedlimitedbythevarietiesandlandscape.ThisisalsothemainreasonwhyimportedapplesarepopularintheUK.LSGintheappleindustryLocalSourceGroup(LSG)isasmallnot-for-profitcompany.Thisorganizationdoesnotinvolveinthetransactionofappleandneverwill.Non-for-profitorganizationisdefinedastheorganizationthatusessurplusrevenuestoachieveitsmissionratherthanreturningthemtodirectorsorinvestors(Frumkin,2005).ThisgroupmakesefforttoprovidesupportforthesustainabledevelopmentofUKappleindustry.ThisisalsothemissionofLSG.IttakestheBritishappleasthesymboloflocalattractivenessandattemptstore-awakenBritishpeopletotheirlinkagewiththecountryside.Inotherwords,thegoalofthisgroupistoinfluencethepreferencesofconsumersintheUKtopromotethedevelopmentoftheapplemarket.Tosomeextents,consumersintheapplemarketarethe'buyers'ofLSG.ThegoalofthisgroupcanbeachievedonlytheconsumersintheUKapplemarketacceptthevalueandbeliefthatitcommunicates.WhatLSGsellsisthesymbolofBritishappleinordertohelpapplegrowerstobuildthebrandofBritishapple.Asfig2belowshows,signsandsymbolsformamaindimensionofabrand.LSGprovidessupportingservicesforthemarketingandbrandingoftheBritishapple.Fig2:DimensionsofabrandAsamatteroffact,LSGtoacertainextentservesasanadvertisingagentintheUKappleindustry.ThecaseindicatesthatthisgroupislargelyfundedthroughgrantsfromboththeFruitGrowerstradeassociationandGovernment.Moreover,italsoreceivessponsorshipfromprivatecompanies.PropagandaaboutthesymbolandimageofBritishappleandrelatedservicesareexchangedbythisgroup.RevenuethatgeneratedbythisgroupsareusedtoconductedactivitiestosupportthedevelopmentofUKapplemarket,suchasthe,AppleWeek1.AccordingtoPorter,sGenericStrategies,competitiveadvantagesofacompanyorindustrycanbepursuedwiththreegenericstrategies:costleadershipstrategy,focusstrategy,anddifferentiationstrategy(Porter,1980;seefig3).Thecaseindicatesthatthemajorityofapplesinsupermarketandconveniencestoresareimported,anditisdifficultfortheBritishappletomeetthechangeinbuyingfashion.Hence,itisessentialfortheUKapplemarkettoadoptdifferentiationstrategytoachievefurtherdevelopment.OneofthemainobjectivesofLSGistodifferentiateBritishapplefromimportedapplebylinkingcustom,culture,andlifestyletoBritishapples.AChieVedByBenefitSProblemsCostScaleEconomies.Buildentrybarriers.Sustainable?LeadershipOperationalPricewars.efficiency.SimpleDesignsFocusTarget(few)Concentrateefforts.Sectordecline.segments.SpecialiseDevelopexpertise.Growthlimits.DifferentiationBrandidentities.DistancefromSustainable一competitors.costs?Highperformanceinseveralactivities.Fig3:PorterjsgenericstrategiesTheresurgenceofinterestintraditionalcraftcidercanbegreatlyattributedtotheeffortofLSG.SupportingthedifferentiationstrategyoftheUKappleindustry,LSGsuccessfullyhelpstraditionalorchardstoselltheirproductstosmallproducer.Bylimitingthemarkettosmallproducers,theUKapplemarketisalsoabletomakegooduseofBritishappletomeettheneedofthetargetcustomers.AppleWeekAppleWeekisaninitiativethatorganizedbyLocalSourceGroup(LSG).Itistheannualcelebrationofapplelore.ThepurposeofthiscampaignistoconveymoreknowledgeaboutBritishappletocustomersanddevelopnetworkoffarmers'markets.Atpresent,thedistributionchannelintheUKapplemarketisdominatedgreatlybysupermarketsandconveniencestores.Sincesupermarketsandconveniencestoresarecommittedtopromotingimportedapplesinordertomeetcustomerneeds,thedistributioncapabilityofBritishapplehasbeenlimited.Underthiscondition,thedevelopmentofnetworkoffarmers'marketsisextremelyimportantforthedevelopmentoftheUKappleindustry.4AppIeWeek,istheactivitythatorganizedtomeetthisneed.InlightofthegoalofLSG,AppleWeekalsoattemptstoinfluenceonconsumerperceptionandpreferences.Asthecaseindicates,AppleWeekhelpspeoplefromdifferentplacestofindthattheyarenotaloneinvaluingthelinkagebetweentheimpacthumansandnaturalnature,betweenfoodandtheland.ThissuggeststhatAppleWeeknotonlyhelpstoincreasepeople'senvironmentalawareness,butalsohelpspeopletoobtainsocialidentity.Inmarketingfield,socialidentityisanimportantconcept(BursonandGershoff,2022).Toputitsimply,socialidentitymakesconsumersproudandconfidentastheybelievethattheirbehavioursmakethemmoreacceptedbyothersinthesamesocialclass.TheAppleWeekcontributestomakepeopleidentifythemselvesaspeoplewhoshowhighconcerninthelocalcultureandenvironmentalprotection.ThiswouldfurthercontributetothepromotionofBritishapple.RecommendationsThecurrentsituationoftheUKapplemarketisworrying.Asthecaseshows,morethan70%oftheapplesthatconsumedintheUKareimportedfromothercountries.ThishurtsthesustainabledevelopmentoftheUKappleindustry.Moreimportantly,iforchardskeepdeclining,theenvironmentwouldbealsogreatlydestroyedasthehabitatforwildlifewouldberuined.Hence,itisessentialforthegovernmentandrelatedorganizationstopromotethesustainabledevelopmentoftheappleindustry.Herebelowaresomerecommendations:First,theattractivenessofAppleWeekshouldbeimproved.ItcanbeseenfromthecasethatAppleWeekisaneffectiveactivitytoinfluenceconsumersintheUKapplemarket,buttheinterestinthisactivityhasdropsignificantlyoverthelastdecade.ItisrecommendedthatAppleWeekshouldbechangedintoatradefairforlocalBritishappletoexpandthedistributionchannel.Second,itisrecommendedthattheUKappleindustryshouldimprovethedifferentiatestrategytoseekitsmarketposition.ThequalityofBritishappleishigh.ItisappropriatefortheBritishappleindustrytodevelopgoodbrandidentitiestodifferentiatefromimportedapples.Moreover,brandingcanalsocontributetothedevelopmentofexportsofBritishapples.ItissuggestedthatBritishappleshouldbepositionedashigh-endbrand.Asaconsequence,revenueoftheUKapplemarketcanbesignificantlyincreased.ReferencesBurson,K.AandGershoff,A.D(2022).Marketingactionsthatinfluenceestimatesofothersalsoshapeidentity.JournalofConsumerPsychology,InPress,CorrectedProof,Availableonline16January2022.Diaz,R.,C.A.(2022)."Theoriesofmarkets:Insightsfrommarketingandthesociologyofmarkets".TheMarketingReview12(1):61-77.Daly,J.,Gronow,S.,Jenkins,D.,&Plimmer,F.(2003).Consumerbehaviorinthevaluationofresidentialproperty:AcomparativestudyintheUK,IrelandandAustralia.JournalofPropertyManagement,295-314.Frumkin,P.,(2005).OnBeingNon-profit:AConceptualPrimer.HarvardUniversityPress.Porter,M.E.(1980).CompetitiveStrategy.FreePress.Montossi,F.,Font-i-Furnols,M.,etal(2022).Sustainablesheepproductionandconsumerpreferencetrends:Compatibilities,contradictions,andunresolveddilemmas.MeatScience,95(4),772-789.