MARKET RESEARCH ON BRAND AWARENESS FOR BRANDED P.

SUMITTED BY:SHRIKANT S PANIKAR (Roll No # 46) SIDDHARTH VYAS (Roll No # 47) SHAKTI KUMAR SINGH (Roll No # 45) SUNIL KUMAR (Roll No # 48)

IN FULFILLMENT OF PGDM (MARKETING)

SINHGAD INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND RESEAR H S! No! 4"#4A$4B%& NEAR PM O TRIO POST KONDH'A ( SAS'AD ROAD KONDH'A (BK) PUNE)48 SINHGAD INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND RESEARCH, KONDHWA (BK)

DECLARATION

We hereby declare that the project titled To De e!"#$e %e B!&$' A(&!e$e)) *o! B!&$'e' P.C+ is an original piece of research work carried out by us under the guidance and supervision of M!. P&$,&- N&$'.!,&!. The information has been collected from genuine & authentic sources. The work has been submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement of PGDM (MRKT).

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We would like to acknowledge all the help and guidelines received by our espected and Well informed *arketing -aculty at S!.# /Sinhgad !nstitute of .usiness *anagement and esearch0 as this *arketing esearch would not have been possible without they e1pert guidance.

!n short we would like to thank the following for all their 2fforts and Support3

M! P&$,&- N&$'.!,&!

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M! 3#)%&/ B%o/e

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E*+,-./0+ 1-22345
esults of a controlled e1periment on the role of brand awareness in the consumer choice process showed that brand awareness was a dominant choice heuristic among awareness4 group subjects. Subjects with no brand awareness tended to sample more brands and selected the high4quality brand on the final choice significantly more often than those with brand awareness. Thus5 when quality differences e1ist among competing brands5 consumers may 6pay a price6 for employing simple choice heuristics such as brand awareness in the interest of economi7ing time and effort. However5 building brand awareness is a viable strategy for advertising aimed at increasing brand4choice probabilities. .rand awareness can be measured by showing a consumer the brand and asking whether or not they knew of it beforehand. However5 in common market research practice a variety of recognition and recall measures of brand awareness are employed all of which test the brand name8s association to a product category cue5 this came about because most market research in the 9:th ;entury was conducted by post or telephone5 actually showing the brand to consumers usually required more e1pensive face4to4face interviews /until web4based interviews became possible0. This has led many te1tbooks to conceptuali7e brand awareness simply as its measures5 that is5 knowledge that the brand is a member of a particular product category. .rand awareness consists of both brand recognition5 which is the ability of consumers to confirm that they have previously been e1posed to your brand5 and brand recall5 which reflects the ability of consumers to name your brand when given the product category5 category need5 or some other similar cue. Aided awareness occurs when you show or read a list of brands and the person e1presses familiarity with your brand only after they hear or see it. Top-of-mind awareness occurs when you ask a person to name brands within a product category and your brand pops up first on the list. P4/2345 o67+,./0+8 To research whether .rand awareness in .randed %;<s affects the sales or helps the etailer in making a sale. S+,o9:345 o67+,./0+8 To research and see which .rand is ahead in =Top4of4the4*ind #wareness> among .randed %;<s.

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T;+ 4+1+34,; P4o7+,. is on the topic of =.rand #wareness of .randed %;<s /%ersonal ;omputers0>. $ow first let us look at the definition of a .rand3 T;+ :+</9/./o9 o< 6439:8 # brand is an identifiable entity that makes specific promises of value. !n its simplest form5 a brand is nothing more and nothing less than the promises of value you or your product makes. These promises can be implied or e1plicitly stated5 but none4the4less5 value of some type is promised. $ow let us further define .rand #wareness3 B439: 3=34+9+11 is when people recogni7e your brand as yours. This does not necessarily mean they prefer your brand /brand preference05 attach a high value to5 or associate any superior attributes to your brand5 it just means they recogni7e your brand and can identify it under different conditions. .rand awareness consists of both brand recognition5 which is the ability of consumers to confirm that they have previously been e1posed to your brand5 and brand recall5 which reflects the ability of consumers to name your brand when given the product category5 category need5 or some other similar cue. Aided awareness occurs when you show or read a list of brands and the person e1presses familiarity with your brand only after they hear or see it. Top-of-mind awareness occurs when you ask a person to name brands within a product category and your brand pops up first on the list. When you think about facial tissue5 gelatins5 and adhesive bandages5 do the brands "leene1A5 Bell4CA5 and .and4#idA come to mindD These brands enjoy strong top4of4mind awareness in their respective categories.

T;+ P-4>o1+ of this research to evaluate the amount of .rand #wareness enjoyed by different brands of %;<s in the market.

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.rands identify the source of market of a product and allow consumers4either individuals or organi7ations4to assign responsibility to a particular manufacturer or distributor. ;onsumers may evaluate the identical product differently depending on how it is branded. ;onsumers learn about brands through past e1periences with the product and its marketing program. They find out which brands satisfy their needs and which ones do not. #s consumers< lives become more complicated5 rushed5and time4starved5the ability of a brand to simplify decisions making and reduce risk is invaluable.

.rands also perform valuable functions for firms. -irst5 they simplify product handling or tracing. .rands help to organi7e inventory and accounting records. # brand also offers the firm legal protection for unique features or aspects of the product. The brand name can be protected through registered trademarksE manufacturing processes can be protected through patentsE and packaging can be protected through copyrights and designs.These intellectual property rights ensure that the firm can safely invest in the brand and reap the benefits of a valuable asset.

.rands can signal a certain level of quality so that satisfied buyers can easily choose the product again. .rand loyalty provides predictability and security of demand for the firm and creates barriers to entry that make it difficult for other firms to enter the market. ,oyalty also can translate into a willingness to pay a higher priceFoften 9: to 9? percent more. #lthough competitors may easily duplicate manufacturing processes and product designs5 they cannot easily match lasting impressions in the minds of individuals and organi7ations from years of marketing activity and product e1perience. !n this sense5 branding can be seen as a powerful means to secure a competitive advantage. To firms5 brands thus represent enormously valuable pieces of legal property that can influence consumer behavior5 be sought and sold5 provide the security of sustained future revenues to their owner. ,arge earning multiple have been paid for brands in mergers or acquisitions5 starting with the boom years of the mid4@GH:s. The price premium is often justified on the basis of assumptions of the e1tra profits that could be e1tracted and sustained from the brands5 as well as the tremendous difficulty and e1pense of creating similar brands from scratch. Wall Street believes that strong brands result in better earnings and profit performance for firms5 which5 in turn5 creates greater value for shareholders. *uch of the recent interest in brands by senior management has been result of these bottom4line financial considerations. =*arketing *emo3 The brand eport card> lists @: key characteristics based on a review of the world<s strongest brands.

S,o>+ o< 1.-:5 !s to check that does .rand #wareness among .randed %;<s affects the sales or creates a specific image about the brand which helps the .rand in gaining an advantage over the competitors. #s the esearch *ethodology used for this research would be %ersonal !nterview or Telephonic !nterviews of the Targeted *asses using a set of questionnaires designed to get the response which would help in achieving the objective of the research. The ,imitations faced in this research would be that it would be constituted on the data gathered from an already decided Target audience5 which would be very small /namely I:4?: consumers0. Hence we would not be able to come to a strong recommendation as the number of the responses would be limited. However5 on the other hand the data gathered would be very accurate and not vague5 which would help us come to conclusion which in turn will help us to reach the objective of this research.

I2>o4.39,+#R+l+039,+ o< .;+ M34@+. R+1+34,; The importance of this market research would be5 that it will help us to determine which computer .rands enjoy different benefits due to their .rand #wareness in the mind of the consumers. Cur research work will help us define how does brand awareness helps the customer to pick or choose that specific brand and get a clear picture as in is .rand #wareness really important part of the marketing strategy or is it just a burden on the marketing system.
.rand awareness is an important way of promoting commodity4related products. This is because for these products5 there are very few factors that differentiate one product from its competitors. Therefore5 the product that maintains the highest brand awareness compared to its competitors will usually get the most sales5 our research findings will help us in determining those factors.

We would also be able to gauge which brand enjoys the top spot in =Top4of4the4*ind #wareness> among .randed %;<s.

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P4/2345 o67+,./0+8 To research whether .rand awareness in .randed %;<s affects the sales or helps the etailer in making a sale.

The following point would be addressed3 %! B439: A=34+9+11 <o4 B439:+: P B1 /9 ,o91-2+4 2/9:1! C! E<<+,. o9 13l+!

S+,o9:345 o67+,./0+8 To research and see which .rand is ahead in =Top4of4the4*ind #wareness> among .randed %;<s. The -ollowing points would be addressed3
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S.+>!% T;+ :+,/1/o9 3l.+493./0+ 39: .;+ 4+1+34,; o67+,./0+1 4*arketing management must be careful not to define the problem too broadly or too narrowly for the marketing researcher. $ot all research projects can be specific. Some research is e1ploratory4 its goal is to shed light on the real nature of the and to suggest possible solutions or new ideas.

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S.+>)C D+0+lo> .;+ R+1+34,; Pl39 The second step of marketing research calls for developing the most efficient plan for gathering the needed information .The marketing manager needs to know the cost of the esearch plan before approving it. &esigning a research plan calls for decision on data sources5 research approaches5 research instruments5 sampling plan5 and contact methods.

DATA SOUR ES4 The researcher gather secondary data5 primary data5 or both. Secondary Data are data that were collected for another purpose and already e1ists Somewhere. Primary Data are data freshly gathered for a specific purpose or for a specific %roject. esearchers usually start their investigation by e1amining some of the rich variety of secondary data to see whether the problem can be partly or wholly solved without collecting costly primary data. Secondary data provide a starting point and offer the advantages of lower cost and ready availability. When the needed data do not e1ists or are dated5 inaccurate5 or unreliable5 the researcher will have to collect primary data. *ost marketing research projects involve some primary data collection. The $ormal procedure is to interview some people individually or in group.

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RESEAR H APPROA HES4 %rimary data can be collected in ? ways %! OBSERVATIONAL RESEAR H-&ata can be gathered by observing the relevant actors ;onsumers can be unobtrusively observed as they shop or as they consume products. C! FO US GROUP RESEAR H)# focus group is a gathering of J to @: people who are ;arefully selected based on certain demographic5 psychographic5 or other and brought together to discuss at length various topics of interest. %articipants are normally paid a small sum for attending. E! SURVEY RESEAR H-;ompanies undertake surveys to learn about people knowledge5 beliefs5 preferences5 and satisfaction5 and to measure these magnitude in the general population. 4! BEHAVIORAL DATA-;ustomers leave traces of their purchasing behavior in store scanning data5 catalog purchases5 and customer database. *uch can be learned by analy7ing these data. ;ustomer<s actual purchase reflects preferences and often are more reliable than statements they offer to market researchers. 5! EFPERIMENTAL RESEAR H-The most scientifically valid research is e1periment4 4tal research. The purpose of this research is to capture cause and effect relationships by eliminating competing e1planations of the observed finding. 21periments call for selecting matched groups of subjects5 subjecting them to different treatments5 controlling e1traneous variables and checking whether observed response differences are statistically significant.

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RESEAR H INSTRUMENTS GUESTIONNAIRES-# questionnaire consists of a set of questions presented to .ecause of its fle1ibility5 the questionnaire is by far the most common instrument to collect primary data. !n preparing a questionnaire5 the researcher carefully chooses the questions and their form5 wording5 and sequence. The form of the question can influence the response. *arketing researchers distinguish between closed4end and open4end questions. ;losed4end questions specify all the possible answer and provide answer that are easier to interpret and tabulate. Cpen4end questions allow respondents to answer in their own words and often reveal more about how people think.

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GUALITATIVE MEASURES-Some marketers prefer more qualitative methods for

gauging consumer opinion because consumer action do not always match their to survey questions. Kualitative research technique is relatively unstructured ment approaches that permit a range of possible responses5 and they are a creative means of ascertaining consumer perception that may otherwise be difficult to the range of possible qualitative research technique is limited only by the creativity of the marketing research.

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ME HANI AL DEVI ES-*echanical devices are occasionally used in marketing research. 2.g.4galvanometer can measure the interest of emotions around by e1posure to a specific ad or picture. The techistoscope flashes an ad to a subject with and e1posure interval that may range from less than one hundredth of a second to several seconds. #fter each e1posure5 the respondent describes everything he or she recalls.

SAMPLING PLAN %! S32>l/9A -9/.8 ';o /1 .o 6+ 1-40+5+:H The marketing researcher must define the target population that will be sampled. Cnce the sampling unit is determined5 a sampling must be developed so that everyone in the target population has an equal or known chance Cf being sampled. C! S32>l+ 1/I+8 Ho= 2395 >+o>l+ 1;o-l: 6+ 1-40+5+:H ,arge samples give more reliable result than small samples. However5 it is not necessary to sample the entire target population or even a substantial portion to achieve reliable results. Samples of less than ! L of a population can often provide good reliability5 with a credible sampling procedure. E! S32>l/9A >4o:,:-4+3 Ho= )%o./' %e !e):o$'e$ ) 4e 0%o)e$C To obtain a representative sample5 a probability sample of the population should be drawn. %robability sampling allows the calculation of confidence limits for sampling error non4probability samples are very useful in many circumstance 5even though they do not allow sampling error to be measured

ONTA T METHOD M3/l G-+1./o993/4+8 The mail questionnaire is the best way to reach people who would not give personal interviews or whose responses might be biased or distorted by the interviewers5 *ail questionnaires require simple and clearly worded questions. )nfortunately3 the response rate is usually low or slow T+l+>;o9+ I9.+40/+=8 I. is the best method for gathering information quickly. The !nterviewer is also able to clarify questions if respondents do not understand them. The esponse rate is typically higher than in the case of mailed questionnaires. The main drawback is that the interviews have to be short and not too personal. P+41o93l /9.+40/+=8 !t is the most versatile method. The interviewer can ask more questions and record additional observations about the respondents5 such as dress and body language. #t the same time5 personal interviewing is the most e1pensive method and requires most more administrative planning and supervision than the other three. !t is also subject to interviewer bias or distortion. O9l/9+ /9.+40/+=8 T;+4+ are so many ways to use net to do research. # company can include a questionnaire on its website and offer an incentive to answer the questionnaire5 or it can place a banner on some frequently visited site such as yahoo5 inviting people to answer some questions and possibly win a pri7e.

STEP E! oll+,. T;+ I9<o423./o9 The data collection phase of marketing research is generally the most e1pensive and the most prone to error. !n the case of surveys5 four major problem arise. Some respondents will not be at home and must be contacted again . Cther respondents will refuse to cooperate. Still others will give biased or dishonest answers. -inally some interviewers will be biased or dishonest. +etting the right respondent is critical.

STEP 4! A93l5I+ .;+ I9<o423./o9 The ne1t to last step in the process is to e1tract finding from the collected data. The researcher tabulates the data and develop frequency distribution. #verages and measures of dispersion are computed for the major variables. The researcher will also apply some advanced statistical techniques and decision models in the hope of discovering additional findings. STEP 5! P4+1+9. .;+ F/9:/9A #s the last step5 the researcher presents the findings. The researcher should present -inding that are relevant to the major marketing decisions facing management.

S.+> 6! M3@+ .;+ D+,/1/o9 # growing number of organi7ations are using a marketing decision support system to help their marketing managers make better marketing decisions.

!n our research we would be using the esearch #pproach of DS-40+5 R+1+34,;B with the help of the esearch instrument in the form of DG-+1./o993/4+1B and the ;ontact *ethod used will be DP+41o93l I9.+40/+=B.

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;ompany %rofiles for some of the leading companies in the field of .randed %;<s

Type %ublic /$#S&#K3 &2,,0 & /S2H"3 MII@0 -ounded #ustin5 Te1as /$ovember M5 @GHM0 /as 6%;8s ,imited60. !%C on Bune 995 @GHH5 at NH.?:Oshare3 appro1imately I years and P months after founding -ounder *ichael S. &ell Headquarters ound ock5 Te1as )nited States #rea served Worldwide "ey people *ichael S. &ell
/;hairman & /;2C0

!ndustry Technology %roducts &esktops Servers $otebooks %eripherals %rinters *arket cap )SN M?.:G .illion /20080Q9R evenue S )SN J@.@II .illion /20080QIR Cperating income S )SN I.MM: billion /20080QIR $et income S )SN 9.GMP billion /20080QIR Total assets S )SN 9P.?J@ billion /20080QIR Total equity T )SN I.PI? billion /20080QIR 2mployees H95P:: /20080 Subsidiaries #lienware #S#% Software 2qual ,ogic Website &ell.com

o9.:J! The multinational technology company &ell5 !nc. develops5 manufactures5 sells5 and supports personal computers and other computer4related products. .ased in ound ock5 Te1as5 &ell employs more than HH5::: people worldwide.

&ell grew during the @GH:s and @GG:s to become /for a time0 the largest seller of %;s and servers. #s of 9::H it held the second spot in computer4sales within the industry behind the Hewlett4%ackard ;ompany. The company currently sells personal computers5 servers5 data storage devices5 network switches5 software5 computer peripherals and televisions. !n 9::J5 Fortune maga7ine ranked &ell as the 9?th4largest company in the -ortune ?:: list5 Hth on its annual 6Top 9:6 list of the most4admired companies in the )nited States. !n 9::P &ell ranked IMth and Hth respectively on the equivalent lists for the year. # 9::J publication identified &ell as one of IH high4performance companies in the S&% ?:: which had consistently out4performed the market over the previous @? years H/1.o45
Background and origins

While a student at the )niversity of Te1as at #ustin in @GHM5 *ichael &ell founded the company as %;8s ,imited with capital of N@:::. Cperating from *ichael &ell8s off4campus dorm4room at &obie ;enter Q@R5 the startup aimed to sell !.* %;4compatible computers built from stock components. *ichael &ell started trading in the belief that by selling personal computer4systems directly to customers5 %;8s ,imited could better understand customers8 needs and provide the most effective computing solutions to meet those needs. *ichael &ell dropped out of school in order to focus full4time on his fledgling business5 after getting about NI::5::: in e1pansion4capital from his family. !n @GH?5 the company produced the first computer of its own design F the 6Turbo %;65 sold for )SNPG? F which contained an !ntel H:HH4compatible processor running at a speed of H *H7. %;8s ,imited advertised the systems in national computer4maga7ines for sale directly to consumers5 and custom4assembled each ordered unit according to a selection of options. This offered buyer<s prices lower than those of retail brands5 but with greater convenience than assembling the components themselves. #lthough not the first company to use this model5 %;8s ,imited became one of the first to succeed with it. The company grossed more than NPI million in its first year.

The company changed its name to 6&ell ;omputer ;orporation6 in @GHH. !n @GHG5 &ell ;omputer set up its first on4site4service programs in order to compensate for the lack of local retailers prepared to act as service centers. #lso in @GHP5 the company set up its first operations in the )nited "ingdomE eleven more international operations followed within the ne1t four years. !n Bune @GHH5 &ell8s market capitali7ation grew by NI: million to NH: million from its initial public offering of I.? million shares at NH.?: a share. !n @GG:5 &ell ;omputer ;orporation tried selling its products indirectly through warehouse clubs and computer

superstores5 but met with little success5 and the company re4focused on its more successful direct4to4consumer sales model. !n @GG95 -ortune maga7ine included &ell ;omputer ;orporation in its list of the world8s ?:: largest companies. !n @GGJ5 &ell began selling computers via its web site. !n @GGG5 &ell overtook ;ompaq to become the largest seller of personal computers in the )nited States of #merica with N9? billion in revenue reported in Banuary 9:::. !n 9::95 &ell attempted to e1pand by tapping into the multimedia and home4entertainment markets with the introduction of televisions5 handhelds5 and digital audio players. &ell has also produced &ell4brand printers for home and small4office use. !n 9::I5 at the annual company meeting5 the stockholders approved changing the company name to 6&ell !nc.6 to recogni7e the company8s e1pansion beyond computers. !n 9::M5 the company announced that it would build a new assembly4plant near Winston4 Salem5 $orth ;arolinaE the city and county provided &ell with NIP.9 million in incentive packagesE the state provided appro1imately N9?: million in incentives and ta1 breaks. !n Buly5 *ichael &ell stepped aside as ;hief 21ecutive Cfficer while retaining his position as ;hairman of the .oard. "evin ollins5 who had held a number of e1ecutive posts at &ell5 became the new ;2C. !n 9::?5 the share of sales coming from international markets increased5 as revealed in the company8s press releases for the first two quarters of its fiscal 9::? year. !n -ebruary 9::? &ell appeared in first place in a ranking of the 6*ost #dmired ;ompanies6 published by -ortune maga7ine. !n $ovember 9::? .usiness Week maga7ine published an article titled 6!t8s .ad to Worse at &ell6 about shortfalls in projected earnings and sales5 with a worse4 than4predicted third4quarter financial performance F a bad omen for a company that had routinely underestimated its earnings. &ell acknowledged that faulty capacitors on the motherboards of the Cptiple1 +U9P: and +U9H: had already cost the company NI:: million. The ;2C5 "evin ollins5 attributed the bad performance partially to &ell8s focus on low4end %;s.

!n 9::J5 &ell purchased the computer hardware manufacturer #lienware. &ell !nc.8s plan anticipated #lienware continuing to operate independently under its e1isting management. #lienware e1pected to benefit from &ell8s efficient manufacturing system. Cn Banuary I@5 9::P5 "evin .. ollins5 ;2C of the company since 9::M5 resigned as both ;2C and as a director5 and *ichael &ell resumed his former role as ;2C. !nvestors and many shareholders had called for ollins8 resignation because of poor company performance.

#t the same time5 the company announced that5 for the fourth time in five quarters5 earnings would fail to reach consensus analyst4estimates. !n -ebruary 9::P &ell became the subject of formal investigations by the )S S2; and the )nited States #ttorney for the Southern &istrict of $ew (ork. The company has not formally filed financial reports for either the third or fourth fiscal quarter of 9::J5 and several class4 action lawsuits have arisen in the wake of its recent financial performance. &ell !nc8s lack of formal financial disclosure would normally subject the company to de4listing from the $#S&#K5 but the e1change has granted &ell a waiver5 allowing the stock to trade normally. Cn *arch @5 9::P5 the company issued a preliminary quarterly earnings report which showed gross sales of N@M.M billion5 down ?L year4over4year5 and net income of NJHP million /I: cents per share05 down IIL. $et earnings would have declined even more if not for the effects of eliminated employee bonuses5 which accounted for si1 cents per share. $#S&#K e1tended the company8s deadline for filing financials to *ay M.

P+41o99+l Cn Banuary I@5 9::P *ichael &ell returned to the company as ;2C. #s chairman of the board5 *r. &ell had significant input into the company8s operations during ollins8 years as ;2C. However with the return of *ichael &ell as ;2C5 the company saw immediate changes in operations5 the e1odus of many senior vice4presidents and new blood brought in from outside the company.

&epartures announced include3

"evin ollins5 ;2CQIMR Bames Schneider5 ;-CQIMR Bohn *edica5 senior vice president5 consumer productsQI?R Boe *arengi5 senior vice president5 #mericasQI?R Bohn Hamlin5 senior vice president5 worldwide online operationsQIJR %aul *c"innon5 senior vice president5 human resourcesQI?R osenda %arra5 senior vice presidentOgeneral manager5 home and small business groupQIPR +lenn 2. $eland5 senior vice president5 procurementQIHR

#dditions announced include3

*ichael &ell5 ;2C and co4;hairman of the .oard /previously ;hairman of the .oard0 &on ;arty5 ;-C and co4;hairman of the .oard /previously .oard member0 *ichael . ;annon5 former ;2C of Solectron5 as %resident5 +lobal CperationsQIGR on +arriques5 who formerly headed *otorola8s mobile phone unit5 as %resident5 +lobal ;onsumer +roupQM:R Stephen -. Schuckenbrock5 Senior 'ice %resident5 +lobal ServicesQIHR

*r. &ell announced a number of initiatives and plans /part of the 6&ell 9.:6 initiative0 to improve the company8s financial performance. These include3

elimination of 9::J bonuses for employees with some discretionary awards reduction in the number of managers reporting directly to *r. &ell from 9: to @9 in a noted departure from previous years5 6build5 partner5 and buy6 to increase services capabilities reduction of 6bureaucracy6

Cn #pril 9I5 9::H5 &ell announced the closure of one of its biggest ;anadian call4centers in "anata5 Cntario F terminating appro1imately @@:: employees5 with ?:: of those redundancies effective on the spot5 and with the official closure of the center scheduled for the summer. /The call4center had opened in 9::J after the city of Cttawa won a bid to host it. ,ess then a year later5 &ell !nc planned to double its workforce to nearly I5::: workers and to add a new building. Bournalists cited a high ;anadian dollar and suggested high pay4rates as among the reasons for the cuts. The company had also announced the shutdown of its 2dmonton5 #lberta office5 losing G:: jobs. !n total5 &ell announced the ending of about H5H:: jobs in 9::P49::H F @:L of its workforce.

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Scope and brands

The corporation markets specific brand names to different market segments3

B.)#$e)) C/&)): including Cpti%le15 ,atitude5 and %recision5 where the company8s advertising emphasi7es long life4cycles5 reliability and serviceability3

Cpti%le1 4 office desktop computer systems n Series 4 desktop and notebook computers shipped with ,inu1 or -ree&CS installed 'ostro 4 small4business desktop and notebook systems ,atitude 4 commercially4focused notebooks

%recision 4 workstation systems and high4performance notebooks. /Some of them including ,inu1 pre4installed.QMIR0 %ower2dge 4 business servers %ower'ault 4 direct4attach and some network4attached storage /$#S0 %ower;onnect 4 network switches &ell 2*; 4 storage area networks /S#$s0 2qual,ogic 4 enterprise class iS;S! S#$s

Ho"e>Co$)."e! C/&)): including !nspiron and U%S brands5 emphasi7ing value5 performance and e1pandability3

!nspiron 4 consumer desktop and notebook systems Studio 4 medium4end consumer slim hybrid desktop and laptop systems U%S 4 enthusiast and high4performance desktop and notebook systems #lienware /U%S 21treme0 4 high4performance gaming systems

Pe!#:%e!&/): &ell has also diversified its product line to include peripheral products such as )S. keydrives5 ,;& televisions5 and printers.

&ell monitors ,;& T's5 plasma T's and projectors for H&T' and monitors

Se!7#0e) &$' ).::o! 3

&ell Cn ;all 4 e1tended support services /mainly for the removal of spyware and computer viruses0 &ell Support ;enter 4 e1tended support services /similar to 6&ell Cn ;all60 for customers in the 2*2#. The Solution ;enters also support hardware for customers outside of warranty.

&ell .usiness Support 4 a commercial service4contract that provides an industry4certified technician with a lower call4volume than in normal queuesE it covers hardware4 and some software4support. (our Tech Team 4 a new support4queue available to home users who purchased their systems through either &ell8s website or &ell phone4centers. These customers gain access to a speciali7ed queue currently located in Tampa5 -lorida. ;ustomers can requesting a technician with whom they have worked previously5 and the technicians can troubleshoot a wider range of problems F including some that would fall under the 6&ell on ;all6 category. &ata backup and virus removal remain out4of4scope for this queue.

&ell also offers ed Hat and S)S2 ,inu1 for serversE as well as 6bare4bones6 computers without pre4installed software /available on n Series by default and by request on U%S and !nspiron systems0 at significantly lower prices. &ue to &ell8s licensing contract with *icrosoft5 &ell allegedlyQcitation neededR cannot offer those systems on their website and customers have to request them e1plicitly. /&ell does offer those systems on their web site at

http3OOwww.dell.comOcontentOproductsOfeatures.asp1OprecnVnD cWus&csW:M&lWen&sWbsd&redirectW@ 0. &ell has to ship such systems with a -ree&CS disk included in the bo1 and must issue a so4called 6Windows refund6 or a merchandise credit after sale of the system at the 6regular6 retail price.

D#)0o$ #$.e' :!o'.0 )>4!&$')3

#1im 4 %&#s using *icrosoft8s Windows *obile /discontinued on #pril G5 9::P 0 &imension 4 home and 6small office5 home office6 desktop computers /discontinued Buly 9::PE replaced by !nspiron desktops0 &ell &igital Bukebo1 4 *%I players /discontinued #ugust 9::J0 &ell %ower#pp 4 application4based severs &ell Cmniple1 4 MHJ4 and %entium4based desktop and tower computers previously supported to run server and desktop operating systems.
QMMR

o22+4,/3l 31>+,.1
Traditional business-model

Traditionally5 &ell has sold all its products F whether to end4use consumers or to corporate customers F using a direct4sales model via the !nternet and the telephone4network. &ell maintains a negative cash conversion cycle /;;;0 through use of this model3 in other words5 &ell !nc. receives payment for the products before it has to pay for the materials.

&ell also practices just4in4time /B!T0 inventory4management5 profiting from its attendant benefits. &ell8s B!T approach utili7es the 6pull6 system by building computers only after customers place orders and by requesting materials from suppliers as needed. !n this way &ell mirrors Toyota by following Toyota Way %rinciple XI /6)se 8pull8 systems to avoid overproduction60. Since the days of the original dominance of telephone4ordering5 the !nternet has significantly enhanced &ell<s business model5 making it easier for customers and potential customers to contact &ell directly. This model also has enabled &ell to provide very customi7able systems at an affordable rate5 since &ell8s manufacturing arm builds specifically for each customer. Cther computer4 manufacturers5 including +ateway and Hewlett4%ackard5 have attempted to adapt similar business4models5 but due to timing andOor retail4channel pressures they have not achieved the same results as &ell. # &ell e1ecutive writes

#nalysts say3 They /&ell0 have a negative M? days ;;;5 which means that their sales are converted in hard cash M? days .2-C 2 the sale. ! say3 They have a negative M? days ;;;5 which means that their sales are converted in hard cash M? days .2-C 2 &ell needs to pay for purchase invoices to vendors. &ell has also sold at retail5 as e1plained in the 6*arketing6 section of this article. O4A39/I3./o9 # board of directors of nine people runs the company. *ichael &ell5 the founder of the company5 serves on the board. Cther board members include &on ;arty5 William +ray5 Budy ,ewent5 "laus ,uft5 #le1 *andl5 *ichael #. *iles5 and Sam $unn. Shareholders elect the nine board members at meetings5 and those board members who do not get a majority of votes must submit a resignation to the board5 which will subsequently choose whether or not to accept the resignation. The board of directors usually sets up five committees which have oversight over specific matters. These committees include the #udit ;ommittee5 which handles accounting issues5 including auditing and reportingE the ;ompensation ;ommittee5 which approves compensation for the ;2C and other employees of the companyE the -inance ;ommittee5 which handles financial matters such as proposed mergers and acquisitionsE the +overnance and $ominating ;ommittee5 which handles various corporate matters /including nomination of the board0E and the #ntitrust ;ompliance ;ommittee5 which attempts to prevent company practices from violating antitrust laws.

The corporate structure and management of &ell e1tends beyond the board of directors. The &ell +lobal 21ecutive *anagement ;ommittee sets the strategic direction for how the corporation keeps customers at the forefront5 from designing and manufacturing computer systems to offering products that meet customers8 requirements to providing sufficient service and support. &ell has regional senior vice presidents for countries other than the )nited States5 including &avid *armonti for 2*2# and Stephen B. -elice for #siaOBapan. #s of 9::P5 other officers included *artin +arvin /senior vice president for worldwide procurement0 and Susan 2. Sheskey /vice president and chief information officer0. M34@+./9A &ell advertisements have appeared in several types of media including television5 the !nternet5 maga7ines5 catalogs and newspapers. Some of &ell !nc8s marketing strategies include lowering prices at all times of the year5 offering free bonus products /such as &ell printers05 and offering free shipping in order to encourage more sales and to stave off competitors. !n 9::J5 &ell cut its prices in an effort to maintain its @G.9L market share. However5 this also cut profit4margins by more than half5 from H.P to M.I percent. To maintain its low prices5 &ell continues to accept most purchases of its products via the !nternet and

through the telephone network5 and to move its customer4care division to !ndia and 2l Salvador. # popular )nited States television and print ad campaign in the early 9:::s featured the actor .en ;urtis playing the part of 6Steven65 a lightly mischievous blond4haired kid who came to the assistance of bereft computer purchasers. 2ach television advertisement usually ended with Steven8s catch4phrase3 6&ude5 you8re gettin8 a &ellY6 # subsequent advertising campaign featured interns at &ell headquarters /with ;urtis8 character appearing in a small cameo at the end of one of the first commercials in this particular campaign0. # &ell advertising campaign for the U%S line of gaming computers featured in print in the September 9::J issue of Wired *aga7ine. !t used as a tagline the common term in !nternet and gamer slang3 6-TW65 meaning 6-or The Win6. However5 &ell !nc. soon dropped the campaign. !n the first4person shooter game -.2.#. . 21traction %oint5 several computers visible on desks within the game have recogni7able &ell U%S model characteristics5 sometimes even including the &ell logo on the monitors. !n 9::P &ell switched advertising agencies in the )S from ..&C to *other. !n Buly 9::P5 &ell released new advertising created by *other to support the !nspiron and U%S lines. The ads featured music from the -laming ,ips and &evo who re4formed especially to record the song in the ad 6Work it Cut6.

Type %ublic /$(S23 H%K0 -ounded %alo #lto5 ;alifornia /@GIG0 -ounder .ill Hewlett5 ;o4founder &avid %ackard Headquarters

%alo #lto5 ;alifornia5 )S#

"ey people *ark '. Hurd5 ;hairman5 ;2C and %resident ;athie ,esjak5 ;-C and 2'% #nn ,ivermore5 2'% TS+

andall &. *ott5 ;!C and 2'% *ichael Holston5 +eneral ;ounsel and 2'% !ndustry ;omputer Systems ;omputer %eripherals ;omputer Software ;onsulting !T Services *arket cap N@9M.?P. )S& /9::H0Q@R evenue SN@:M.I billion )S& /9::P0 $et income SNP.I billion )S& /9::P0 2mployees @P95::: /9::H0Q9R &ivisions Snapfish5 H% ,abs5 %ro;urve5 ;ompaq5 2&S Website www.hp.com www.hpshopping.com www.;ompaq.com www.2&S.com www.voodoo%;.com www.lightscribe.com

H% is a technology company that operates in more than @P: countries around the world. We e1plore how technology and services can help people and companies address their problems and challenges5 and reali7e their possibilities5 aspirations and dreams. We apply new thinking and ideas to create more simple5 valuable and trusted e1periences with technology5 continuously improving the way our customers live and work. $o other company offers as complete a technology product portfolio as H%. We provide infrastructure and business offerings that span from handheld devices to some of the world8s most powerful supercomputer installations. We offer consumers a wide range of products and services from digital photography to digital entertainment and from computing to home printing. This comprehensive portfolio helps us match the right products5 services and solutions to our customers8 specific needs. M393A+2+9.

;hairman of the .oard5 ;2C5 and %resident3 *ark Hurd /*arch 9G5 9::? 4 current5 appointed ;hairman September 995 9::J0

H/1.o45

;o4founder3 &avid %ackard /%resident3 @GMPE ;hairman3 @GJMZ@GJGE ;hairman @GP@F@GGI0 ;o4founder3 William Hewlett /'ice %resident3 @GMPE 21ecutive 'ice %resident3 @G?PE %resident3 @GJME ;2C3 @GJGE ;hairman of the 21ecutive ;ommittee @GPHE 'ice ;hairman @GHIF@GHP0 ;2C3 Bohn #. (oung /@GPHFCctober I@5 @GG90

;2C3 ,ewis %latt /$ovember @5 @GG9FBuly @H5 @GGGE ;hairman @GGIFBuly @H5 @GGG0 ;hairman3 ichard Hackborn /Banuary5 9:::FSeptember 995 9:::E ,ead !ndependent &irector September 995 9::JF0 ;2C3 ;arly -iorina /Buly @G5 @GGGF-ebruary G5 9::?E ;hairwoman September 995 9:::F -ebruary G5 9::?0 !nterim ;2C3 obert Wayman /-ebruary G5 9::?F*arch 9H5 9::?0 ;hairwoman3 %atricia ;. &unn /-ebruary G5 9::?FSeptember 995 9::J0. ;2C3 *ark Hurd /;2C3 #pril @5 9::?FE ;hairman3 September 995 9::JF0

T+,;9oloA5 39: >4o:-,.1

6The new Hewlett4%ackard G@::# personal computer6 is 6ready5 willing5 and able ... to relieve you of waiting to get on the big computer.6

# H% ;ompaq computer and a Hewlett4%ackard &eskjet ?PM: printer owned by the Houston !ndependent School &istrict

# modern H% %avilion ,aptop

# modern H% digital cameraE the H% %hotosmart H@P.

# camera that uses the S&!C interface

H% has successful lines of printers5 scanners5 digital cameras5 calculators5 %&#s5 servers5 workstation computers5 and computers for home and small business use computersE many of the computers came from the 9::9 merger with ;ompaq. H% today promotes itself as supplying not just hardware and software5 but also a full range of services to design5 implement and support !T infrastructure.

The three business segments3 2nterprise Storage and Servers /2SS05 H% Services /H%S05 and H% Software are structured beneath the broader Technology Solutions +roup /TS+0.

I23A/9A 39: P4/9./9A G4o-> (IPG) #ccording to H%8s 9::? ).S. S2; @:4" filing5Q@?R H%8s !maging and %rinting +roup is 6the leading imaging and printing systems provider in the world for printer hardware5 printing supplies and scanning devices5 providing solutions across customer segments from individual consumers to small and medium businesses to large enterprises.6 This division is currently headed by 'yomesh Boshi. %roducts and technology associated with the !maging and %rinting +roup include3

!nkjet and ,aserBet printers5 consumables and related products Cfficejet all4in4one multifunction printerOscannerOfa1es ,arge -ormat %rinters !ndigo &igital %ress H% Web Betadmin printer management software H% Cutput *anagement suite of software5 including H% Cutput Server ,ightScribe optical recording technology that laser4etches labels on disks H% %hotosmart digital cameras and photo printers H% S%a* Hosted within !%+5 S%a* is an internal consulting group that supports all H% businesses on mission4critical strategic and operation decisions.

P+41o93l S51.+21 G4o-> (PSG) H%8s %ersonal Systems +roup claims to be 6one of the leading vendors of personal computers /6%;s60 in the world based on unit volume shipped and annual revenue.6 %ersonal Systems +roup productsOtechnology include3

.usiness %;s and accessories ;onsumer %;s and accessories including the H% %avilion5 ;ompaq %resario and 'oodoo%; series Workstations for )ni15 Windows and ,inu1 systems Handheld ;omputing including i%#K %ocket %; handheld computing devices /from ;ompaq0 &igital 6;onnected6 2ntertainment including H% *ediaSmart T's5 H% *ediaSmart Servers5 H% *edia'aults5 and &'&[ W drives. H% resold the #pple i%od until $ovember 9::?. Home Storage Servers

Type %ublic /$#S&#K3 ##%,5 ,S23 :H&\5 -W.3 #%;0 -ounded ;alifornia5 )nited States /#pril @5 @GPJ5 as #pple ;omputer5 !nc.0 Headquarters @ !nfinite ,oop5 ;upertino5 ;alifornia

"ey people Steve Bobs5 ;2C & ;o4founder Steve Wo7niak5 ;o4founder Timothy &. ;ook5 ;CC %eter Cppenheimer5 ;-C %hilip W. Schiller5 S'% *arketing Bonathan !ve5 S'% !ndustrial &esign Tony -adell5 S'% i%od &ivision on Bohnson5 S'% etail Sina Tamaddon5 S'% #pplications .ertrand Serlet5 S'% Software 2ngineering Scott -orstall5 S'% i%hone software !ndustry ;omputer hardware ;omputer software ;onsumer electronics %roducts *ac i%od i%hone #pple T' *ac CS U *ac CS U Server i,ife iWork ;inema &isplay #ir%ort evenue )SN9M.:@ billion S /TT* -( 9::P0Q@R Cperating income )SNM.M@ billion S

/@H.IPL operating margin0Q@R $et income )SNI.?: billion S /TT* -( 9::P0 /@M.?JL profit margin0Q@R 2mployees #ppro1imately 9H5::: /Buly I5 9::H0 Website #pple.com

H/1.o45

#pple was established on #pril @5 @GPJ by Steve Bobs5 Steve Wo7niak and onald Wayne5QGR to sell the #pple ! personal computer kit. They were hand4built by Wo7niak Q@:R Q@@R and first shown to the public at the Homebrew ;omputer ;lub. Q@9R The #pple ! was sold as a motherboard /with ;%)5 #*5 and basic te1tual4video chips0Fless than what is today considered a complete personal computer.Q@IR The #pple ! went on sale in Buly @GPJ and was market4priced at )SNJJJ.JJ. #pple was incorporated Banuary I5 @GPP without Wayne5 who sold his share of the company back to Bobs and Wo7niak for NH::. *ike *arkkula provided essential business e1pertise and funding of )SN9?:5::: during the incorporation of #pple. The #pple !! was introduced on #pril @J5 @GPP at the first West ;oast ;omputer -aire. !t differed from its major rivals5 the T S4H: and ;ommodore %2T5 because it came with color graphics and an open architecture. While early models used ordinary cassette tapes as storage devices5 they were superseded by the introduction of a ? @OM inch floppy disk drive and interface5 the &isk !!. The #pple !! was chosen to be the desktop platform for the first 6killer app6 of the business worldFthe 'isi;alc spreadsheet program. 'isi;alc created a business market for the #pple !!5 and gave home users an additional reason to buy an #pple !!Fcompatibility with the office. #ccording to .rian .agnall5 #pple e1aggerated its sales figures and was a distant third place to ;ommodore and Tandy until 'isi;alc came along. .y the end of the @GP:s5 #pple had a staff of computer designers and a production line. The #pple !! was succeeded by the #pple !!! in *ay @GH: as the company competed with !.* and *icrosoft in the business and corporate computing market. Bobs and several #pple employees including Bef askin visited Uero1 %# ; in &ecember @GPG to see the Uero1 #lto. Uero1 granted #pple engineers three days of access to the %# ; facilities in return for )SN@ million in pre4!%C #pple stock. Q9JR Bobs was immediately convinced that all future computers would use a +)!5 and development of a +)! began for the #pple ,isa

H+3:K-34.+41

#pple !nc.5 @ !nfinite ,oop5 ;upertino5 ;#.

#pple !nc.8s world corporate headquarters are located in the middle of Silicon 'alley5 at @ !nfinite ,oop5 ;upertino5 ;alifornia. This #pple campus has si1 buildings which total H?:5::: sq ft /PG5::: m]0 and was built in @GGI by Sobrato &evelopment ;os.Q@@@R !n 9::J5 #pple announced its intention to build a second campus on ?: acres assembled from various contiguous plots. The new campus5 also in ;upertino5 will be about one mile /@.J km0 east of the current campus.Q@@9R EO1

@GPPZ@GH@3 *ichael 6Scotty6 Scott @GH@Z@GHI3 #. ;. 6*ike6 *arkkula @GHIZ@GGI3 Bohn Sculley @GGIZ@GGJ3 *ichael Spindler @GGJZ@GGP3 +il #melio @GGPZ%resent3 Steve Bobs /!nterim ;2C @GGP49:::0

-44+9. Bo34: o< D/4+,.o41

.ill ;ampbell5 ;hairman of !ntuit !nc. *illard &re1ler5 ;hairman and ;2C of B.;rew #l +ore5 -ormer 'ice %resident of the )nited States Steve Bobs5 ;2C and ;o4founder of #ppleE also a director of The Walt &isney ;ompany #ndrea Bung5 ;hairman and ;2C of #von %roducts #rthur &. ,evinson5 ;hairman and ;2C of +enentech 2ric 2. Schmidt5 ;hairman and ;2C of +oogle Berry (ork5 ;hairman5 %resident5 and ;2C of Harwinton ;apital

-44+9. +*+,-./0+1

Steve Bobs5 ;hief 21ecutive Cfficer Timothy &. ;ook5 ;hief Cperating Cfficer %eter Cppenheimer5 ;hief -inancial Cfficer %hilip W. Schiller5 Senior 'ice %resident of Worldwide %roduct *arketing Tony -adell5 Senior 'ice %resident of the i%od &ivision Bonathan !ve5 Senior 'ice %resident of !ndustrial &esign .ertrand Serlet5 Senior 'ice %resident of Software 2ngineering on Bohnson5 Senior 'ice %resident of etail Sina Tamaddon5 Senior 'ice %resident of #pplications Scott -orstall5 Senior 'ice %resident of i%hone Software &aniel ;ooperman5 Senior 'ice %resident5 +eneral ;ounsel and Secretary

-44+9. >4o:-,.1
See also: ist of products discontinued by Apple !nc" See also: Timeline of Apple products
Mac and accessories

The *ac mini5 low4cost desktop computer.

*ac mini5 consumer sub4desktop computer introduced in Banuary 9::?. i*ac5 consumer all4in4one desktop computer that was first introduced by #pple in @GGH. !ts popularity helped revive the company8s fortunes. Q?9R *ac %ro5 workstation4class desktop computer introduced in #ugust 9::J. *ac.ook5 consumer notebook introduced in 9::J5 available in white and black variants. *ac.ook #ir5 ultra4thin5 ultra4portable notebook5 introduced in Banuary 9::H. *ac.ook %ro5 professional portable computer alternative to the *ac.ook5 introduced in Banuary 9::J. Userve5 rack mounted5 dual core5 dual processor @) server.

#pple sells a variety of computer accessories for *ac computers including the #ir%ort wireless networking products5 Time ;apsule5 #pple ;inema &isplay5 *ighty *ouse5 the #pple Wireless "eyboard computer keyboard5 and the #pple )S. *odem. /Po:

i%od $ano

Cn Cctober 9I5 9::@5 #pple introduced the i%od digital music player. !t has evolved to include various models targeting the needs of different users. The i%od is the market leader in portable music players by a significant margin5 with more than @:: million units shipped as of #pril G5 9::P. #pple has partnered with $ike to introduce the $ike[i%od Sports "it enabling runners to synchroni7e and monitor their runs with iTunes and the $ike[ website. #pple currently sells four variants of the i%od.

i%od classic5 portable media player introduced in 9::@5 with @9:+. capacity. i%od nano5 portable media player introduced in 9::?5 available in H and @J +. models. i%od shuffle5 digital audio player introduced in 9::?5 available in @ and 9 +. models. i%od touch5 portable media player introduced in September 9::P5 available in H5 @J and I9 +. models.

/P;o9+

#t the *acworld ;onference & 21po in Banuary 9::P5 Steve Bobs revealed the long anticipatedQPGR i%hone5 a convergence of an !nternet4enabled smartphone and i%od.QH:R The i%hone combines a 9.?+ quad band +S* and 2&+2 cellular phone with features found in hand held devices5 running a scaled4down versions of #pple8s *ac CS U5 with various *ac CS U applications such as Safari and *ail. !t also includes web4based and &ashboard apps such as +oogle *aps and Weather. The i%hone features a I.?4inch /HG mm0 touch screen display5 M or H +. of memory5 .luetooth5 and Wi4-i /both 6b6 and 6g60.QH@R The i%hone first became available on Bune 9G5 9::P for NMGG /M +.0 and N?GG /H +.0.QH9R Cn Bune G5 9::H5 at WW&; 9::H5 Steve Bobs announced that the i%hone I+ would be available on Buly @@5 9::H. QHIR This version added support for I+ networking and assisted4+%S navigation5 among other things.QHMR
A>>l+ TV

#t the 9::P *acworld conference5 Bobs demonstrated the #pple T'5 /previously known as the iT'05 a set4top video device intended to bridge the sale of content from iTunes with high4 definition televisions. The device links up to a user8s T' and syncs5 either via Wi4-i or a wired network5 with one computer8s iTunes library and streams from an additional four. The #pple T' incorporates a M: +. hard drive for storage5 includes outputs for H&*! and component video5 and plays video at a ma1imum resolution of P9:p. Cn *ay I@5 9::P a @J: +. drive was released alongside the e1isting M: +. model and on Banuary @?5 9::H a software update was released5 which allowed media to be purchased directly from the #pple T'.

So<.=34+ #pple develops its own operating system to run on *acs5 *ac CS U5 the latest version being *ac CS U v@:.? ,eopard. #pple also independently develops computer software titles for its *ac CS U operating system. *uch of the software #pple develops is bundled with its computers. #n e1ample of this is the consumer4oriented i,ife software package which bundles i&'&5 i*ovie5 i%hoto5 iTunes5 +arage.and5 and iWeb. -or presentation5 page layout and word processing5 iWork is available5 which includes "eynote5 %ages5 and $umbers. iTunes5 KuickTime media player5 and Safari web browser are available as free downloads for both *ac CS U and Windows.

#pple also offers a range of professional software titles. Their range of server software includes the operating system *ac CS U ServerE #pple emote &esktop5 a remote systems management applicationE WebCbjects5 Bava Web application serverE and Usan5 a Storage

#rea $etwork file system. -or the professional creative market5 there is #perture for professional #W4format photo processingE -inal ;ut Studio5 a video production suiteE ,ogic5 a comprehensive music toolkit and Shake5 an advanced effects composition program. #pple also offers online services with *obile*e /formerly .*ac0 which bundles personal web pages5 email5 +roups5 i&isk5 backup5 iSync5 and ,earning ;enter online tutorials. *obile*e is a subscription4based internet suite that capitali7es on the ability to store personal data on an online server and thereby keep all web4connected devices in sync. #ccording to surveys by B. &. %ower5 #pple has the highest brand and repurchase loyalty of any computer manufacturer. While this brand loyalty is considered unusual for any product5 #pple appears not to have gone out of its way to create it. #t one time5 #pple evangelists were actively engaged by the company5 but this was after the phenomenon was already firmly established. #pple evangelist +uy "awasaki has called the brand fanaticism 6something that was stumbled upon6. #pple has5 however5 supported the continuing e1istence of a network of *ac )ser +roups in most major and many minor centers of population where *ac computers are available. *ac users meet at the 2uropean #pple 21po and the San -rancisco *acworld ;onference & 21po trade shows where #pple introduces new products each year to the industry and public. *ac developers in turn gather at the annual #pple Worldwide &evelopers ;onference. #pple Store openings can draw crowds of thousands5 with some waiting in line as much as a day before the opening or flying in from other countries for the event.QGHR The $ew (ork ;ity -ifth #venue 6;ube6 store had a line as long as half a mileE a few *ac fans took the opportunity of the setting to propose marriage. The +in7a opening in Tokyo was estimated in the thousands with a line e1ceeding eight city blocks. Bohn Sculley told T#e $uardian newspaper in @GGP3 6%eople talk about technology5 but #pple was a marketing company. !t was the marketing company of the decade.6 *arket research indicates that #pple draws its customer base from an unusually artistic5 creative5 and well4educated population5 which may e1plain the platform<s visibility within certain youthful5 avant4garde subcultures.

;.D& & P!e)e$ & #o$

-or our *arket esearch we used 9 *arket surveys3 @. ;onsumer Survey

9.

etailer Survey

We have attached the actual questionnaire used for the *arket esearch so that you can get an idea as in which Kuestions are being asked5 what do we achieve by the response received and how to interpret the same data to attain our primary and secondary objectives.

#fter you have gone through the Survey -orm attached a &ata analysis for the same data gathered is represented through +raphical epresentations wherever required.

The data gathered was from a target audience of ?: consumers and @: retailers through the form of Kuestionnaires by the means of personal interview conducted by our group members.

D& & A$&/2)#)

-rom ;ustomer survey Kuestion @ we were able to derive the following graphical representation3

%of C onsum erswith P C 's

Dont Ha ve, 14, 14% Ha ve P C 's Dont Have

Ha ve P C 's , 86, 86%

-rom ;ustomer survey Kuestion 9 we were able to come to the following graphical representation3

M&!,e )%&!e o* B!&$'e' 3) A))e"4/e'.

27%
B!&$'e' A))e"4/e'

73%

However the following data was gathered mostly from %rofessionals and students and hence the strong inclination was towards assembled %; as the youth mostly chooses to define their own configuration and specifications.

!n ;ustomer survey Kuestion I did put forward the need to be represented in any graphical form hence moving forward^. -rom ;ustomer survey Kuestion Mth we were able to come to the following graphical representation3

T2:e) o* Me'#& .)e' *o! B!&$' A(&!e$e))

3 30
T3 0o""e!0#&/)

2 20 1 10
Ne() :&:e! DM&1&E#$e) O. 'oo! A'7e! )#)e"e$ Re& #/ P&":%/e ) I$ e!$e S&/e) C&//)

1st !tr
T2:e) o* M&!,e #$1 0o"".$##0& #o$)

-rom ;ustomer survey Kuestion ?th we were able to come to the following graphical representation3

To: ; P!e**e!e' B!&$') *o! B!&$'e' PCF)

1 20 1 00 80 %of the 60 "ar#et 40 20 0

Co":&G IBM A::/e H: De// P!o**e)#o$&/) ; 6? @.; 5? 8@.; S .'e$ ) 9< = 9.; 55.; 85 Re &#/e!) 6? 6 ; 8@.; 6<.;

N&"e o* %e Co":&$#e)
-rom ;ustomer survey Kuestion Jth we were able to come to the following graphical representation3

C ons um ersPrefren%es
100 80 60 40 20 0
P!e*!e$0e)

&thers ' ran( P o)u*arit+ P ri%e , oo#s

$arious P refren%es

;ustomer survey Kuestion Pth and Hth did not put forward any need to be represented in any graphical form hence moving forward^.

-rom ;ustomer survey Kuestion Gth we were able to come to the following graphical representation3

C.) o"e!) C%o#0e #$ B!&$') 3S P!#0e

2-% 4-% 22%

BRAND PRICE BOTH

-rom etailer Surveys Kuestion 9nd we were able to come to the following graphical representation3

To: ; Se//#$1 B!&$') O* PCF)

0 40 30 20 10 0 28 14 3 6 De** C om )a . 4Co":&G H: A::/e De// HCL

<.Co$0/.)#o$

$ow through the research conducted we have gathered the information that .rand #wareness does impact the customer<s mindset especially the .rands which enjoy the Top4of4the4mind #wareness. #ccording to !&; /!D% is t#e premier global pro&ider of mar'et intelligence( ad&isory ser&ices( and e&ents for t#e information tec#nology( telecommunications( and consumer

tec#nology mar'ets" !D% #elps !T professionals( business e)ecuti&es( and t#e in&estment community ma'e fact-based decisions on tec#nology purc#ases and business strategy" *ore t#an +(000 !D% analysts pro&ide global( regional( and local e)pertise on tec#nology and industry opportunities and trends in o&er +00 countries" For more t#an ,, years( !D% #as pro&ided strategic insig#ts to #elp our clients ac#ie&e t#eir 'ey business ob-ecti&es" !D% is a subsidiary of !D$( t#e world.s leading tec#nology media( researc#( and /&ents %ompany"0 ( in the third quarter of 9::M5 the sum total of branded %;s has e1ceeded that of assembled %;s in the overall %; market5 with the former accounting for ?:.? percent and the latter MG.? percent. However5 in the consumer %; market5 the assembled %; is still ahead of branded %;s5 although the percentage has dropped from P: percent to less than ?? percent towards the end of 9::M.

The figure below /-ig @:0 shows us the ,eading .rands in terms of sales in the .randed %;<s section. /%rimary Cbjective0

,eading .rands )nits /9::I0 H;, 9I95@JG H% 99@5GJM !.* @I95?H9

*arketshare/percent0 )nits /9::M0 %ercentage of )nits Shipped (ear4on4(ear +rowth /percent0 G.9 H.H ?.I M5MI5?I? I5HM5:?H @5GH5GPI @I.P @@.G J.9 G@.:M PI.:I ?:.H

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However in the Top4of4the4*ind #wareness category the scene is quite different 5 the figure below will illustrate.

To:-o*- %e-"#$' B!&$' A(&!e$e)) *o! B!&$'e' PCF)

100 -0 80 70 %of the "ar#et 60 0 40 30 20 10 0

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=. L#"# & #o$) > F. .!e S0o:e.

The limitations faced by the .randed %;<s in the market are mainly due to many issues regarding to their price5 parts availability5 etc. #ccording to !&;5 in the third quarter of 9::P5

the sum total of branded %;s has e1ceeded that of assembled %;s in the overall %; market5 with the former accounting for ?:.? percent and the latter MG.? percent. However5 in the consumer %; market5 the assembled %; is still ahead of branded %;s5 although the percentage has dropped from P: percent to less than ?? percent towards the end of 9::P. $ow by the help of our research we were able to find that .rand #wareness in .randed %;<s does affect the consumer<s choice while making the final decision5 which in turn helps the retails in making the sale5 however sometimes it also backfires as the customers tend to drive towards a brand which does not make a sound profit for the retailer5 however the customer is aware of the image that brand carries with it and hence only chooses that specific brand. #s the $o. of interviews carried on for this *arket esearch was limited to only ?: consumers and @: etailers it is difficult to gauge the overall market tendency toward the particular brands based on their .rand #wareness. There were also some difficulties in getting the particular information about the sales info from the etailers as they were either incompetent in providing the info or they simply refused to do so. Some retailers even refused to talk to us as they were of the idea that we were going to reveal their marketing strategies in the market or even worse5 share it with their competitors. -uture recommendations in this research would be to carry out an e4survey /Survey conducted on any particular website0 as it was discovered during the interviews that most of the consumers before buying a pc always do some research regarding the same on the web5 hence we can target these audiences in giving us a better and a clear picture on this given topic.

?. Re0o""e$'& #o$)

#s for growth verticals5 education and e4governance were the hot segments for %; penetration and volumes. !n an effort to drive volumes5 vendors should adopt B439:

A=34+9+11 by penetrating the consumer minds through different 234@+./9A ,;399+l1 and also by lo=),o1. >4/,/9A >ol/,/+1 in these sectors. H;, !nfo systems5 for instance5 has already pushed the price barrier down with the launch of the H;, 27eebee %ride at s @95GG:. Hence they are already enjoying the Top Spot in terms of sales the *arket.

Top ? ecommendations3 ;ompanies should use multiple marketing channels to create .rand #wareness among the targeted segments. etailers should have through knowledge about the .rands and the products they deal in/sometimes retailers do not provide complete info about the product which in turn drives the customer to different brand and that creates a negative impact on the Top4 of4the4mind .rand #wareness towards that product0. Having ,ive &emos for the particular .rands which do not have enough .rand #wareness among the masses to make them aware what that .rand offers. etailers should be aware which market audiences their .rands target and should focus all of their marketing strategies on the same. ;ompanies should try and use low4cost pricing policies as cost4effectively as they can.

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