Marketing activities

Marketing Activities Background Dell Computers market strategy consists of direct sales and build-to-order product, which has given it the edge in minimizing its inventory, and bringing new products to the market as quickly as possible. This has enabled it to achieve a high market share in the computer market, and provide enhanced returns to its stake holders in an extremely competitive environment (Kramer, Dedrick & Yamashiro, 2000). Apple Computers riding on its success of the I-Pod has taken a distinctive step in the orientation of its computer products. Apple all this while concentrated on the hardware of its product, drawing customers that were extremely selective in their purchase of computers. By moving its Apple Mac operating system from IBM and Freescale Semiconductor Intel chips, Apple has moved away from the up market computer image that it had, and is now positioned to attract any computer buyer (Lukovitz, 2007).
Marketing Promotion Activities
Dell Computers has used the power of the Internet to provide awareness of its products and the place from where to acquire its products. To Dell Computers the Internet has been an extremely suitable means to provide the place of sale for its product of personal computers, targeting the market segment for personal and business purchase of computers. It is not that Dell computers has not used offline means to create awareness. It has used means like the television media for advertisements to create awareness, but has found the Internet more powerful and easier to gauge response of its promotional activities. The successful use of the Internet is what has powered Dell Computers to its leading position in the personal computer market (Enos, 2001). In a move to make use of the powerful players on the Internet, Dell Computers has strategically tied up with leader in Web search and advertising Google to ward off the threat from Hewlett-Packard. It will provide its Google desktop with Google Toolbar software on its personal computers, while Google will help create awareness and sales of the new PowerEdge servers from Dell. These efforts stem from competitor activities to cut into Dell’s market share through reduction in price. (Dells New Marketing Strategy – Google, Servers & Storage Systems).
Dell Computers also uses innovative offline marketing promotion strategies. An example of this is in its attempts to reach out to the student market for personal computers and laptops. In 2007, it tested the promotion of its products through student’s mobile devices, using a free offer for a plasma TV and free music download, for visiting the Web site provided for it. A sure hit with students, which was seen in the student response to it. Dell is all set to reduce its presence in the print advertising media and move to such innovative offline promotional vehicles like mobile phones and expands its online promotional activities through a presence in Facebook and MySpace (D’Antonio, 2007).
The higher price of its computer combined with the graphics quality software in it, caused Apple to target the market of professionals in the computer market or the high end personal computer market. This market segmentation witnessed Apple Computers giving a large role to offline promotion in the creation of awareness of its products and marketing its products. An example of this lies in its combining with movie companies in promotion of their movies. When 20th Century Fox released “ Independence Day”, it teamed up for the promotion of the movie and had its PowerBook computer promoted in the movie, as the computer used by the computer expert in saving the world (Apple Ties in with 2oth Century Fox “ Independence Day”).
Success with the I-pod has led to a change in the computer products that it markets and its market promotion activities have changed to cater to the other segments of the markets. Off line advertisements in the television and media try to convey the message from Apple that its Apple Mac are used by ordinary people and that they find it better than personal computers. To reduce the impact of the higher prices of the Apple Mac, price discounts of ten percent are offered to students. Artists participating in the creation of I-tunes are offered discounts on the hardware and software of the Apple computer. The changes in its marketing and promotional activities have resulted in the market share for Apple computers increasing (Lennon, 2008).

Literary References
D’Antonio, M. (2007). Dell takes marketing mobile. Retrieved February 2, 2009, from, CRM News Web Site: http://searchcrm. techtarget. com/news/article/0, 289142, sid11_gci1256062, 00. html
Dells New Marketing Strategy – Google, Servers & Storage Systems. 2008. Retrieved February 2, 2009, from, SOFTPEDIA Web Site: http://news. softpedia. com/news/Dell-s-New-Marketing-Strategy-Google-Servers-Storage-Systems-26640. shtml
Enos, L. (2001). I-Marketing Interview: Dell. Retrieved February 2, 2009, from, ECOMMERCE TIMES Web Site: http://www. ecommercetimes. com/story/12804. html
Kramer, L. K., Dedrick, J. & Yamashiro, S. (2000). Refining and Extending the Business Model With Information Technology: Dell Computer Corporation, The Information Society, 16(1), 5-21.
Lennon, J. (2008). Apple Vs. Dell: Marketing Promotions. Retrieved February 2, 2009, from, Associated Content: Business & Finance Web Site: http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/1102261/apple_vs_dell_marketing_promotions. html? cat= 35
Lukovitz, K. (2007). Marketer of the Year: Apple Computer. Retrieved February 2, 2009, from, Media Post’s Marketing Daily Web Site: http://publications. mediapost. com/index. cfm? fuseaction= Articles. showArticleHomePage&art_aid= 53218