Who is an Apple consumer and what defines them? A qualitative study.
Abstract
Previous literature identifies Apples segmentation strategy as a focus upon their
consumers’ wealth; however, this current marketing strategy is not reflected within
Apple’s contemporaneous sales data. Understanding the behaviour of an Apple
consumer will ensure the future success of the Apple brand. This study considers brand
loyalty in Apple consumers using semi-structured interviews to identify behavioural
themes. This could help to define an Apple consumer in a more direct manner and
improve Apples targeting strategies. The results of this study showed that defining a
consumer is complex and their purchasing decisions are heavily influenced by personal
motivations. Six potential themes emerged from the data, many of which were influenced
by emotional factors. Not only where they Influenced by emotion, behaviours and
characteristics of an Apple consumer where identified. Apple consumers may have a
desire to fit in, within the context of a social setting. Consumers described Apple as being
more than just a brand, suggesting this comparison is synonymous with their social
lifestyle and a need to be part of a group as a described within social identity theory. The
wide range of consumer spending that Apple’s sales data indicated can be explained by
youth entitlement. The data identified young consumers (under 25’s) buy premium
products without regards for their financial position, therefore sales distribution disparity
is explained as a high number of Apple sales are made of young consumers. These data
also demonstrate aspects of consumers’ lifestyles that push them to buy Apple products
due to their suitability, which is reinforced though critical theory of technology. This effect
is not apparent when consumer wealth is the sole focus, as Apple currently do. Future
research should focus on the wider context of consumer purchasing decisions, such other factors influencing purchasing behaviours and consumers that buy from other
brands.