Written statement about educational psychology (Human Development) Personal

Written about educational psychology (Human Development) - Personal Statement Example My interest in human psychology and educational background make me a suitable candidate to get admission in the University of Colorado’s master degree program. I believe that a master degree in this field will definitely help me achieve my personal and professional goals. One main reason for applying in this program is related to my professional life. I want to establish my career in the field of educational psychology, and that is only possible if I get an opportunity to get a master degree from a prestigious university. University of Colorado is known for its highly qualified faculty not only in field of educational psychology (human development) but also in all other courses being offered by the university. It is due to the well-experienced faculty of the University of Colorado, that I have taken my decision to do masters from this great university. I want to complete my education under the guidance of well-experienced faculty of the University of Colorado, as it will help me become a professional in the field of educational psychology. After completing my education, I want to use my knowledge and skills to ensure proper child development, to bring productive changes in the lives of children, and to make children come out of educational stress. I want to be skilled in using educational and psychological assessment techniques to help children who face difficulties in learning and social adjustment. I believe that a country can progress only if its citizens get high quality education from the top universities of the world. I have collected facts about the universities, which offer Master in Education Psychology (Human Development) program and after analyzing all facts and issues, I have made up my mind to pursue the master degree from the University of Colorado because it provides highest quality education in all fields of study. I believe that the

Alignment of HRM and Business Strategies Research Paper

Alignment of HRM and Business Strategies - Research Paper Example Managers can also find ways of enabling hotel employees to see how their improved actions impact on the hotel’s well-being. For instance, if the hotel’s training program is centered on the importance of decreasing accidents that take place in the workplace, the management could ensure that the workers are shown how average costs can be saved in their training programs through factors such as reduced medical expenses, employee compensation, and even legal expenses (Cho, Woods, Jang, & Erdem, 2006). Another way to ensure that HR functions are aligned with business objectives is by ensuring that the hotel’s management body is in support of all proposed programs, and generates partnerships with the team entrusted with dispensing the training programs. To determine the effectiveness of training programs, hotels can create engagement surveys that allow workers to offer feedback on the programs. The hotel could also conduct culture surveys as well as employee satisfaction surveys in order to collect important feedback that functions as an indicator of the impact being had by the program. Other factors that can be used to assess the performance of HR programs include productivity rates, the rate of turnover, and even profitability of the hotel (Davidson, Guilding, & Timo, 2006). The HR jobs included in the Marriott’s HR department include bell persons, door persons, vacation planners, front desk agents and room controllers, bell captains, supervisors, front desk managers, front office managers, room operations directors, service agents, runners and supervisors, reservation agents and group coordinators, sales and public relations coordinators, house keeping persons and administrative clerks, housekeeping managers, the director of services, loss prevention officers and drivers, casino compliance and supervisor agents, recreation attendants,

SWOT Analysis of Danone UK

SWOT Analysis of Danone UK EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Activia and Actimel are the two probiotic yoghurt brands that are currently being marketed by Danone in the UK. The current market strategy for these products is that they are healthy food and part of a healthy lifestyle. Some modifications were made in the currents marketing strategy, which include modifying the current target market for both brands. These brands have the potential to make Danone UK Limited the market leader in the United Kingdom. 1. DANONE: THE PROBIOTIC BRANDS; THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE. Danone UK limited, is a UK based subsidiary of the French company group Danone, which has its organizational headquarters situated in France. Danone UK is into the production and marketing of dairy products and water. Most of group Danone brands are household names in the United Kingdom and internationally, and they include the probiotic dairy brands; Activia and Actimel (DATAMONITOR, 2009). The dairy division of the Danone group, is a leader in the production of dairy products worldwide, and presently holds about 22% of the dairy products global market share (DATAMONITOR, 2009). Group Danone has different subsidiaries in varying countries and each brand has a unique attribute and name that appeals to the region or country where they are marketed. 1.1. SWOT ANALYSIS The strength, weakness, opportunities and threats that are currently influencing Danone UK are highlighted in the table below. Table: 1 STRENGTHS Health conscious company Innovative Products and marketing Customer oriented Research focused WEAKNESSES Lack of long term planning uncorroborated claims OPPORTUNITIES Health consciousness among populace Growth in awareness on digestive health Probiotic bacteria awareness THREATS New entrants Increased competition Stores own brand Increase in cost of milk and production Consumer unawareness on benefits of good bacteria Government regulation on health claim of probiotic brands 1.2. PEST ANALYSIS GRID The grid below highlights some of the factors that affect the market presently and therefore gives an idea on the way forward in the present market environment. Table 2: POLITICAL ECONOMIC SOCIAL TECHNOLOGY Government debt Recession Unemployment Trends in Research Government policy Research sponsorship Advert withdrawal E-commerce Cold weather New technology Migration 2. MARKET ANALYSIS: UK YOGHURT MARKET The UK yoghurt market comprises of the spoonable yoghurts (pots), drinkable yoghurt (drinks) and tube yoghurts. (Mintel Oxygen, 2009) The market share value of the drinking yoghurt has seen a decrease in recent years as more people turn to more healthy option of yoghurt products that more often come in pots and tubes; the tube yoghurt is more attractive for children as parents can pack it into lunch boxes for them, thus this area has also seen a significant growth in recent years. The pots yoghurt market saw an increase in sales as they offer fewer calories and some come with health claims that lead to an increase in sales, the most active category in recent time has been the probiotic or healthy yoghurt category (spoonable) (Euromonitor,2009). Development of new products and increase in sales in some categories of the yoghurt market have mostly been due to health issues, as the behaviour of consumers suggest that they prefer a healthy lifestyle and also love to indulge, thus the development of new products that offer both a healthy and indulgence option. This trend has lead to the improvement in performance of the yoghurt market generally, in comparison to other desert options. The yogurt and Fromage Frais (pots and tubes) currently hold about 15.60% of the dairy market share in the UK (Data Monitor, 2009). The pots and tubes are the best performers in the market, and they hold about 85% of the market share, while the drinking yoghurt has been largely affected by competition from other markets that offer or claim to offer a more healthy option in form of drinks e.g. smoothies and fruits juices (or soft drinks). 2.1. MARKET SEGMENTATION Majority of the market share for 2008 as seen above was held by top manufacturers which include Muller, Danone and Yoplait. Supermarkets own brands are gradually gaining a large percent of the market share, with other brands constituting about 27% of the total market share. The probiotic yoghurt brands of Danone UK are doing well in the market currently, and account for about 19% of the UK yoghurt market share. 2.2 COMPETITOR ANALYSIS Muller dairy UK is Danone UK main competitor and the current market leader. Muller has being the market leader for a while and they function across the entire yoghurt category. Some of the Muller brands are not doing so well in the market, with some consumers perceiving it as too sweet and unhealthy, but with recent brand repositioning, re-launches and new products introduced in the market they are able to continually hold onto the number one spot. Weakness: The major weakness of the Muller brands is that consumers still perceive them as unhealthy, as they usually have high sugar content (Mintel Oxygen, 2009). 2.3 COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: Danone Has exclusive patent on the friendly bacteria (Lactobacilli casei Imunitass) used in addition with other bacteria in Actimel. All probiotic brands by Danone are considered healthy, hence the first choice for consumers who prefer a healthy way of life. 3. BRAND POSITIONING Probiotic yoghurts contain live bacteria that positively aid the consumers digestive system by improving microbial balance in the intestine. The probiotic brands Actimel and Activia are in the spoonable (Activia), drinking (Actimel) and the healthy option categories. In comparison, some major competing brands are perceived as unhealthy with great taste and very sweet e.g. Muller brands are perceived as unhealthy due to the sweet taste and the fact that the brands are positioned as all day snacks (Euromonitor , 2009). PERCEPTUAL MAP Healthy Actimel Activia Muller Vitality Poor taste Great taste Muller Light Unhealthy 3.1 ACTIVIA Activia is in the class of spoonable yoghurt (pots), and is in the healthy brand category. It contains the probiotic bacterium (friendly bacteria) that helps in improving the functions of the digestive system. Activia comes in fat free and low calorie flavours that consumers see as a great benefit; thus Activia has seen a rapid increase in market share since its launch in 2002, and it is one of the best performers in its category due to innovation which comprises health benefit and indulgence (Mintel Oxygen, 2009). It has a wide range of flavour in packs of four and eight pots and recently it has been proposed to introduce single pots for people with a busy lifestyle or people on the go. 3.2 ACTIMEL This is in the drinking yoghurt category, and contains the probiotic bacteria L.casei Imunitass; its main function is boosting and providing support for the immune system. Actimel has 13 different varieties, and 4 have zero percent fat content. Actimel aids the bodys immune system by fighting off germs when consumed on a daily or regular basis (Danone, 2009). 3.3 BRAND PERSONALITY GRID The consumer perception of Activia and Actimel are highlighted in the personality grid below (Table 3 and 4). ACTIVIA PERSONALITY VALUE BENEFIT ATTRIBUTE Physically fit Quintessential Indulging Wide variety range Healthy Innovative Convenient Handy Delightful Trustworthy Rich taste Relieves bloating Reliable Variety ACTIMEL PERSONALITY VALUE BENEFIT ATTRIBUTE Healthy Nutritious Boost immunity Wide product range Tasty Trusted Rejuvenation Different flavours Immunity Reliable 4. TARGET MARKET AND STRATEGY: THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE Target Market Activia Women ACTIMEL Senior citizens Adults Rest of population 4.1 MARKETING STRATEGY (PRESENT SITUATION): The Probiotic brands are currently marketed as health beneficial products, with the emphasis on â€Å"good bacteria†, and the need to see the brands as part of a healthy way of life and not just as a snack. 4.2 ACTIVIA The current marketing strategy for Activia focuses solely on women and it was put in place in response to consumer demand for healthy products. Activia is positioned as an indulgent healthy food that helps women in reducing the feeling of being bloated especially after meals, and also aids in regulating the function of the digestive system. In a recent advert a woman is seen feeling more physically fit and flexible after having a pot of Activia. An interactive website has also been set up for Activia and the content is specifically for women as it gives them health tips and encourages them to share their story on the benefits of Activia. The website has a health based outlook that further reinforces the fact that Activia is a healthy brand. (Danone , 2009) Adults on the go are gradually being included in the current strategy, with the plan to introduce single pots of Activia (Mintel Oxygen, 2009). 4.2.1 DRAWBACK This strategy targets only the women in the population, and in some ways most women in a particular age demographic i.e. 25 and above. Although this strategy has been successful so far; what steps can be taken to prevent the present segment of consumers from shifting loyalty to a brand that is healthy, of good quality and is priced lower. What can be done to increase the present target market, as large segments of the population which include children, active adults and the elderly have not been included in this strategy. 4.2.2 MODIFICATION As manager of the probiotic brands of Danone UK Ltd, I will increase the target market to include families and the elderly. The family market will include children and men, while the elderly include men and women from age 55 and upwards. This segment of the population (55+) is going to see a rapid increase in sales and market share in the future as the population ages, and with the right marketing mix of price, distribution and place, this target segment offers great potential of growth for the future of the market (Mintel Oxygen, 2009). The family segment will come with a rebranding option that will target the women who have families. As women do most of the household shopping, when they buy Activia for themselves, they will have no option but to buy for their families. More flavours and packaging should be introduced to appeal to children and their parents. The current marketing strategy for the women consumers also have to be continued and improved to make the customers remain even when offered cheaper varieties, and to do this, loyalty programmes have to be introduced i.e. where consumers gain points for each pack of Activia bought. Although this might seem expensive for the company at the start of the program, as it has to be in conjunction with supermarkets, but in the long run it will be advantageous as we would have gained a loyal customer base. The present website also has to be improved to include healthy recipes tips as women love to cook healthy for their families. An interactive educational website should be introduced for children; activities on the website can include opportunity for children to pick their favourite Activia flavours, competitions that will include one where kids get the opportunity to mix different fruity flavours and submit their entries online, with opportunities to win prices. When children are loyal to their favourite brand (Activia) parents will have no choice but to also become loyal, in that way we also get families to be consumers of the Activia brand. Thus our market share will see an increase that will come from this segment of the population. 4.5 ACTIMEL The current marketing strategy for Actimel is capitalising on the immune system boosting characteristic of the probiotic bacteria in the drink and also the claim that it improves the body capacity to combat stress for people with busy lifestyles, through the action of the bacteria in the gut. In recent times, the company has also aimed to encourage the use of Actimel by patients in the hospital as a recent study shows that Actimel has the capacity to aid patients fight off infections. Advertising and promotional activities by Danone on Actimel has helped to boost the image of this brand by placing it as a brand that supports active lifestyles and is also healthy. 4.5.1 DRAWBACK An advert for Actimel was recently banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), that the claims made by Danone on Actimel (that it boosts the natural defence of children) were not supported by sound scientific evidence (BBC, 2009); a few consumers will brand Actimel as untrustworthy. To restore the image of Actimel, scientific evidence that proves that it helps boost the natural defence of children has to be peer reviewed before publishing. Although some health professionals have said it improves immunity, this has to be reinforced so the customers can have trust in the brand. The target population for Actimel has to re-defined, as it is currently vague (covers the whole segment of the population). 4.5.2 MODIFICATION The target market for Actimel has to be clearly defined, as it seems to target all the members of the population at the moment. The population has to be segmented, and each segment given a definite strategy and marketing plan that is specific for it. The proposed target market will be segmented as shown in fig 4. There is a lot of potential in targeting the elderly and hospital patients, as they need things to help boost their immunity, and Actimel can perform that function, hence there is an opportunity of growth here. The current market strategy of positioning Actimel as a healthy lifestyle choice is great, and will work well with all segments of the population especially the adults with an active way of life. The brand should be repositioned in the children segment, as the problem with the advert can affect sales that are generated. Thus positioning it as a healthy option for children, that offers the benefit of friendly bacteria, with proven scientific studies will enable Actimel regain the trust of consumers from this segment of the population. 5. CONCLUSION Actimel and Activia have been doing well so far in the UK market, and have the potential to do better in the future. The current marketing strategies for these two brands need to be improved on. The segmenting of the target population for Actimel will give a clearer view of the market strategy put in place to enable it gain more market shares from competitors like yakult and Muller vitality. The target market for Activia will need to be expanded in order to enable Activia gain market shares in the mainstream yoghurt market. It is perceived as a healthy brand, thus it has the potential to get more market share if the target population is increased. In the future the customer base of Activia and Actimel will remain loyal as loyalty schemes will be introduced to enable them stay faithful to the brand as long as the option of indulgence and healthy living at the right price is offered. New flavours that will keep consumers interested and innovative products will definitely make and keep Danone as a leader in the UK yoghurt market. References BBC. (2009, October). Healthy yoghurt advert banned. Retrieved December 1, 2009, from News Website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8305918.stm Danone . (2009). Danone Activia. Retrieved December 29, 2009, from Your digestive health matters website: http://www.danoneactivia.co.uk/ Danone. (2009). Actimel L.casei Imunitass. Retrieved November 30, 2009, from How Actimel Can Help You: http://www.actimel.co.uk/Benefits/Default.aspx Danone UK Ltd. (2008). Danone. Retrieved November 30, 2009, from About Danone Mission Website: http://www.danone.co.uk/mission.htm DATAMONITOR. (2009). GROUPE DANONE. London: Datamonitor. Euromonitor . (2009). Yoghurt United Kingdom. London: Euromonitor International. Mintel Oxygen. (2009, May). Yogurt UK May 2009. Retrieved November 27, 2009, from Market Share and Product Positioning website: http://academic.mintel.com/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show/display/id=393957/display/id=460332#hit1 Mintel Oxygen. (2009, May). Yogurt UK May 2009. Retrieved November 27, 2009, from Segment performance website: http://academic.mintel.com/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show/display/id=393957/display/id=460332?select_section=460331 Mintel Oxygen. (2009, May). Yogurt UK May 2009. Retrieved November 28, 2009, from Table of content website: http://academic.mintel.com/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show/display/id=393957/display/id=460331?select_section=460345

Student Achievement Essay -- Education Class Size School Essays

Student Achievement This is a research paper I did to see if class size is related to student achievement. I used two studies to see if class size was related to student achievement. When you read my paper you will gain the knowledge of how controversial this issue is. It shows the actual findings of two studies. My paper shows how younger kids are benefiting from the smaller classes. There is still ongoing research to really decide if smaller really is better. Many parents and teachers desire smaller classes for their children. However, are smaller classes necessarily increasing student achievement? It has been an assumption that if a student is in a small class setting, there are fewer distractions and the learning experience is greater. People feel children have more individualized attention, which may lead young students towards greater academic success. Research has been conducted across the country to see if smaller class size is really better. The number of students in a classroom recently became a controversial issue. There has been research that shows that class size depends on many variables. Some of these variables include the age level of students, subject matter taught, and instructional methods used. â€Å"Recent statistical syntheses of this research reveal that the instructional benefits of smaller classes are most significant for classes numbering under twenty students; in those with twenty five to forty students class size has little overall effect on educational quality† (Ellis, 1984, p.1). The benefits of a smaller class include increased one-on-one learning between the student and the teacher. This also allows the teacher to ascertain a student’s learning ability. If there are fewer stude... ..., Smith, P, Zahorik, J, Halbach, A, Ehrle, K, Hoffman, L, & Cross, B. (2001). 2000-2001 Evaluation results of the student achievement guarantee in education (SAGE) program. Retrieved April 28, 2003 from the World Wide Web at http://www.asu.edu/educ/epsl/SAGE/annual_reports/2000-2001%20Evaluation/epru-0201-104.htm#overview â€Å"Sage Initiative Evaluation†. (February 2002). Sage and direct instruction projects. Retrieved April 28, 2003 from the World Wide Web at http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/CERAI/sage.html. This website was about Project SAGE. It explained exactly what the study intended to do. For example, it planned to: Reduce the student-teacher ratio in their classrooms to 15:1 in grades K-3; Stay open extended hours (creating "lighted schoolhouses"); Develop rigorous academic curriculums; and, Implement plans for staff development and professional accountability.

Marketing Excellence: BMW Essay

? 1. What are the pros and cons to BMW’s selective target marketing? What has the firm done well over the years and where could it improve? When I see someone riding in a BMW, I know that they must be making good money. The stereotype for people who drive BMW’s is that they are rich, and these are the people that the people over at BMW target. The pros to targeting the higher income population is that they will be targeting people who are more likely to purchase their product. Since BMW is known as a luxury car, people who have lower incomes are less likely to purchase from them. The cons to the selective marketing are that by not advertising to lower income people, they have nothing to be motivated for. Someone could see a BMW ad, and be motivated to one day own one. Since the market is specifically the wealthier incomes, the lower income population may not be as aware of BMW. I see commercials for Mercedes all of the time now, and I know that I can’t afford one yet. As soon as I’m able too, I plan on making it a priority to purchase a Mercedes. The firm has done a great job of improving its vehicles over the years. They have added so many electronic features to its cars to stay up to date with technology. BMW also has come out with high-performance SUV’s for people with larger families and who are more active. To improve, I would suggest that they maybe create a model for the lower income population. Considering the majority of the population is middle-class or lower, there is a whole untapped market for BMW to reach. 2. BMW’s sales slipped during the worldwide recession in 2008 and 2009. Is its segmentation strategy too selective? Why or why not? I would say that their strategy is not too selective. During the recession, everybody struggled. So to blame BMW for their strategy that had made them so successful in the first place would not be fair. I believe that their strategy could’ve actually helped them during that time. Since BMW is so selective, they are only targeting people that have money anyways. So money that they spend on advertising wasn’t necessarily being wasted.

Iphone Marketing strategy Essay

Since its launch, in 2007, and until the end of 2013, Apple sold 500 million iPhones. It’s an impressive number. in 2012 alone, Apple sold 120 million iPhones, in 2013 Apple sold 160 million iPhones. Without a doubt, the iPhone has become a ‘cult product’, a ‘must have’ device. Which are the secrets behind the iPhone astounding success? To understand the spectacular iPhone success, and the iPhone phenomenon, we need to start by analyzing the cellular telephone market in the years immediately before the launch of the first iPhone, And the situation inside Apple. Before the iPhone launch, infact, Apple was not a cellular telephone manufacturer, and had zero experience in cellular telephones marketing.  Its only expertise was in computer hardware, computer software, and in portable music devices (the iPod). In 2005-2006, the cellular telephone market was considered a mature and saturated market, with narrow margins, dominated by Nokia and Motorola. And by the Blackberry in the high end, especially in the business and corporate world, which were needing email writing, sending and receiving capability on their cellphone, with a suitable keyboard for texting messages. A mature and saturated market with a fiery competition, such as the cellphone market in 2005-2006, was allowing narrow margins, therefore was unanimously considered unappealing by financial and business analysts. When rumours came out, in 2005-2006, that Apple was in the process of developing a cellular telephone, financial and business analysts were at best ‘skeptical’.   To be true, the consensus among financial analysts was that the ‘Apple cellphone’ would have been a terrible flop. Some of them were privately saying that they were suspecting Apple executives had gone completely mad, to enter such a saturated and non-profitable market. Very few, among the business analysts, had the more objective attitude to just ‘wait and see’.  Then, the day came, and the iPhone was launched.  But Apple began with 3 huge, terrible mistakes. We expand on them onwards. When the iPhone was launched, in June 2007, it made an impact. It impressed. The touch user interface and the sleek and beautiful design by Jonathan Ive and his team made it a masterpiece of technology and design. The iPhone was decidedly a superior product.  had a host of pluses against the competition (Nokia, Motorola, Blackberry) It was a highly innovative product, a different product from the other cellphones on the market at the time. Moreover, it was significantly larger and bulkier than the other cellular telephones in the market, when the market trend, for years, had been to have smaller and smaller cellphones: the smaller cellphone you had, the cooler you were. The Apple iPhone went decidedly against the trend. Today, in 2013, with 500 million iPhones sold, and with Apple stock market capitalization at $500 billion, it is easy to affirm that the iPhone has been a game changer. It surely has. Ultimately, today we can affirm that the appearance of the iPhone on the market caused the death of the Blackberry, and the loss by Nokia and Motorola of their previously dominant position in the cellular telephone market. The reason is simple: The iPhone is a clearly superior product. Its touch control features, and its enticing user interface, made the iPhone become a ‘cult product’. But in 2005-2006, before it came out, things were different. And the perception was different when the iPhone first came out. No-one, in 2006, would have imagined that an ‘Apple cellphone’ would have sold 500 million units in 6 years.. No-one would have thought this even in June 2007, when it was launched. The first generation iPhone was launched – only in the US – on June 29, 2007. It was subsequently launched in three more markets – UK, Germany and France – 5 months later, in November 2007. In July 2008 the second generation iPhone, the iPhone 3G, was launched at the same time in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France,Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico and Brasil. The third generation iPhone, the iPhone 3GS, was launched in June 2009. Each iPhone generation had more features that the previous generation, and had longer battery life, and rendered the previous generation iPhones obsolete. The fourth generation iPhone, the iPhone 4, was launched in June 2010. The iPhone 4S was launched in October 2011. The iPhone 5 was launched in September 2012. The iPhone 5C and 5S were launched in September 2013. Planned Obsolescence has been a conscious marketing strategy by Apple. Thus, any Apple costumers knows (or pretend not to know) that he buys a product that in 12 months will become old and obsolete. However, examining the sales data, this ‘planned obsolescence’ strategy paid off for Apple, But which were the 3 serious marketing strategy mistakes that Apple made when it launched the iPhone? The 3 Mistakes that Apple made when it launched the iPhone. Mistake #1. To purchase an iPhone, you had to sign a 24 months contract with AT&T. You had to ‘marry’ AT&T. And many potential costumers did not want this marriage. you were locked on a 24 months contract with AT&T. An expensive contract. In the end, if you were wanting to buy an iPhone, its real cost was more than 2000 dollars. Why forcing your costumers to sign a contract with a service provider? And why a single provider, not giving any other choice? Why not letting your costumers simply buy an iPhone, and let them free to arrange a contract as they please? Infact, there were numerous complaints by iPhone costumers and potential costumers, on this issue. Even, a widespread hacking practice took place, significantly called â€Å"jailbreak†: on several websites appeared step by step instructions on how to hack the iPhone software to let it operate with a different service provider. Infact, 3.3 million iPhones were sold in the US between June andl December 2007, but only 2 million contracts were signed with AT&T. Were did the remaining 1.3 million iPhones go? It has to be remarked that the iPhone jailbreak practice infurated Apple executives, who, instead of recognized their marketing strategy mistake, criminalized the jailbreaking behaviour, to the point of blackmailing costumers doing the jailbraking. Mistake #2. On June 29, 2007 the iPhone was launched in the US. It was put on sale only in the US, and in no other nation in the world. Only in November 2007, 5 months later, the iPhone was launched in a few other countries. To be precise, it was launched in just 3 other countries: UK, Germany and France. In each of these countries with the same silly formula that Apple used in the US, forcing the costumer to sign a 24 months contract with a service provider. and in each country with a different provider: O2 in the UK, T-Mobile in Germany, Orange in France. This was a bad marketing choice by Apple.  There were millions of potential costumers all around the world who were wanting to buy an iPhone, but couldn’t, because in their own country it was not on sale.  Many of them went to such length to ask to their friends in the US – or traveling to the US – to buy one for them. Finally, only on July 11, 2008, one full year after the initial launch in the US, the iPhone was put on sale in other countries, in Europe: Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Netherlands, Belgium;  and in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Brasil. It was already the 3rd generation iPhone, the iPhone 3G and 3GS. Why so late? Besides, it is interesting to verify the jam and confusion of different prices, terms and monthly fees charged by the service providers in the European countries: O2 in the UK, T-Mobile in Germany, Austria and Netherlands, Orange in France, Swisscom in Switzerland, Vodafone in Italy, Telia Sonera in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland. It was the perfect formula to confuse potential iPhone costumers and push them away. A self-hammering marketing strategy by Apple. In our opinion, this was a totally wrong marketing strategy by Apple. Infact, numbers do not lie: from July 2008 until the end of 2013, Apple sold a total of 500 million iPhones. From June 2007 until December 2007 – when the iPhone was available only in US – only 3.3 million iPhones had been sold. Mistake #3 – iPhone Pricing. On June 29, 2007, when the iPhone was launched in the US, its retail price was.$599. Just 3 months after, Apple reduce the iPhone price to $399 – a 33% rebate – . This was an unelegant way to betray and exploit the iPhone early adopters – Apple most faithful costumers. And infact, many of them complained with Apple. A smart and attentive company must not indulge in such serious mistakes, betraying their most faithful customer base. Apple had other 3 better options: Apple could have waited 1 year before reducing the price of the iPhone, or: Apple could have delayed the iPhone launch for 3 months, or: Apple could have set the iPhone retail price at $399, since the initial launch. Besides, in July 2008, the iPhone 3G was sold at $199, 66% less than the launch price of just one year earlier. This is not a serious pricing policy. Consideration. Each of these 3 mistakes constituted a bottleneck factor which confused costumers, and seriously hampered the iPhone sales potential in the first year and a half. However, in the following years Apple corrected and amended these mistakes, and things went smoothly and successfully for the company. Infact, from 2008 until 2013, Apple sold 500 million units. in 2012 alone, Apple sold 120 million iPhones, in 2013 Apple sold 120 million iPhones. The iPhone was also a precursor product of the iPad. The iPad, infact, has numerous features and technologies which derive from the iPhone, the main one being the touch control system and the user interface. The iPad, infact, is a sort of ‘big brother’ of the iPhone. The iPhone certainly has been the key product of the spectacular growth of Apple revenues – today at $156 billion in 1 year -, of Apple profits, and stock market capitalization – today at $500 billion, making Apple the #1 company in Wall St. See more at: http://www.vertygoteam.com/apple/iphone_marketing_strategy.php#sthash.YDqfyvTj.dpuf