Any successful IMC plan has background objectives that serve to give the program shape, intent and a target to reach. In considering this for Apple and their iPod portable music player, the following is a short discussion on IMC objectives as I see them. All content © Peter T. Graber, 2004.

Apple has a long-standing history of product and design innovation. Since starting in 1976 they have consistently been looked to as a leader in developing both hardware and software that pushes the limits of technology and is easy to use, reliable and fashion conscious.

Given this heritage, however, Apple's overall market share in the personal computer market is tiny. When considered in the historical context in which this took place and how the market reacted, the company's early decisions regarding licensing and distribution strategies severely effected Apple's overall ability to get their product into consumers hands. While they experimented with alternative distribution and licensing strategies used in the dominant Windows platform, these were adandoned. Both of these facts limited the company's ability to penetrate the larger consumer market. Because of this, the company has increasingly sought to present solutions that enable computer users to extend the functionality and practicality.

Recently, Apple has utilized its product innovation skills and introduced its iPod portable music player with tremendous success. In doing so, the company has witnessed a huge increase in the number of new users of Apple products and in do so, has created a strong conduit that needs to be exploited to drive growth of their overall brand.

These developments also strongly suggest that the company can maintain relevance to consumers in new ways, ones not strictly centered on their core operating system - the Mac OS - and its derivative hardware.

To help build on these successes, the integrated marketing communications plan I will present will seek to fulfill two key objectives. First is to define and communicate the concept of a comprehensive "digital lifestyle" and clearly explain the value this brings to it core creative consumers. Second, is to establish the company as premier provider of value-added digital components that provide reliable, secure, and platform-neutral extensibility and integration. If successful, Apple can leverage its renewed brand-awareness to move more consumers to their operating system and related hardware products

The Digital Lifestyle
For Apple to successfully define and communicate the value of the 'digital life', everyday consumers must be educated as to what this is, the reasons why it is within their reach and the value it brings when accomplished. To accomplish this, several goals must be met, which include:
- Closely tie Apple products to solutions to digital lifestyle areas or problems.

- Communicate why Apple products enable this to be achieved faster, more reliably than competitors.

- Communicate the benefits of time, convenience and enjoyment this brings to consumers.

Platform Neutral Extensibility
Apple's success with its iPod product suggest the need for innovative, reliable and easy-to-use products that extend the value of consumers' pre-existing hardware and computer usage habits. To these ends, Apple must seek to:
- Position the iPod as an 'extension solution', not just a digital jukebox.

- Maintain domain market position in the portable media and accessories market.

- 50K New users to its iDisk web-based storage service.

Time Frames
The time frame to achieve these objectives will be 24 months. As the company works to introduce newer and upgraded products, refinements and adjustments may need to take place. The key, however, is to maintain consistency. Also, since both objectives build on one another, the company must place primary emphasis on the extensibility message in an effort to speed the understanding to the digital lifestyle concept. The objectives in this section need to be achieved in a somewhat shorter timeframe.

Measurement
To ascertain if this IMC plan is successful, measurement and evaluation of the program needs to be carried-out on many levels. Most important is for the company to determine how many of its new consumers (via the iPod) have subsequently purchased its desktop hardware and software, or other digital lifestyle products. Also important is to measure how consumers view the company before and after the campaign. A variety of qualitative and quantitative tools will be used in an effort to measure this.