Apple in Brazil: Always Apple, Thesis

S. (Diaz 2007).

Apple stores may have a slightly different 'spirit' as evidenced by the long-haired slinky girls and champagne in the opening of the Brazilian store, but that is only to honor Apple's emphasis on public relatability. The retail outlets all deploy the same product conception. Apple's first self-run stores in Brazil all stressed friendly, approachable customer service, and Apple also strove to implement its store-within-a-store concept in Brazil soon after the opening of the first store " (Malley 2008). The store-within-a-store concept allows Apple consumers to go to other technology or department stores and receive Apple support and buy Apple products at a booth or kiosk from a knowledgeable, trained company representative.

Apple's overall Latin American strategy overall has come under criticism for some time although its recent expansionist efforts in Brazil have drawn praise. Many nations in the region remain underserved. One Argentinean technology correspondent complained that the iTunes Latino Store does not work in any region in South America, and that there was only a single Apple store in his entire country. Brazil has been more of a focus of Apple's efforts, despite the fact that "Venezuela, which is the number one iPod market in Latin America, doesn't have any official Apple representation in the country, and all products are sold through third parties," which makes "buying an iPod in Latin America...almost an odyssey" for countries that lack Apple Stores (Diaz 2007). It remains difficult in many areas of Latin America to find technical support and accessories, two critical reasons why people often choose Macs (Diaz 2007).

In short, Apple's image and strategy remains the same, regardless of the region, with only small local variants. Its main effort to tailor its strategy involving altering the degree of market entry and hands-on support in the nation. It has yet to deploy Apple Stores and support on a grand scale in much Latin America, perhaps out of fear that its high-end prices cannot be supported by some local economies. How Apple fares in the region, given the current economic downturn, still remains an open question, although its Brazilian marketing efforts remain some of its strongest in the Spanish-speaking world.

Works Cited

Apple Brazil. (2009). Official Website. Retrieved February 9, 2009 at http://www.apple.com/br/

Apple Brazil: Apple Shop Paulista opens officially. (2009, August 8). Visual Media.

Retrieved February 9, 2009 at http://www.visual -- media.com/blog/?p=351

Diaz, Jesus. (2007). Apple to Latin America: We don't care about you. Gizmodo.

Retrieved February 9, 2009 at http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/press/apple-to-latin-america-we-dont-care-about-you-compadres-240341.php

Malley, Aiden. (2007, December 3). Apple Insider. Retrieved February 9, 2009 at http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/12/03/iphone_leads_in_web_stats_brazil_apple_stores_more.html. AppleInsider

Apple in Brazil