A laptop has become a very important asset in the twenty-first century. According to Statista, in 2019, almost half of private households worldwide were estimated to have a laptop at home.
Over the years, the number has steadily increased worldwide as the importance was further pronounced by Covid 19 which made computer acquisition a necessity, especially for those who resorted to working remotely, making computer usage and internet access more prevalent around the world.
In addition to serving as a workstation, a new model laptop is a tool that is designed to be more adept for different kinds of jobs because they are equipped with better technology as most are designed to be lightweight with better picture quality.
However, in choosing a computer brand, so many factors are put into consideration such as the size of the computer, the brand, the battery life, lifespan, and the operating system, among a host of other factors.
Laptop brands
For the purpose of this article, the highlight is on computer brands such as Mac, HP, Dell, and other laptops and their special features that make one preferable to others.
Dell laptops are developed and marketed by Dell Technologies; the parent company of DELL and Dell inc. The American technology brand develops, sells, repairs, and supports computers and related products and services and is known for how it manages its supply chain and electronic commerce. The company emerged as one of the first IT companies to have a global recycling program for IT equipment & computer peripherals.
On the other hand, HP laptop is built by Hewlett-Packard Company, an American multinational information technology company headquartered in California and provides a wide variety of hardware components, as well as software and related services to small and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises – which includes customers in the government, health, and education sectors.
MacBook is a brand of Macintosh notebook computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. it replaced the PowerBook and iBook brands during the Mac transition to Intel processors, announced in 2005.
Meanwhile, all three brands adopt different marketing strategies which help to position each competitively in the market and achieve their business goals and objectives. The three-laptop brand will be considered in terms of the Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.
Product
Dell Laptop is designed to benefit consumers and businesses and the brand has continued to constantly innovate and improve the quality of PCs and accessories to its customers, over the years, Dell has introduced products including; Venue for tablets Android and Windows, Alienware for high-performance gaming systems, Gaming series for high/medium-performance gaming laptops, XPS series for high-end desktop as well as notebook computers and inspiron for electronic medical records.
This shows that the brand has laptop that fits everyone. Vostro series laptops Latitude series that provides scalable and durable design, Dell precision mobile workstation with ISV certification and the Chrome book powered by Chrome OS laptop are specially designed for business while the XPS and Allienware series is priced premium that targets potential customers who look for premium quality and high-end hardware configuration.
HP deals in PCs, laptops, printers and computer accessories. Over the years, the computer brand has placed its focus on consumer needs and altered its strategy to suit the needs of 21st-century consumers; individuals, small businesses or large corporations. From building a standard laptop to business laptops and gaming laptops, HP has introduced several different models.
Some of its HP personal computers product brands are; HP Omnibook, Compaq Presario, HP Envy, G series, HP Mini while its Tablet computers include brands like HP Slate, HP TouchPad, HP Omni 10 and HP Stream. Other than the above-mentioned it also produces digital camera pocket computers, workstations and servers.
Price
In buying a computer laptop, one of the basic things to consider is the price. However, it is important to note that the price of a laptop is determined by the make-up and brand of the laptop.
Dell laptop has different set of prices – based on the consumer segment and the hardware chosen and the operating system version selected – which are determined in terms of consumer segment and business segment. Also, its customization feature which allows customers to customize their laptop hardware configuration which differentiated it from its competitors has helped the brand to increase its market share.
HP follows a fair pricing strategy, charging for the quality and expertise it gives in the field of hardware and software. While newer products with the latest innovative technologies are priced at a premium and as the competition enters, the prices are reduced gradually. The band basically deals with competition based on its quality regime and supreme performance and after-sales services.
Place and distribution
Usually, Dell products are distributed via websites, e-commerce sites such as Amazon, Jumia, Konga, and also in retail stores and shops with various showrooms, dealers, and distributor outlets across the world that help to distribute these products. In major cities, there are Dell exclusive stores which help enable customers to have a feel of the product before purchasing.
HP is present in more than 170 countries worldwide and sells its products both directly and indirectly. Also, it has a presence on online portals and can be bought directly from websites or from other shopping websites. HP subsidiaries have retail outlets all over the world and remain in touch with all parts of its supply chain through logistics, middlemen, suppliers, manufacturers, etc.
Promotion and advertisement strategy
The promotional strategy in the marketing mix of Dell focuses on 360 branding through TV, print media and online advertisement and also on newspapers.
In addition to festive discount, Dell gives regular offers to tap into the customer base and also carry out online promotions through contests. The company also sends newsletters to users registered with Dell to provide the latest information of its products, and innovation that increases customers’ interest.
HP also uses 360 branding in its marketing mix for creating brand awareness with ad campaigns spread across different media like TV, newspapers, magazines, website, billboards etc. HP ‘one voice’ campaign was designed to resonate with the image of HP as one-stop solution to hardware and software needs, integrated into its website and outdoor campaign.
In addition, HP has an exchange program which allows to exchange old products for new and also offer some services for free for a period of time in order to promote the brand.
Unlike HP and Dell, the marketing strategy adopted by Apple is based on the founder, Steve Jobs’ philosophy that customers do not always know what they want. He posited that instead of conducting marketing research to identify customer needs and wants, the multinational technology company prefers to install innovative features and capabilities in their products, making customers to want Apple products.
Bottomline
The choice of what to buy depends largely on a number of factors as explored above. In a social media poll conducted by Nairametrics, 42% prefer to buy HP laptops, 16% prefer to buy Dell, 37% prefer to use Apple and 5% prefer to get other brands.
