The marketing mix of Acer analyses the 4Ps of Acer’s marketing mix of Acer’s strategy, which includes the product, price, place, and promotion of Acer. Acer is a Taiwanese public company founded in the year 1976 by Stan Shih. This multinational company deals in the computers and electronics industry under four brands: Acer, eMachines, Packard Bell, and Gateway. All these brands benefit the company in targeting different sections of society like gamers, the corporate world, personal users, schools, and serious users of computers. Acer believes in delivering qualitative and affordable products made with the latest technology for the benefit of the consumers. The companies that provide stiff competition to Acer are as follows-
About Acer
- Type: Electronics manufacturer
- Industry: Information technology
- Founded: 1976
- Founder: Stan Shih, Carolyn Yeh, Lemuel Girma
- Headquarters: New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Area served: Worldwide
- Key people: Jason Chen (Chairman) and (CEO)
- Number of employees: 77,000
Table of Contents
Acer Product Strategy
Acer started its journey with a focus on product design and computer trading. It is a global company whose products are sold all over the world. Acer has been a manufacturer of acer products, a designer, and an able distributor of all its products. It also offers e-services to governments, business houses, and consumers. Its product is based on two critical factors: the lifestyle and budget of the global consumer.
The product range of this world-recognized brand includes the following-
- Chrome books include Acer C720P, Acer C720 (4GB), Acer C720 (2GB), Acer C710 and Acer AC700.
- Business Notebooks include the Acer Extensa series and the Acer TravelMate series.
- Business Desktops include the Acer Veriton series.
- Computer Displays include H series, G series, P series, V series, B series, X series, MO Monitor TV series, D series, T series, and S series.
- Consumer notebooks include Acer Iconia, Acer Ferrari Products series, Acer Aspire Timeline series, and Acer Aspire Notebook series.
- Consumer Desktops include the Acer Aspire Predator series and the Acer Aspire Desktop series.
- Homework Network solutions include Acer Clear .fi.
- Netbooks have Ferrari One and Acer Aspire One series
- Projectors have Value, Travel, Home, and Professional series.
- Nettops include Acer Aspire Revo
- Mobile phones include Acer CloudMobile, Acer X960, Acer T, Acer Iconia, Acer F, Acer DX, Acer E110, Acer Stream, Acer neoTouch etc.
- Television includes AT series.
- Tablets include the Acer Aspire Switch 10 and the Acer Iconia Tab series.
- Servers and Storage include the Acer Storage, Gemini, Blade, Tower, etc.
The Product Mix of Acer in 2023 is as follows (Source)
- Laptops and Notebooks: Acer produces a diverse lineup of laptops and notebooks for various purposes, including gaming laptops, ultrabooks, business laptops, and consumer-focused notebooks. These devices vary in performance, size, and features to cater to different user needs.
- Desktop Computers: Acer manufactures desktop computers, including traditional tower PCs, all-in-one (AIO) desktops, and compact form factor PCs. These computers are designed for home and office use, gaming, and professional applications.
- Tablets and 2-in-1 Devices: Acer offers tablets and 2-in-1 devices that combine the functionality of a tablet and a laptop. These devices run on various operating systems, including Windows and Android, and are suitable for personal and business use.
- Monitors: Acer produces a range of computer monitors, including gaming monitors, professional-grade displays, and general-purpose screens. These monitors vary in size, resolution, refresh rates, and other features to meet user requirements.
- Projectors: Acer manufactures multimedia projectors for both home entertainment and professional applications. These projectors are used for presentations, gaming, and home theater setups.
- Gaming Products: Acer has a dedicated gaming product lineup, including gaming laptops, desktops, monitors, and accessories. These products are designed to deliver high-performance and immersive gaming experiences.
- Chromebooks: Acer produces Chromebooks, which are laptops that run on Google’s Chrome OS. Chromebooks are known for their affordability, simplicity, and integration with cloud-based services.
- Smartphones and Accessories: Acer has produced smartphones in the past, although its presence in this market may vary by region and time. They also offer accessories like keyboard and mouse sets, laptop bags, and docking stations.
- Servers and Storage Solutions: Acer provides server and storage solutions for businesses, including rack-mounted servers, tower servers, and network-attached Storage (NAS) devices.
- Peripherals: Acer manufactures computer peripherals such as keyboards, mice, headphones, and external hard drives to complement its computing products.
Acer Place Strategy
Acer is the owner of Taipei’s largest retail chain of computers. It has created its designs and is one of the largest manufacturers of computers in the world. From there, it has traveled to become one of the largest distributors and marketers. Acer is one of the companies that decided to produce their products in various countries to cut the cost of manufacturing. Its endeavor has succeeded as its production units have spread worldwide. It now has multiple retail outlets in at least one hundred countries of the world where customer service is excellent and various customer problems are solved quickly.
The company has spread its network quickly because of its subsidiaries, various partners, and excellent distribution facilities. It has encouraged local participation at all levels for low-cost manufacturing and convenient distribution of the products. Its management techniques of human resources and its diversification of marketing mix and channel strategies are innovative. Acer has let go of the full power of decision-making to its various business units. This has helped in the individual growth of every unit and enabled us to build an organization that is a “Client-server.” The brand sells its products through different retail outlets. It also relies heavily on its online clients as they have become significant purchasers of the brand’s products. The product items are easily bought at the company’s official website or at various other shopping portals.
Here is the Pace Strategy of Acer:
- Global Presence with Local Reach: Acer has established a strong international presence with offices, distribution centers, and partners in critical regions worldwide. This allows them to serve a wide range of markets while maintaining a local presence to cater to specific customer needs and preferences.
- Multi-Channel Distribution: Acer utilizes a multi-channel distribution approach, encompassing various distribution channels, including retail stores, e-commerce, and direct business sales. This strategy ensures that customers can purchase Acer products through their preferred channels.
- Retail Partnerships: Acer partners with a network of retail stores and electronics outlets to showcase and sell their products. These partnerships allow customers to experience Acer devices and receive physical assistance from knowledgeable staff.
- E-commerce and Online Sales: Acer maintains a robust online presence, allowing customers to purchase products directly from the company’s official website. They may also utilize online marketplaces and e-commerce platforms to expand their reach and consumer accessibility.
- Business and Enterprise Sales: Acer targets businesses, institutions, and enterprises by offering customized solutions and services. This involves building relationships with corporate clients, providing tailored technology solutions, and offering after-sales support to meet specific business requirements.
Acer Pricing Strategy
They decided to go for a penetration pricing policy to make a name for their company in the PC market and create a fantastic brand value. Here, the consumers were assured of value-added goods. For some of the products, they have consciously kept the prices low to bait the consumers into giving their products a chance. Acer describes its company as a fast-food venture of computers, and for this purpose, they have been diversifying the production of their products in different countries. This has helped them to keep the costs marginal and lower the prices of their products. Therefore, the company has been able to provide its consumers with a competitive pricing policy.
As the brand faces stiff competition in the global market, it has decided to lure consumers with periodic discounts to maintain its customer base and attract a new breed of consumers. Lowering prices, maintaining a reasonable pricing policy, and providing consumer notebooks with the latest and fresh technology have proved a boon for the company in such uncertain economies.
Here is the Pricing Strategy of Acer:
- Competitive Pricing: Acer closely monitors the pricing strategies of its competitors within the technology industry. By benchmarking their products against similar offerings from rival companies, Acer ensures that its prices remain competitive. This allows them to attract price-sensitive consumers and gain market share.
- Value-Based Pricing: Acer emphasizes the value in its pricing strategy. The company balances quality and affordability, striving to provide consumers with technology products that offer robust features and performance at reasonable prices. This value-driven approach appeals to a broad customer base.
- Product Segmentation: Acer segments its product offerings into various categories, each catering to specific market segments. They differentiate products based on features, performance levels, and target demographics. This segmentation enables Acer to set appropriate price tiers and tailor marketing efforts to the unique needs of each segment.
- Premium Pricing for High-End Products: Acer offers premium products, such as high-performance gaming laptops and ultrabooks, at premium price points. These products are positioned to appeal to tech enthusiasts and professionals seeking top-tier performance and innovative features.
- Promotional Pricing: Acer frequently runs promotional campaigns, seasonal discounts, and special offers to stimulate demand and drive sales during critical periods like back-to-school and holiday seasons. These promotions create a sense of urgency and incentivize customers to make purchases.
- Bundle Pricing: Acer often bundles products, offering packages that include complementary items such as laptops with accessories or software. This bundling strategy encourages customers to purchase more than one product and can enhance the perceived value of the deal.
- Channel-Specific Pricing: Acer tailors pricing strategies to different distribution channels, including retail stores, e-commerce platforms, and direct sales. This approach ensures consistency across channels while considering channel-specific dynamics and costs.
- Geographic Pricing: Acer may adjust prices based on regional factors, such as local market conditions, taxes, and currency fluctuations. This localization allows Acer to remain competitive and responsive to global market needs.
- R&D Investment and Innovation: Acer invests in research and development to introduce innovative product features and technologies. This justifies premium pricing for cutting-edge devices and fosters brand loyalty among tech enthusiasts.
- Customer Segmentation: Acer’s pricing strategy also considers the varying budgets and preferences of different customer segments. By understanding the unique needs of each segment, Acer can offer products and pricing that align with those specific requirements.
Acer Promotion Strategy
Acer has focused on marketing its brand through the “Business Model” and other promotional activities. This marketing strategy has helped them to make a successful name for themselves in the international market. Under a dynamic publicity team, it has created a famous market for its products. The company has set very high standards for packaging all its products. Adequate packaging ensures the product’s safety from the point of manufacturing to the point of delivery to the consumer. Extra precautions are taken to avoid any damage to the sensitive electronic item.
Acer advertises heavily on the electronic media. Their advertisements are displayed in their retail outlets and are shown on television channels and online portals. These commercials help easily recognize the brand and increase its visibility and market value. In India, Acer has signed the actor “Hrithik Roshan” as its brand ambassador for promoting its products. They also display their products and advertisements in the print media, like various magazines and newspapers.
The brand has periodically announced discounts on its products for special sales promotion activities. In 2001, the electronics company Acer sponsored the racing team “Bar-Honda F1,” and the following year, it supported the F1 team “Prost-Grand Prix.” From 2003 to 2012, Acer sponsored the Ferrari F1 team. The brand has also been an “Olympic Movement” partner. The brand also has associations with football, as it has supported “Army United FC” in the “Thai Premier League.”
Some Recent Video ads and Print ads of Michelin are:
Acer Swift Series | Live Life Unplugged – YouTube
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