1. Provide a simple characterization of their brand hierarchy and portfolio. Apple is one of the world s leading technology companies.

However, Apple is no longe r just selling products and providing innovative solutions, they are selling bra nds. Apple continues to enhance its brand strength by understanding consumer nee ds and wants and leveraging its brand assets effectively. Apple has been immense ly successful in building a strategic and coherent brand portfolio. Over the yea rs, Apple has diversified its products line to include not only personal compute rs and cellphones but also mobile media and mobile business gadgets. With extens ive investments in R&D and marketing Apple has been able to leverage its brand p ower and consumers zealous brand loyalty to build the Apple empire. Apple brand portfolio consists of four sub-brands: the Mac, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. Apple maintains a monolithic brand identity, and each of these su b-brands uphold the underlying values of the corporate brand, such as innovative technology, cutting-edge design, consistent superior quality and multi-stakehol der collaboration. Each sub-brand also expanded the scope of the Apple brand at product level. Nonetheless Apple competes in four different categories the compa ny ensures that its decision to straddle these industries is accentuate by strat egic relatedness. This should not just be restrained to the type of products, bu t should be based on some key competencies of the corporate brand. More importan tly, each sub-brand should enhance the brand identity and equity of the corporat e brand. The well-constructed brand portfolio secures the Apple brand from potential down turn in any one industry. The strong brand portfolio provides Apple the strategi c and innovative leadership to penetrate a new product category or a new market without diluting its brand equity. With each new product brand, Apple has been a ble to introduce and improve the range of the customers occasion and usage options. For example, iPod was initially invented as a basic music player; it now transf ormed into a mobile video player. Apple has been very successful in building a c ommunity of enthusiastic collaborators. Recognizing the full potential of the iP hone and iPad, the company developed the App Store and allowed third-party progr ammers to create software applications they want or need. This creative network of programmers has been extremely successful, and the brand clearly demonstrates its transparency and authenticity. Through innovation Apple optimizes synergies across its brand portfolio and builds successful long-term customer relationshi p.