This process continued for every generation of CEOs after Scully-as Apple sought to "formalize and give cohesiveness to Apple's market segmentation strategy and to target specific Apple machines to particular market segments." The product strategy, however, mainly consisted of developing new products at a rapid rate.
Scully returned to Apple in 1997 and after an analysis of the moderate success of the previous campaigns, he re-invented Apple marketing. The new strategy involved the introduction of a controversial "Think Different" campaign, and the deletion of many products in the Apple line. Furthermore, Apple extended its sale capabilities into the Internet, selling computers on The Apple Store online and over the phone. The introduction of the iMac, "the most innovative PC ever created," cemented Apple's success in the 1990s. Innovative, fast and easy-to-use, the iMac sold more than 800,000 units in 1998. The introduction of fun colors and a hip new advertising campaign demonstrated the strong definition of the target market for the iMac-a wide market ranging from students through small business owners.
Currently Apple is pursuing a variety of methods to maintain and increase their market share. They will be presenting a newer, faster, value priced Power Macintosh G4s targeted towards a more sophisticated target market. They will also increase the distribution by adding new retail outlets and selling their computers through its own Apple Stores. Furthermore, they are planning on repositioning the Mac as the best game platform-demonstrating their astute knowledge of the interests of the growing 'games' market segment. However, Apple still faces many challenges in the 21st century, including the maintenance of the sales momentum of its consumer iMacs, reduction of the price differential between their different products, and marketing their new wireless portable PC.
