In the context of strategic marketing, strategic planning can help managers to align the business strategies with the market trends and culture (Czinkota and Ronkainen 2007). The assessment of market conditions while developing a strategic marketing plan helps managers to understand the level of competition. In this way, managers are able to identify strategies that will enhance their firm’s competitiveness (Czinkota and Ronkainen 2007). From a similar point of view, McDonald and Wilson (2011) state that strategic marketing can help towards the improvement of communication and cooperation across organization. More specifically, in order for the strategic marketing process to be completed it is necessary for employees at all levels of the organizational hierarchy to cooperate and exchange views (McDonald and Wilson 2011).

In addition, strategic marketing leads to the development of marketing plans that are fully aligned with the needs and the potentials of each organization (Stanco 1996). This means that each strategic marketing plan is unique, being adjusted to the characteristics of a specific organization (Stanco 1996). McLoughlin and Aaker (2010) explain that modern marketing is quite tactical. In fact, modern marketing has become ‘part of the strategic management of the organization’ (McLoughlin and Aaker 2010, p.15).

In Apple, strategic marketing is used for keeping the competitiveness of the organization at high levels. Indeed, organization has traditionally focused on two key targets: innovation of products and rapid entry of the products in the market (Mohr 2009). In Apple, the use of strategic marketing has helped not only to achieve these targets but also to cover the gaps caused by mistakes in evaluating the market response towards a firm’s product (Mohr 2009). The case of iTunes is an indicative example.