Apple most admired multinational company in Asia
Apple has been ranked as Asia’s most admired multinational company, according to the annual Asia 200 survey conducted and published by the Wall Street Journal.
The Asia 200 survey measures the strength of companies in a number of different areas in the Asian marketplace. Apple’s rise to the top multinational spot from seventh place past year, primarily on the back of its fast-growing global reputation as a trend-setting tech company which consistently turns out unique and coveted products backed by unparalleled marketing savvy. Since Apple controlled just a 1.6 percent share of the personal-computer market in Asia, and only a thin 0.6 percent sliver of the region’s mobile-phone market, the Cupertino electronics wizards would not normally seem like a candidate for such high honors in the region.
Bryan Ma, the Singapore-based director of personal systems research at IDC, explains it this way: “Even if they don’t have a big presence, they are tremendously successful at marketing themselves. Look at the entire experience and aura they create, especially this globally connected age; everyone is hearing about this whole iPhone phenomenon, and can see their earnings are doing very well. Even if their market share isn’t so big out here, these are things that businesspeople and executives in Asia would certainly respect and admire.”
Apple has historically concentrated its efforts in the United States and Europe, where it has long been a major player in personal computers, smartphones, and MP3 players, according to a Wall Street Journal story. However, especially given the recent $1.5 billion iPhone deal with China Unicom, which adds to its existing Asian markets in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Thailand, and Taiwan, Apple is seen as an up and coming player in Asia.
Various problems with copyrights and other similar legal issues have kept Apple’s iTunes franchise largely out of the Asian marketplace. Similarly, Asia has historically been a Windows PC-heavy market, with Apple holding only a tiny share. But the company’s highly popular iPod and iPhone devices have catapulted Apple into the Asian public and consumer eye, and the quality and iconic nature of their products has kept them there. An increased Asian presence can only bode well for Apple’s worldwide reputation and revenues.
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