Fly Emirates Airline Marketing Strategy

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM

UNDERGRADUATE DISSERTATION RESEARCH PROJECT STUDENT HANDBOOK

MODULE 086

2021/2022

Topic: “FLY EMIRATES AIRLINE MARKETING STRATEGY”

Abstract

Maintaining brand image is necessary for organisations to increase overall organisational performance. Brand identity and personality helps in providing a positive image to the brand. Brand image can be improved through proper market research and understanding the preferences of the targeted audience. A positive brand image and identity facilitates the airline industry to capture the market share. Brand equity models and marketing mix models help to understand the impact of image, identity and brand personality on the airline’s industry. The marketing mix helps to understand the key attributes of the business environment. A company is not standing alone in the business environment and is being surrounded by and functions in a greater context, which is known as a macro environment.

This environment consists of six different forces that shape an airline company's opportunities but at the same time create threats for the organisation. The micro-environmental factor is based on home-grown characteristics, which affect a company and not the outside market and influences the decision making and strategic planning of a business. In addition, with the development of business propositions, companies are attempting to acquire an insight into maintaining their brand image through innovative activities. These activities essentially act as a manifestation of the potential ways with which the strategic direction of the companies can be associated effectively. To understand these two environments, PESTEL also known as DEPSET can be used along with SWOT and Porter’s five forces analysis.

Moreover, it can be stated that the image and identity of a brand allow them to improve the markets and create benefits that would allow them to gain increased benefits. Additionally, the analysis of the micro and macro environment allows the managers to create an enhanced understanding of the concepts and thereby help in the decision making and marketing process. Furthermore, marketing aims to create an enhanced relationship with the brand and thereby increase awareness of the products and services provided by the company. Finally, assessment of the rivals will help the managers to gain an enhanced overview of the market and create develop market strategies to enhance the positioning of the products and services.

List of tables

List of figures

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.0 Introduction

The primary purpose of developing a brand image in the aviation sector is to be able to build communities. this is associated with the initiation of word-of-mouth reputation, which further helps in the representation of potential business processes that need to be taken into account. The first chapter of the research thus talks about the overview of the cavitation sector of the UK and the extent to which the brand image of airline companies helps in connecting and building up the community.

1.1 Research background

The UK is considered to be a leading global player in the aviation sector. It has been found that the country tends to possess the third largest aviation network across the globe. As of 2021, British Airways has become one of the most popular airline companies in the UK, with over 53% of the market share (Mazareanu, 2021a). This is to be noted that, the prevalence of the aviation sector of the country perceives the third largest air transport system, which is capable of serving over 250 million terminal passengers. On the other hand, it is also important to note that the aerospace sectors and aviation sectors of the country are combined to promote the economic development of the country. This tends to portray a positive brand image of the company, which is followed by Virgin Atlantis with over 47% prevalence (Mazareanu, 2022b). The UK airline sector tends to achieve this by contributing to the employment in the sector that directly affected their high-value roles.

Figure 1.1: Leading airlines worldwide (2021)

(Source: Mazareanu, 2021a)

With the Covid-19 outbreak, the aviation industry has managed to acquire a myriad of disruptions, which resulted in them incurring heavy losses. To the implementation of lockdown and cl; using of international borders. As of 2020, the industry revenues in the UK accounted for $328 billion, which is only 40% in comparison to previous years. The long-term effects of the pandemic on the aviation sector have been massive. This has resulted in the need to restore the brand image of the companies through eh acquisition of digitalisation. It tends to act as a paradigm shift from the traditional aviation sector to the digital transformation beyond the adaptation of long-term results.

1.2 Research rationale/ Problem statement

According to a report of Deloitte (2022), there have been rising challenges within the airline sector, which has disrupted the very working processes of the airline companies in the UK. This is primarily because of the arrival of the pandemic, which has been massive. Due to the closure of international borders and social distancing measures, airline companies in the UK have faced losses and are further attempting to acquire a transformation in their business processes (Deloitte, 2022). This has further increased the need to maintain brand image by initiating a potential impact through interactive safety measures for passengers owing to the current pandemic. When it comes to Emirates, the company likely had to face varied issues owing to the current pandemic, which included flight-related and travel-related restrictions.

Figure 1.2: Most popular airlines in the UK

(Source: Mazareanu, 2022b)

The airline in the UK reported a loss of $5.5 billion, which accounts for a negative profit margin of over 65.6% (Emirates, 2021). Due to the presence of the current pandemic, the aviation sector in the UK got affected and it eventually disrupted their business processes largely. This has resulted in restoring brand image in the form of innovative safety measures that would facilitate them to carry out their business propositions. Based on this, the current research study aims at the identification of the major aspects of brand image and identity that Emirates tends to initiate to acquire a state of recovery amidst the uncertain home. This will also involve the identification of the cross-cultural impact it has on the business processes of Emirates, which fosters its brand identity effectively.

1.3 Research aim

To critically evaluate the Emirates brand’s global cross-cultural impact, as well as the impact of brand’s image in their services.

1.4 Research objectives

• To examine the Fly Emirates Airline brand in terms of brand identity, image, and personality

• To explore the relationship between their macroenvironment and microenvironment

• To compare their marketing success by evaluating their competitors

• To critically evaluate the relationship between brand impact and economic performance of Fly Emirates Airline

1.5 Research questions

1. What is the interrelationship between macro-environment and micro-environment within business?

2. How can marketing success be compared by evaluating a company’s competitors?

3. What is the relationship between economic performance and brand impact of Emirates airlines?

1.6 Significance of the study

The current study tends to aim at the critical evaluation of the cross-cultural impact of the Emirates brand. This will also include an understanding of the impact of brand image as a part of their business services. The significance of the study lies in the fact that it will help in understanding the extent to which the brand image of a firm tends to convey the business goals and objectives. In the context of Emirates, the study will locate the ways with which the cross-cultural impact of Emirates has enhanced its brand image in every possible way.

1.7 Structure of the project

The potential structure of the research project has been divided into five distinct chapters. The first chapter of the research aims at the identification of the introductory aspects of the study. It includes the association of research background and the identification of estimated objectives. In addition, the second chapter of the research focuses on the identification of the existing sources of literature available to the study. It will involve the identification of probable literature gaps that have been identified while carrying out the study.

Figure 1.3: Structure of research project

(Source: Created by learner)

Furthermore, the third chapter of ta research project has its focal point towards the evaluation of the definite methodological tools and techniques that are required for further proceedings of the research. The fourth chapter of the research study primarily evaluates and analyses the findings that have been derived from the collected data. Lastly, the fifth chapter of a research study tends to focus on the concluding remarks that have been presented, thereby initiating an understanding of recommended strategies to be undertaken.

1.8 Summary

Based on the given propositions, the study has managed to portray an understanding of the research study propositions taken into account. This involves the association of an understanding of the major objectives undertaken based on which the study is to be carried out. In addition, the first chapter has paved the way for gaining insight into the research problem that has been identified.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

2.1 Introduction

Brand image is essential for any business to capture the market and potential customers. A positive and strong brand image facilitates the entire business and purchasing decision of the consumers. In this chapter, literature on brand identity, image and personality, micro and macro environment, market success and economic performance has been reviewed. All the pieces of literature including journals, scholarly articles and academic papers are peer-reviewed, five years old and based on the current scenario.

Conceptual framework

2.2 Concept of brand image, identity and personality

Brand image is primarily the customers' perception of the company on the basis of their experiences. According to Hermanda et al. (2019), the image of any brand is highly variable in nature. It tends to change with time and interactions of the customers with the brand. However, Li (2018) has contradicted that brand image is not necessarily connected with the rate of purchase of the customers from them. Consumers can prefer any specific brand and not make a single purchase from there. Yaman (2018) has further added that a positive brand image facilitates the promotion and marketing of any organisation. A positive brand image reduces the cost of marketing and enhances the sales of the organisation.

Barros et al. (2020) have mentioned that brand identity is the set of strategies and approaches that are used to set up a brand image. The identity of a brand is based on the long term target, organisational goal, market and industry structure, and competition prevailing in the market. On the contrary, Essamri et al. (2019) have stated that brand identity facilitates the branding process of any organisation. There are several elements of brand identity including an attractive name, appealing tagline, logo and graphics. Chigora et al. (2021) have added that creativity and diversity in these elements help in making a proper brand identity. However, Tuan and Palaniappan (2020) have contradicted that brand names are required to be easily pronounceable and memorable for people to attract potential customers. It needs to be admissible with the specific industry.

According to Zainudin et al. (2019) brand personality is the personification of the brand with human traits to connect more customers with the brands. It is relating the humanly adjectives with the brand to facilitate their business and achieve the organisational goals. On the other hand, Ba?tu? et al. (2020) have mentioned that it is a specific framework that assists companies to shape their products or services in a way to connects them with the way an individual feels. This brings out certain emotional responses of a specific segment in a positive sense to benefit the business. Vinyals-Mirabent et al. (2019) has added that brand personality is interlinked with identity and improves the overall image of the brand. A positive brand personality facilitates interaction and communication with the companies.

2.3 Strategies of developing positive brand image

Positive brand image accelerates the overall organisational performance. According to Kim and Chao (2019) companies need to perform proper research about the target audience to design strategies to create a positive brand image. This research would help in knowing the tastes and preferences of the targeted audience. However, Hussain (2018) has contradicted that companies need to identify the value of the proposition of the brand. This assists in designing strategies for improvising brand image. Cheung et al. (2019) have mentioned that organisations need to set the recognising features of the brand by using the value proposition. On the other hand, Panda et al. (2019) have mentioned that planning an effective marketing campaign to present the brand values helps in improving the brand image.

2.4 Importance of positive brand image on the services provided by the airline industry

A positive brand image is required for every business to attract new potential customers and retain the existing ones. According to Seo and Park (2018), the airline industry is battling for market share and survival. As a consequence, the industry is required to maintain a positive brand image to capture market share or sustain the competition.

Figure 2.1: Positive brand image on the services provided by the airline industry

(Source: Setiawan et al., 2020)

However, Setiawan et al. (2020) have stated that branding facilitates the marketing and promotion for the airline industry to the passengers before, after and during their flights. Hassan and Salem (2021) have added that branding helps to build communities. The airline industry is trying to attract people through the word of mouth or advertisement. The consumers are welcomed and greeted at each step starting from boarding to checking out. This facilitates the process of building community for the airline industry. On the other hand, Song et al. (2019) have mentioned that a positive brand image helps to gain the customers’ trust and loyalty for the airline industry. This influences the purchasing decision of the consumers.

2.5 Concept of brand equity model and marketing mix model

Brand equity models are used to prepare marketing strategies. According to Teodoro and An (2018), there are several brand equity models which offer insights regarding the concept and evaluation of brand value. Brand equity models include the Aaker model, Keller’s model, Brand Asset Valuator (BAV) model and Brandz model. However, Das (2020) has stated that the brand equity model facilitates the return on investment for any business. Positive brand equity enables the company to charge a premium price and allows product diversification.

Figure 2.2: Marketing Mix Model

(Source: Matic et al., 2019)

Othman et al. (2020) has mentioned that marketing mix helps in measuring the impact of several factors on sales or market shares of businesses. On the other hand, Matic et al. (2019) has contradicted that it analyses and estimates the present and determine the future effect of the inputs. Azhar et al. (2018) have added that this model helps in comprehending the path of the business performance and predicting future ways for the success of the business. On the contrary, Maro’ah et al. (2018) have mentioned that this model helps to provide better knowledge about the key elements of a business including products, pricing and promotional strategies.

2.6 Importance of macro-environment in the airline industry

When a company is not standing alone in the business environment and is being enclosed by and functions in a larger context is known as a macro environment. This environment consists of six different forces that shape a company's opportunities but at the same time create threats for the organisation. Demographic, Economic, Political, Ecological, Socio-Cultural and Technological forces, when combined makes the DEPEST model. Macroenvironment also has a slightly different analysis called PESTEL, which replaces the demographic factor with a legal one. Sijabat (2019), stated that PEST is a strategic management approach, which can be applied to determine how environmental factors like economic, social, technological and political factors can influence an industry.

In addition, SWOT is also regarded as a macroenvironmental analysis tool, which is used by companies to evaluate the threat and opportunities that are present in the market. Benzaghta et al. (2021) argued that the SWOT analysis has been proved extremely useful in a variety of contexts and fields like education, agriculture and industries. Later on, the scholars blended the SWOT analysis with other techniques like the PESTEL framework, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Porter's five forces model.

This environment has macroeconomic factors, which affect the overall business operation, which in return affects the whole economy as well and it deals with price levels, spending and aggregate production. As per, Camilleri (2018), the tourism business and the airline industries must consistently evaluate the marketing environment because it is extremely vital for their survival and long-term achievement of their economic goals. Thus, marketing managers concentrate on environmental analysis and scanning. However, the author states that evaluation of the political environment for foreign countries are far more complex for these marketing managers but experienced international organisations have to assess the political risk factors as they have carried out their business in foreign territories.

• Demographic Factors

These factors involve characteristics of the human population, which patronise a business and contribute effectively to the economy. Demographic factors have various statistics that must be considered to analyse the factors of a foreign nation like gender, population size, age, needs and occupation. If a company ultimately meets the needs of these factors then the business develops to be successful. Abdurakhmanova and Zokirova (2020) defined the demographic process as a mechanical (migration) or natural (mortality, fertility, marriage and divorce) drive of a population. To apply the demographic process, a company must consider the main indicators like the total fertility rate. This will enable the company to make amendments based on the demographic changes in their business operations to production to meet the needs of their clients. Dunn et al. (2018) stated that reducing population growth and birth rate contribute negatively to demographic factors. Thus, demographics ultimately drive the way a company chooses to function and how it can develop broader markets.

• Ecological factors

These are natural factors that form the macro-environment and are largely formed by the easy access of natural resources, which are going to be used in the distribution and production of a company’s products and services. Nguyen and Le (2020) defined ecological factors as any elements, which are related to the physical environment on the planet and its immediate consequences of it. Further, the author mentioned that these factors also act as natural inputs that are needed for marketing. In addition, as per the author, shortage of raw materials, the intervention of the government in managing natural resources and severe pollution are the three key trends to be considered in the ecological factors. Concerns in environmental factors affect the access to natural resources as well as the supply of natural resources, which a company can utilise. With the expansion of population, the access to natural resources also increases which leads to a depletion of the mentioned sources. In addition, the rise in population growth also increases the pollution rate which also contributes to shaping the macro-environment.

• Political factors

Businesses often face limitations from the political environment in which they are present. Governments and laws frequently shape a company’s operations and can even severely influence the markets, where a company serves. The key instance where the political factors play a crucial role is when an organisation tries to move into a new territory or a new market. Thus a company needs to understand the rules and regulations of the country, which will eventually dictate both the industry where it operates and any particular law that might be subjected to. According to Nguyen and Le (2020), a company's decision to set up should consider the political trend overseas or in a country, like the monetary policy, government pressure and trends like that.

The author further stated that political factors are regarded as the least anticipated factor among all and it can be either an opportunity or threat to a business in most cases. Therefore, a company must be practical enough to overcome any political outcomes. On the contrary, Camilleri (2018) stated that political and regulatory issues can substantially affect the airline industry like any prospective amendment by the government or the change of government can lead to closing or opening-up of markets. Therefore, a business tends to grow and flourish when a country is politically stable and thus any political changes are closely linked with economic and legal matters.

• Economic Factors

This factor affects the macro-environment and is related to the key forces of how consumers spend and their purchasing power. The economic factors consist of a certain range of data and metrics, which includes a country's GDP rate, inflation, unemployment rates, existing spending patterns and disposable personal income. Camilleri (2018) discussed that the exchange rate of a nation's currency indicates its value concerning another country's currency. The author additionally stated that daily currency rates fluctuate thereby creating a high level of risk for airline industries as well. Tourism or airline businesses will feel more encouraged to take calculated risks and expand their business if the economic conditions are favourable. On the other hand, besides exchange rate, Serfointein and Govender (2020) stated that fluctuation in oil price stimulates economic turmoil that remains difficult to forecast and accordingly adapt strategic planning to overcome this fluctuation. All these fluctuations in these economic factors increase consumer cost, which in return influence the customer demand for air travel.

• Socio-cultural factors

These factors are somewhat related to demographics and more connected to populations and the way they behave based on their values and preferences. Serfointein and Govender (2020) stated that these factors include the cultural values and the attitude of a society, which has the power to influence a business's entity like demographic, educational situations and culture. Moreover, different cultural groups and societies are characterised by a variety of needs that are often built on the society's core values. On the other hand, Nguyen and Le (2020) mentioned that as there are possibilities of changing values and beliefs of a society, the cultural shift impacts the consumers’ decision making and buying behaviours. These secondary changes are typically based on people’s perspective of themselves and others and their views of an organisation, nature and society. Therefore, businesses need to pay close attention to these changes while moving into a new market to safeguard the cultural values of that society. Therefore, the airline industry needs to maintain a pure image, otherwise, the industry may face a sharp decline in the number of passengers. If any airline company faces accidents, it is immediately blamed for that company's carelessness.

• Technological factors

These factors refer to the development of new technologies and the way they shape product or service development and their opportunity to enter the new market. However, Nguyen and Le (2020) mentioned that the technological environment changes rapidly and as new technology emerges, the old one goes obsolete. If businesses fail to keep up with new technologies, then their product and service will be outdated leading to the ultimate decline of the business. On the other hand, Serfointein and Govender (2020) pointed out that aviation or the airline businesses are pioneering intangible technological development but lacks in developing intangible technologies to create new limits and competitive boundaries.

2.7 Importance of microenvironment in the airline industry

The microenvironmental factor is based on local characteristics that affect a company and not the outside market and influences the decision making and strategic planning of a business. To understand the microenvironment of a company, Anastasiu et al. (2020) Porter’s Five Forces model, a resource-based theory, has proved to be an extremely helpful tool in analysing the internal factors that include the following five forces.

• Competitive rivalry

Porter conceptualised this rivalry existing within an industry that ranges from low to high. Mhlanga et al. (2018), argued that rivalry among present competitors impacts the airline industry. For instance, in 1991 South African airlines made the way for the entrance of Low-Cost Carriers and it grew the rivalry among the competitors, which ultimately affected the airline's performance. Nataraja and Grantham (2020) discussed that in recent years airline industry is concentrating more on profitability than expansion through low-cost carriers like JetBlue has been expanding as well.

• The threat of new entrants

This force determines how difficult or easy for a company's competitors to join the marketplace. As the entry of a new rival becomes easier, then the risk of depleting the market share of the existing business increases. Barriers to new entries include access to inputs, cost advantages, strong brand identity and economies of scale. Qin (2020), mentioned that the airline industry is filled with numerous domestic and international players, where some of the leading brands have attained the monopolistic advantage because of their large portfolio in catering to customer demands. This reduces the accessibility of new entrants as they have to invest high capital to establish their presence.

• Power of suppliers

Qin (2020), mentioned that the power of suppliers is high because there are limited suppliers present in the aviation industry and the market is controlled by Airbus and Boeing. Therefore, duopoly upsurges the supplier’s bargaining power. On the contrary, Mhlanga et al. (2018) argued that as there are few suppliers, manufacturers can establish prices and delivery times unilaterally. Baxter (2019) argues that suppliers have the power to squeeze profitability out of industries that have failed to recover cost increases in their price.

• Buyer Power

The bargaining power of customers in the airline industry is high because other established companies are offering a wide range of services to their consumers (Qin, 2020). Mhlanga et al. (2018) further stated that the bargaining power of buyers significantly impacts aviation performance because the industry is vulnerable to price reduction measures, which are introduced by their competitors due to deficiency of brand loyalty, which is associated with this industry. On the other hand, Silva (2020) stated that switching cost has been considerably low for leisure customers because business flyers are more accustomed to frequent-flyer programs and therefore provides even more power to negotiate with the buyers.

• Threat of substitutes

The threat is high in the airline industry because customers can avail of low cost, short/long-haul, full service or premium economy products (Qin, 2020). Opposing that, Mhlanga et al. (2018) stated that substitute products do not have much impact on the airline industry because airlines beat other types of transportation because of the ultimate convenience.

2.8 Relationship between the macro-environment and microenvironment concerning marketing.

The two types of environmental analysis, micro-environmental and macro-environmental are interlinked with each other through both the types are very different from each other. The microenvironment discusses the business factors, which influence a company to serve customers. These business factors are a company, marketing, competitors, suppliers, customers, intermediaries and the public (Hudrasyah et al., 2019). Porter’s five forces is a powerful tool for analysing the industrial environments. And thereby, determines the business actor in the airline industry. On the other hand, the macroenvironment discusses the wider power, which affects the business factors that are present in the microenvironment. Voskresenskaya et al. (2020) argue that frequent changes in the macro and microeconomic elements influence the outcomes that simultaneously change the relationship between the elements of a company's system. Therefore, the problem of dynamic management of the whole system elements in conditions creates uncertainty.

2.9 Literature Gap

The literature sources used in this chapter have helped in understanding the concept of brand image, identity, the importance of positive brand image, the relation between macro and microenvironment in marketing and their importance in the airline industry. However, this literature lacks an analysis regarding the impact of brand image on the customers' behaviours. This gap has been caused due to the restricted access to authentic journals and research papers which could be removed with a strategic approach in future research.

2.10 Summary

It can be concluded that positive brand image and identity facilitates the overall organisational performance for all businesses. Brand equity models facilitate the improvement of brand identity and the marketing mix gives a proper idea about the key attributes of the business. However, since the airline industry is struggling to increase its market share they need to have a positive brand image. A stable macro and microenvironment are the other requirements for this industry.

Chapter 3: Research Methodology

3.0 Introduction

Research Methodology is an integral part of the research process as this guides the researcher for conducting a favourable research based on a particular research phenomenon. In this chapter, the methodological approaches of the researcher have been discussed to provide the justifications for each of the choices. Further the ethical considerations associated with the chosen methods have also been discussed in the study to prove the credibility and the reliability of the research process.

3.1 Research onion

Figure 3.1: Research Onion

(Source: Saunders et al., 2015)

3.2 Research philosophy

It can be referred to the overall belief of the researcher regarding the data collection, analysis and representation. Research Philosophy guides the researcher for conducting the researcher and stay focused on particular approaches that are suitable for the philosophy of the study. There are mainly three types of research philosophies that are widely utilised in different types of researches. They are realism, interpretivism and positivism research philosophy. Among them, the interpretivim research philosophy has been followed in this case, supporting the analysis of the secondary as well as primary data.

The interpretivism research philosophy has helped the researcher to neutrally interpret both numeric and qualitative data for the informing the readers. As per Alharahsheh and Pius (2020), this has benefitted the study in gaining valid responses and trustworthy data about the study. The application of this particular philosophy has also helped to present a good reflection that has elaborated the observations to a major level. On the other hand, utilisation of other philosophies would have reduced the truthfulness of the data and pieces of information. They would have generated gap in the validity of the data for the study.

3.3 Research approach

Research approach is simply the systematic process followed by the researchers for the collection of relevant data in the study. Effective research approach also determines the basis of a research while influencing the quality of the research study. There are mainly two types of research approaches which are deductive and inductive research approach. In this case, inductive approach have been utilised to help the researcher focus more on the theoretical concepts that are underpinned the research phenomenon. This particular approach has also supported the utilisation of the literature sources for the analysis of findings and represents data in the paper.

The inductive approach is mainly focused on the theoretical concepts and findings (Woiceshyn and Daellenbach, 2018). Thus, the utilisation of this particular approach has also helped the researcher to derive information for the study from several theory based sources. Frameworks and theories have also been utilised in the study to derive information about Emirates, while using this particular approach of research. In contrast to this, the utilisation of the deductive approach would have been reduced the scope for the researcher to get involved in the research and develop understanding based on theories. This is because the deductive approach is mainly focused on the real-life observations about the research phenomenon.

3.4 Research design

The research design indicates the structure of the study and the entire framework followed for the representation of the research data findings and analysis. In this particular case, it has been observed that the researcher has followed the exploratory research design. This particular research design has helped the researcher to focus on the multiple methods of deriving secondary data for research. It has been observed that the three main methods used for exploring data using this particular design are online research, Literature research and Case study research.

The effective utilisation of the exploratory research has helped to analyse the research variables based on the multiple methods of assessing qualitative data. In this particular study, the exploratory research design can be identified to be playing a major role in exploring the actual market scenario of Emirates and the competitions witnessed by the brand in the market. However, the utilisation of the other research designs would have eliminated the effective online and offline research for qualitative data, and would have restricted the research process till the reviewing of published journals and books. The derivation of wide range of findings for the study would also have eliminated in this case.

3.5 Research strategy

The research strategy is the strategically approaches of the researcher about the collection of the data. Sometimes, it also represents or determines the tools used for the data collection process. There are several research strategies that are used by the researchers for the collection of the most relevant research study. Among them in this case, the case study reviewing strategy has been utilised along with online and offline research of qualitative data. This method has been selected to reduce the ethical issues from the research process, and to eliminate the gaps in the validity of the study. In this case, the data are majorly focused on the research study.

The selection of the particular research strategy is being justified based on the effective identification of its benefits for secondary qualitative research. It has been observed that the selected strategy would be helping to identify the reasons underpinning the opinions of the research participants. On the other hand, the other strategies for research such as the interview, survey and so on have not been used to avoid numeric or observations based data and information.

3.6 Data collection method

Data collection method is the most vital methodological selection of the researcher as this determines the quality as well as the outcomes of the research. There are two types of research philosophies that are widely used by the researchers across all disciplines. They are primary data collection method and secondary data collection method. Primary method helps to collect data from human samples, which are directly impacted by the research topic or are part of the population who are giving rise to the research problem. On the other hand, the secondary data collection method encourages the collection of the research data from books, articles and journals.

In the case of this particular research, the secondary method of data collection has been followed to support the effective development of the thematic research. This has also supported the development of the research to a major level. Utilisation of the secondary data has helped to focus on the theoretical alignment of the findings of research while analysing the same within the paper. On the other hand, the primary data would have eliminated the scope for the concept based analysis and could have also eliminated the utilisation of the frameworks for the study.

3.7 Data collection tool

Data collection tools are highly important to ensure the effective development of the research findings and analysis and this supports for answering the research questions. The secondary data collected for the study required effective tools for the collection process. In this case, the effective tools that have been used for the collection of secondary research are Internet research, Google Scholar and so on. This study can be identified to be completely focused on the secondary research. Thus, in this case, the secondary data sources have been used to collect and reflect data for the study.

3.8 Sampling and population size

The sampling method indicates the sampling technique of the researcher regarding the selection of the research participants in the study. It can be observed that in this case, as the data is only collected from the literature sources, the years of publication of such sources are only being considered to select the published journals, articles and books. It can be observed that more than 50 references of scholarly published academic sources have been considered in this study for deriving the expected research outcome. None of the articles or any other used academic sources are more than 5 years old and are highly relevant to the research topic.

3.9 Ethical considerations

The inclusion of the secondary data in the research process has helped the researcher to eliminate many of the research gaps and ethical issues. It can be observed that the only concern of the researcher in this case has been the authentic reflection of the research data collected from other secondary sources. Moreover, none of the data has been manipulated for the research purpose to protect the rights of the secondary researchers. To ensure credibility, the regulations for academic integrity have been followed in order to avoid any kind of breaches.

3.10 Gantt chart

Figure 3.2: Research Timeline

(Created by Learner)

3.11 Summary

The completion of this chapter has helped to understand the significance of each of the research methodological choices of the researcher, while also evaluating the justifications for each of the research methodological choices. In the further chapter, utilisation of these methodological choices can be witnessed for further benefits.

Chapter 4: Data analysis, results and discussion

4.0 Introduction

The fourth chapter of the research study attempts to provide a comprehensive association of the collection and analysis of the collected data that has been done through the use of methodological tools. This includes an understanding of the potential findings that have been derived in the study. The current study attempts to initiate secondary research, through the use of thematic analysis.

4.1 Data collection

Themes	Authors	Year	Journal name	Findings
Role of brand identity and image in shaping business development	So, K.K.F., Wu, L., Xiong, L. and King, C.	2018	Journal of Travel Research	The presence of brand identity is considered effective for the development of business propositions. It paves the way for the development of an understanding of the ways with which the airline sector is being captivated with marketing propositions. It has been found that the building up of a strong brand identity is considered an effective price for the association of proper differentiation within the airline sector. It acts as a competitive combination of quality products and services, which are increasingly technology-driven. For communicating a distinctive brand identity, the study shows the extent to which it is important to be able to foster customer connection with the use of technology and innovation.
	Song, H., Ruan, W. and Park, Y.	2019	Sustainability	Due to an increase in demand for air travel, it so happened that, the competition among airlines has increased to a great extent. This has resulted in emphasising the relative importance of brand identity to maintain the antecedents of corporate image and customer trust of the potential airline companies. The findings of the study tend to suggest that the provision of high-quality products and services helps in the acquisition of an optimistic corporate image to a great extent.
The interrelationship between macro-environment and micro-environment	Camilleri, M.A.	2018	Travel marketing, tourism economics and the airline product	The study tends to focus on a comprehensive description of both the internal and external environments of companies within the aviation sector. This includes an understanding of the strategic ways with which airline companies tend to pave the way to the development of a regulatory environment that is based on their business development. A major finding, which is found to be imminent is that companies need to adopt the trends and development of internal and external business environments. It is believed that airline companies need to abide by the changes in this environment, which are somewhat interrelated to one another. it is because of external factors that the internal aspects of business eventually gain change and development gradually.
Impact of external factors in acquiring business opportunities	Vlados, C. and Chatzinikolaou, D.	2019	J. Mgmt. & Sustainability	The study shows that the external business environment reads to integrate a strategic analysis of the business environment of the airline sector. This includes the internal and external analysis of the dynamic evolving nature of business, which acts as a variable component within socio-economic symbiosis. It is with the help of identifying major external factors that companies can define their degree of dependence towards basic aspects.
Impact of brand relationship in the management of business process	Pyper, K., Doherty, A.M., Gounaris, S. and Wilson, A.	2019	International Marketing Review	The study aims at outlining practical considerations of brand management. Within the premises of the airline sector, it is based on achieving effective international branding. The prioritisation towards the association of robust branding procedures paves the way for significant brand communication to a great extent. The findings show that brand management to business customers re found to evoke an optimistic brand relevance for companies. This has helped in and enhanced brand value and achievement, which is backed by export performance.
Competitive evaluation of marketing success	Na, Y.K., Kang, S. and Jeong, H.Y.	2019	Sustainability	The findings state that cultural market orientation is based on the shared economic association. It is further found to create a competitive orientation of the product innovation, which is significant. Apart from this, extensive market research and information generation act as a potential response to acquiring competitive evaluation. Both product and communication innovation facilitate a shared economy, which influences a company's dominating power in the market.

Table 4.1: Secondary data collection

(Source: Created by learner)

4.2 Data analysis

4.2.1 Theme 1: Role of brand identity and image in shaping business development

The market economy is becoming fierce and the businesses are required to stand apart from their rivals in all the major aspects to establish market dominance. It is very difficult to maintain an empowering brand image. The managers need to establish a strong market presence and thereby create a better hold on the market to enhance the quality of marketing. The image of the brands creates a scope of trust for the customers. As opined by Chen (2021), business organisations are trying to enhance the commercial value and the prospect of the brand to build an enhanced image. In order to do so, the managers are making use of online as well as offline channels of communications and are establishing communications with the target audiences.

The strong contenders in the marketplace have an appealing brand image and identity that simply conveys a message about the brand to the target audiences and gain their attraction. Large organisations often invest a significant amount of money to boost the brand image. As discussed by So et al. (2018), social media platforms also play a significant role in boosting the brand image of the companies. In the airline sector, the customers make use of social media to share their details of travel and thus the managers are focussed on providing an enhanced brand value and are trying to enhance their visibility to convert the target audiences into potential customers of the organisation.

As per the data analysis, it can be stated that being an aviation brand, Fly Emirates needs to work on its strategic directions in order to increase its brand value. Its vision is to become a global brand and provide services to global customers (Hussain, 2018). The managers of Emirates have made use of the various channels of communications and established a brand image that allowed them to provide the required customers to the consumers. The perception of the brand, equity, profitability and market share depends on how the managers have performed from the perspective of the consumers (Foroudi et al., 2021). The company Emirates has created a perception of a high lifestyle and has created better benefits for the customers of the organisation.

Brand Equity Model

• Salience: Emirates is Considered one of the leading airlines carrier companies and has a very large fleet. The company aims to portray itself as a prototype of lifestyle and works on numerous campaigns to create a high brand image and identity within the minds of its target customers.

• Performance: The company is focused on providing a luxurious experience to its customers and therefore makes use of a newer fleet. It also has implemented several efficient and eco-friendly practices within the operations and has also aimed towards the reduction of wastage. One of the prime focuses of Emirates is Safety and has minimised the number of accidents.

• Imaginary: The management of Emirates has implemented innovative tools and processes within their operations and has emerged as one of the best among all the rival organisations. Emirates became the first organisation in the world that has implemented SMS and email facility for every sit and also the first company to allow inflight use of mobile phones during the flight.

• Judgement: the Fly Emirates is perceived as a luxury brand because of the high quality of products and service offerings to the customers. The company provides better opportunities to the employees and a high level of training and skill development to enhance the overall efficiency and provide increased customer satisfaction.

• Resonance: The managers of Fly Emirates is aiming to improve the overall lifestyle of the employees and emirates also serves the customers in a global setting. The customers perceive it as a luxury brand and aspire to fly with the airline company even if they are not travellers of the company (emirates.com, 2022). The customers are emotionally attached to the company and they love to be engaged with the organisation.

Figure 4.1: Brand Equity Model of Fly Emirates

(Source: Created by the learner)

4.2.2 Theme 2: The interrelationship between macro-environment and micro-environment

The business organisations in the tourism sector and businesses related to it need to increase their penetration and thereby create better opportunities to boost business growth. On an international level, the company needs to create policies that are based on the analysis of the internal and external environments of the business. As opined by Camilleri (2018), the brands in the airline sector need to make marketing strategies and deploy their advertisements to the right audiences at the right time to influence the purchase decision of the consumers. The analysis of the environments will allow the managers to gain an overview of the various factors influencing the markets. This analysis will help in the development of the strategies that have the potential to reduce the negative impacts of the activities and thereby create better opportunities for the growth and development of the business. However, Lohmann and Spasojevic, (2018), discussed that the analysis of the markets allows the companies to position themselves in a smart manner and thereby influence the purchase decision of the consumers. The managers are able to easily develop their strategies based on the condition and performance of the businesses in the operating sector.

From the analysis, it is evident that the airline industries operate in several markets and for marketing their products and services, it becomes very important for the managers. The analysis of the various aspects of the market becomes a major area of focus for the managers of Fly Emirates Airlines. Not only this analysis helps in business decision making but also creates a way to increase better opportunities for the growth and development of the organisation. As discussed by Sijabat (2019), the analysis of the markets also becomes a basis for developing the marketing campaigns and allows the managers to exploit the resources to gain maximised benefits from the funds allocated for marketing purposes.

SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths	Weaknesses
The company has developed a world-class infrastructure and has shown strong growth and development. A strong brand identity has been created for the effective engagement of the customers. The company has developed global partnerships and alliances.	The company has a very high price of tickets in the business and first-class compared to other. The reduction in the prices of oil has created complications for the business.
Opportunities	Threats
The Dubai EXPO 2020 has can be a major opportunity for the growth and development of the business. Increase in operations in the untapped markets such as Canadian markets Cuban and Iranian markets.	The globalisation of operations of competitor firms such as Etihad and Qatar Airways. The increase in Global terrorism and conflicts in the middle east countries.

Table 4.2: SWOT Analysis of Fly Emirates Airlines

(Source: Created by the learner)

PESTLE ANALYSIS

Factors	Analysis
Political	The terrorist activity in the middle east, African countries have shown an increase. The company also receives help from the government of Dubai.
Economical	The international trade policies are changing and the companies need to ensure growth by ensuring that the taxes are paid.
Social	The airline industry needs to respect the diverse customer base and also provide help to the diverse workforce.
Technological	The airline companies need to provide enhanced satisfaction to the consumers and develop better satisfaction for the consumers. Using technologies has allowed better data to the consumers.
Legal	The companies are making use of the data of the consumers and they need to ensure that the legal systems are maintained.
Environmental	The Environmental aspect needs to be encouraged and the reduction in waste needs to be implemented within the businesses. Policies need to be designed to reduce waste generation and eco-friendly alternatives need to be used.

Table 4.3: PESTLE Analysis of Fly Emirates Airlines

(Source: Created by the learner)

4.2.3 Theme 3: Impact of external factors in acquiring business opportunities

The strategic analysis of the various factors is very suitable for the growth and development of the brands as it provides a clear idea about the various factors that can impact the growth and development of the businesses. As opined by Vlados, C. and Chatzinikolaou, D., (2019), the sporadic perception, fragmentary perception and the analysis of the external business environment allow the managers to develop an understanding of the operational markets and thereby create a better strategy to boost the sales and revenue generated. The analysis of the various factors such as socio-economic, demographic, preferences and needs of the consumers allows the managers to not only create better marketing campaigns that can boost the value of the brand but also redesign products to provide high-quality offerings with local tastes and attract the target audiences to become potential customers of the organisation. However, Stalinska et al. (2018) contradicted that the external factors are subject to severe changes and improper evaluation of the market can lead to significant losses and enhance the chances of failure within the organisation.

From the analysis, it can be inferred that the managers of Fly Emirates need to make use of several tools and frameworks to analyse the condition and major factors that influence the growth of the market. For instance, the growth of the business of the airline industry is extremely dependent on the political, legal, social and economic and economic factors of a region. The management needs to evaluate the following and also consider the other factors to develop an overview of how effective the markets can be in supporting the business of the company (Nguyen and Le, 2020). Based on the analysis of the factors, the managers can devise strategies that would allow them to create marketing campaigns and also provide products and services that would engage the audiences in the most effective manner.

Marketing Mix 7Ps

Figure 4.2: 7Ps of Marketing

(Source: Created by the learner)

• Products: Fly Emirates Airlines has a very large fleet of carrier aeroplanes and the company provides its customers three very good options of flying that includes First class, Business class and Economy class. The company provides very efficient flying options to the customers and tries to provide an immersive flying experience. The food served by the airlines during the travel provides a warm welcome to the passengers.

• Price: Although the managers of Emirates follow a premium pricing policy, however, it is often seen that flying in Emirates airlines becomes a pocket-friendly option as compared to its rivals such as Virgin Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and Saudi Airlines.

• Place: Currently Emirates provides its services to more than 150 destinations all across 80 countries all across the globe. It provides its services to the customers of 6 continents and the customers can easily purchase their tickets through travel websites, agents and also the company website (routesonline, 2022).

• Promotion: There are several media used by the managers of Fly Emirates Airlines to increase communications with the target customers. They also provide discounts and offers to the customers to gain customers. Additionally, the company also sponsors famous football clubs such as AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and many more. The company uses online as well as offline channels to target the customers in a smart and effective manner.

• People: The company has its operations in several countries and also has a very diverse workforce that serves the customers. People from over 160 nationalities are a part of the organisation and the company invests significantly towards the development and growth of the skills of the employees (emirates, 2022).

• Process: There are different activities within the business and the managers effectively carry out the processes and deliver its services to the consumers. The management of Fly Emirates Airlines is focused towards implement innovations and enhancing improvement within the businesses.

• Physical Evidence: The website of Fly Emirates Airlines is very user friendly and the crew is always seen in fashionable outfits. The company has stylish offices, in-flight entertainment possibilities and lounges in the airports. It also has several other elements that boost entertainment and provide better opportunities to the management within the organisation (Maro’ah et al., 2018).

4.2.4 Theme 4: Impact of brand relationship in the management of business process

While performing advertisements, the marketers aim to create loyal customers that are repeating in nature. With proper branding, the perception of the customers can be easily influenced and the customers can easily relate to a company's business structure. As discussed by Pyper et al. (2019), the practitioners of marketing should try to prioritise the activities that can help in the development of a robust international brand. In addition to this, brand builders need to properly exploit the resources available to them and ensure maximised benefits for the brands. It can be stated that the relationship of the brand and the customers is very unique and can bring positive outcomes for the businesses as well as the customers. The managers need to bring the more human side of the brands to the customers thereby advertising to the right audience at the right time. With proper positioning of the advertisements, the brand managers can easily engage with the audiences and thereby obtain value and meaning from the advertisement campaigns. However, Keller and Swaminathan (2020), contradicted that the development of the brands needs to be such that the target customers consider the brand as their companion and thereby develop enhanced relations with the organisations.

The managers of Fly Emirates need to deploy their resources and funds available for customer accusations and use channels that can generate maximised awareness within the minds of the audiences that have the maximum possibility to enhance their customers base. It is visible that there is a very huge amount of competition in the operating markets and the business organisations need to go the extra mile for the customers to stand out in the crowd (forbes, 2022). The managers of fly emirates aim towards building a brand that is recognised by all and therefore uses business strategies that can create maximum engagement with the target customers. For instance, the marketers of Fly Emirates have sponsored top-rated football clubs such as AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid to increase brand visibility and improve the awareness of the potential customers of the organisation. Furthermore, strategic branding by the management of Fly Emirates Airlines has allowed the managers to enhance the factor of trust and quality within the minds of the consumers. The use of branding has allowed the managers of Emirates Airlines to target potential audiences and this thereby appeals to their needs and demands. Hence, it can be seen that developing the brand internationally has allowed the company to gain value and customers and stray ahead of its rival firms in the market.

BCG Matrix

Figure 4.3: BCG Matrix

(Source: Created by the learner)

• Cash Cow: The cash cow of Fly Emirates Airlines can be considered as the Economy Flights that can also be considered as a groundwork for the development of the business organisation. The largest market share of the organisation are the passengers flying in the economy class but there is very little growth in this segment (emirates.com, 2022). The managers need to target the emerging markets and find customers in the Asian region to further milk the cow.

• Stars: The Stars of the business of Emirates Airlines is the First class and the Business class. These are premium services and are showing maximum growth in the industry. The company provides high-quality facilities and is investing adequately in upgrading these services (emirates.com, 2022).

• Question marks: The company has recently launched Emirates Holidays and this aspect can be considered as the Question mark in the BCG matrix. The potential of the service is considered very high although the popularity and the market share is increasingly low.

• Dog: The company has been providing plastic bags and synthetic fibre products to the consumers and this can be considered as a dog in the BCG matrix of Fly Emirates. The market for such products has been declining and plastic is being eliminated from businesses over environmental concerns.

4.2.5 Theme 5: Competitive evaluation of marketing success

The businesses are seeing a very high degree of competition and it becomes very important for the companies to understand their rival firms. This will provide the managers to develop strategies in a smart and more effective manner. As discussed by Na et al. (2019), the evaluation of the competitors provides the management with an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of themselves as well as the rival firms. Based on this analysis, the managers can easily create marketing campaigns that are effective in targeting a specific group of audiences. This will allow the managers to increase their influence on the market and gain increased market advantage.

The managers of Fly Emirates Airlines need to analyse the advantages as well as disadvantages of their rival firms to develop the market advantage. The marketing aspect within the company needs to be much more effective and this would allow the managers to boost productivity and create better opportunities within the marketspace. The development of the advertisement campaigns allows the managers to reach their target audience and create better scope for the growth and development of the organisation. From the review of the literature, it is visible that the use of the right audiences can allow the growth and development of the organisation and ensure better penetration into the markets (Song et al., 2019).

ANSOFF MATRIX

Figure 4.4: Ansoff Matrix

(Source: Created by the learner)

• Market Penetration: The managers of Fly Emirates Airlines make use of various methods of promotion to target their audience. It uses a mixed marketing strategy of both online as well as offline channels to gain an increased number of customers enhanced brand recognition.

• Market Development: The markets are developed by the companies by geographically expanding the customer base into newer flying destinations. The company is focused on enhancing the services to the customers, increasing the number of routes and fleet size to increase the market (emirates.com, 2022). Newer and innovative technologies are also being used by the organisation to boost the facility to the consumers and provide greater facilities.

• Product development: The development of the product is done by developing newer products in the existing markets by the management of Fly Emirates Airlines. In order to attract customers in the premium segment, the managers are creating innovative products and services to increase the attraction of the consumers and get repeat customers.

• Diversification: The company Fly Emirates Airlines needs to include new products in the newer markets to gain increased focus of the customers in the new markets. The company has a strong brand identification and needs to increase its services into the newer markets such as Iran and Cuba. This will boost their ability to find new routes and will improve the security of the business.

4.3 Summary

In accordance with the given propositions, it can be well presumed that this chapter has provided an extended insight into the existing sources of literature that are available with the study. This has further provided an understanding about the potential ways with which the development of research propositions have been carried out.

Chapter 5: Conclusion and recommendations

5.0 Conclusion

It can be concluded that it has become challenging to maintain a consistent brand image in the competitive market of the airline industry. The companies are required to focus on creating a better market presence to capture the market share. It has been found that large scale organisations are investing huge amounts of capital to enhance their brand image. The Fly Emirates have chosen to use communication channels that have allowed them to create an insight of high lifestyle and benefits for the consumers. The brand arranges several campaigns for making a high brand image and identity to the customers. They have introduced efficient and eco-friendly practices by making newer flights to provide an eco-friendly experience to their customers.

The company looks after the quality of its services by implementing advanced tools and equipment. They provide an improved lifestyle to their customers so that they can meet the requirements of the customers at a global level. It can further be concluded that the managers of Fly Emirates have used several tools for sporadic and fragmentary perception and analysis of external factors. These facilitate the overall performance and sales growth of the organisation. The company is targeting to make people aware of their brands throughout the world. Proper strategic branding has facilitated the Fly Emirates to reach out to potential consumers and serve people globally.

5.1 Linking with objectives

This research has four primary purposes which have been served in different chapters of the project work. The objective “To examine the Fly Emirates Airline brand in terms of brand identity, image, and personality" has been met in the secondary research section. "To explore the relationship between their macro-environment and microenvironment" has been met in the literature review section. The objective "to compare their marketing success by evaluating their competitors" has been accomplished in the secondary research part. Finally, "to critically evaluate the relationship between brand impact and economic performance of Fly Emirates Airline" this objective has been met in the secondary research part.

2. Recommendations

• It can be seen that there is huge competition prevailing in the market. The company is required to make extra effort to get customers and enhance the overall organisational performance. Managers of Fly emirates need to reshape their resources and increase the funds to enhance the rate of customer acquisition.

• They need to make the proper choice of communication channels to facilitate the branding of their airlines. This would then create a brand perception regarding the Fly Emirates in the minds of the potential customers.

• The company requires focusing on engaging more customers to sustain the huge competition prevailing in the market. Managers of the company need to practice strategic branding to gain trust regarding the quality of services they provide.

• Management of Fly Emirates needs to provide proper training to all the employees facing customers to improve the quality of services and attract new customers by achieving high customer satisfaction.

• The company needs to change their pricing strategy and lower the ticket prices of the business and first-class to reach out to more potential customers. A decrease in fuel prices has further complicated this issue as the consumers are finding the high ticket price of the Fly Emirates unreasonable.

5.3 Reflection

This research project has provided me with ample scopes of learning and understanding about the importance of brand image, identity, micro and macro environment and their importance on the success of the business. The research work demands thorough study and analysis of different articles and journals which has helped me in improving my analytical and research skills. This project has helped me in improving my time management skills as I need to provide regular updates to my module guide regarding the project. I have got the opportunity to improve my problem-solving skills while doing this project.

This research project has given an ocean of opportunities to gain the skill to understand and interpret details to others. I have learned the skills to search for information from authentic sources including academic papers, journals and scholarly articles. During the project, I have grown the habit of taking notes on important points while going through any piece of reading. This has further helped me in my regular studies. While searching for information from authentic sources during this research project I have grown the skill of giving attention to little details. I have acquired knowledge about the process of carrying out the research project, methodology, analytical tools and have grown the ability to conduct any research independently in future.

5.4 Alternative methodologies for future study

In this research interpretivism approach has been used which creates scope for biasedness from the researchers’ side because of the subjective nature of this method. Positivist methods can be used for future studies as these give room for scientific quantitative methods. An inductive method has been used in this research which might end up giving incorrect outputs if there are any loopholes in the observations. However, it is preferable for future studies to use a deductive approach. It provides greater scopes for scientific investigation by testing the hypothesis from the available theories. Explanatory approaches have been used in this research project which lacks the scope for analysis. However, it is preferable for future studies to avoid using explanatory approaches.

This research consists of secondary methods which contain data from previous years and causes issues regarding the fit of the data with current times. It would be beneficial for future research to conduct primary research to get proper data on the current situation. Qualitative methods have been used in this research project which lacks room for quantitative analysis. It has been recommended for future studies to use quantitative approaches. Thematic analysis has been done in this research which causes inconsistency and absence of soundness. It is preferable for further studies to use content analysis.

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