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.