Emirates Airlines
Technological advancements have led to the improvement of transportation services. Air transport has become common for cross-border services and timely arrival at various destinations. Emirates Airlines is one of the world’s leading companies that offer air transport services. The organization has its origin in the Middle East but serves about 85 countries (Alanezi & Al-Zahrani, 2020). Emirates Airlines has different flights that provide timely transport services to over 180 destinations. Although the airline is known for passenger services, it provides cargo services through its Emirates SkyCargo. The latter is considered the fourth largest airline cargo in the world. With increasing competition, Emirates Airlines has ventured into innovative technology and luxurious transportation services. Consequently, the company has established a broad, loyal consumer base that is dedicated to using Emirates Airlines frequently. Integration of technology allows the clients to schedule flights and secure air tickets timely. Therefore, Emirates Airlines can be considered one of the most successful airline companies in the world.
Segmenting and Targeting
Airline transportation is more than just a service to move goods and passengers. Consequently, airline companies have devised market segmentation based on various factors. Emirates Airlines has adopted a traditional marketing segmentation approach based on consumer needs and financial capacity. This method applies three basic rationales for segmenting customers who use the airline. Firstly, the travelers are divided based on their travel intentions and price sensitivity. Secondly, the customers are segmented based on their loyalty to Emirates Airlines. Lastly, the company uses psychographic segmentation: interests, lifestyle, behavior, attitude, and opinions of customers. Consequently, four customer groups are used for marketing purposes: economy, premium, business, and first-class (Wittmer & Bieger, 2021). The economy involves the common travelers who are price-sensitive and do not travel often. Generally, economy-class air tickets are the cheapest. The Premium group involves passengers who are less price-sensitive than the economy ones. First-class presents high prices but is associated with the best airline services. The organization has adopted different strategies to target the four market segments. Adverts for first and business classes are done directly to big corporations and lifestyle magazines. Meanwhile, the adverts for premium and economy classes are done through the mainstream media.
SWOT Analysis
Emirates Airlines’ SWOT analysis helps understand its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The airline has various strengths that make it one of the best airline companies globally. Emirates Airlines prides itself on the most efficient customer service. The organization has superb employees who are always ready to hear and help clients. Moreover, the company’s flights have comfortable amenities that suit different classes. Emirates has integrated technology into its operations, making it easy for clients to book and pay for flights. However, Emirates Airlines has various weaknesses that work to its disadvantage. The organization is frequently criticized by the public for its expensive services. Consequently, the majority of travelers who prefer economy class choose other airlines. Emirates lacks customer-friendly policies, making it difficult for clients to feel comfortable with using its flights. Its rules may appear insensitive to some cultures and religions since the company was founded in an Islamic country. Emirates Airlines’ strengths and weaknesses call for various opportunities. The company can maximize its brand reputation to expand its area of operation. Moreover, Emirates Airlines can utilize the technology to incorporate an inflight entertainment system that attracts more clients. The organization faces threats such as stiff competition from Singapore Airlines, SkyWest, International Airlines Group, Air China, and Cathay Pacific Airways (Cui & Li, 2022). The availability of cheaper airlines threatens Emirates Airlines’ operations in various countries.
Marketing Strategy
Effective marketing strategy involves various steps that see the value of a customer. Emirates Airlines has segmented its clients into different groups before promoting its products to them. The organization’s product strategy for marketing involves three classes of flights that customers can choose from: diamond first-class, pearl business class, and Coral Economy Class (Weinstein, 2020). The company utilizes social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and other social media accounts to promote its services. The adoption of customer-loyalty programs and discounts has enabled Emirates Airlines to attract more clients. Moreover, the company takes advantage of global events and entertainment activities, such as soccer tournaments, to advertise its services. Furthermore, the company’s sales team often directly approaches big organizations for marketing activities. The utilization of a market-mix strategy allows Emirates Airlines to reach out to a broad potential consumer base.
Offerings, Pricing, And Positioning
Travelers choose air transport for various reasons, including speed and comfort. Consequently, Emirates Airlines offers different products based on travelers’ needs and financial capacity. However, its services remain focused primarily on the upper end of its client base rather than low-budget offerings. Diamond first-class is the most luxurious and comfortable service for travelers. The package includes chauffeur services for travelers and hotel bookings. Diamond first-class attracts high costs due to the extra services offered in the air and on the ground. Pearl business class targets business executives who may require additional services when traveling. The package includes prioritized schedules to avoid inconveniencing the clients’ businesses. Although this choice is cheaper than first-class, it is almost double the economy class. The organization uses a value-based pricing strategy that prioritizes the quality of services perceived as valuable by its customers. Such an approach ensures that clients see the value of their expenditures. Therefore, Emirates Airlines can be described as a company that offers best-in-class products and services to its clients when onboard and on the ground. Its market positioning reveals the firm’s focus on the quality of its services, with a competitive approach to prices coming second.
References
Alanezi, F., & Al-Zahrani, R. (2020). Strategic management of Emirates Airlines. In Proceedings of the 2020 2nd Asia Pacific Information Technology Conference (pp. 172-177). Web.
Cui, S., & Li, Z. (2022). Airlines benchmarking analysis based on financial performance, Southwest Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa. Academic Journal of Business & Management, 4(2). Web.
Weinstein, A. (2020). Houdini’s magical marketing strategies. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 30(2), 691-702. Web.
Wittmer, A., Bieger, T. (2021). Demand and marketing in aviation. In: Wittmer, A., Bieger, T., Müller, R. (eds) Aviation Systems. Web.