Benchmarking passenger air transport marketing activities in Vietnam : case company: Etihad Airways
Kim Nga Nguyen, Thi (2015)
Kim Nga Nguyen, Thi
Lahden ammattikorkeakoulu
2015
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2015061013103
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2015061013103
Tiivistelmä
Marketing strategy is crucial for businesses operating in highly competitive environments. Especially with the intense competition over international flights in the Vietnamese air travel market, it is important for airlines to adopt superior strategy, in order to incorporate brand presence in the market. Hence, performing benchmarking on marketing strategy for Etihad Airways is timely and necessary.
The thesis adopts the combination of inductive and deductive approaches, with the assistance of mixed-method research choice. The enquired theories and information are from qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, as well as various sources, such as interviews, survey, books, academic journals, and scholar public domains to name a few. Altogether, they form a pivotal and logical structure for the empirical research later on.
The main theoretical framework of the study is benchmarking philosophy and SOSTAC® model. While benchmarking helps to find the superior performance in the market regardless of geographical area, the SOSTAC® model supports building a thorough marketing plan. The benchmarking type adopted in this study is the competitive benchmarking, which seeks benchmarks from the direct competitors of the company. Other tools supporting the research are SWOT, PEST analysis, Porter’s Five Forces, STP, as well as the 4Ps marketing mix.
Emirates and Qatar Airways are Etihad’s main competitors in Vietnam. The benchmarks for Etihad Airways consider the 4Ps marketing mix. In terms of place, Hanoi is another potential market in Vietnam. In respect of pricing strategy, it is advisable that the airline shift towards skimming strategy to maintain its service quality in the long-term. Moreover, Etihad Airways should pay more attention to the business group and improve its customer rewards program. In terms of promotion, the airline should focus on the social media channel for the holiday group, as well as reconsider its channels and approaches for the business segment.
The thesis adopts the combination of inductive and deductive approaches, with the assistance of mixed-method research choice. The enquired theories and information are from qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, as well as various sources, such as interviews, survey, books, academic journals, and scholar public domains to name a few. Altogether, they form a pivotal and logical structure for the empirical research later on.
The main theoretical framework of the study is benchmarking philosophy and SOSTAC® model. While benchmarking helps to find the superior performance in the market regardless of geographical area, the SOSTAC® model supports building a thorough marketing plan. The benchmarking type adopted in this study is the competitive benchmarking, which seeks benchmarks from the direct competitors of the company. Other tools supporting the research are SWOT, PEST analysis, Porter’s Five Forces, STP, as well as the 4Ps marketing mix.
Emirates and Qatar Airways are Etihad’s main competitors in Vietnam. The benchmarks for Etihad Airways consider the 4Ps marketing mix. In terms of place, Hanoi is another potential market in Vietnam. In respect of pricing strategy, it is advisable that the airline shift towards skimming strategy to maintain its service quality in the long-term. Moreover, Etihad Airways should pay more attention to the business group and improve its customer rewards program. In terms of promotion, the airline should focus on the social media channel for the holiday group, as well as reconsider its channels and approaches for the business segment.