There are many airlines that have made a name for themselves in the flying business. However, there is no company that has enjoyed numerous successes over a short period of time than the Emirates airline. The emirates airlines flew its first flight out of Dubai after launching on October 25^th 1985. As a matter of fact, the first flights to be flown out of Dubai were an Airbus 300 B4 and a leased Boeing 737 (Merkert&Hensher, 2011). The Dubai government, the sole owner of the airline, takes pride in the fact that this airline has now grown from two leased airlines and with only three destinations, to being one of the leading global airlines. As of today, Emirates Airlines envisions itself as one of the top 100 global brands. Due to this success, many people around the world have been asking themselves whether it is the strategic management that has been shown by this company that has made it successful, or the fact that the airline is well backed up financially by the Dubai government. In as much as the Emirates airline is backed by the Dubai government, I think that strategic management is what has made this airline grow to what it is today.

Emirates Airlines fast growth has even made competitors in the airline business concerned for they do not know what the consequences of this success will mean for their airlines. Some of the emirates airline competitors have even accused it of hiring low-cost labor as well as receiving fuel subsidies from the government of Dubai (O’Connell & Williams, 2011). What many people fail to understand is that Emirates airline has a very powerful management as well as marketing strategy. For instance, there is the well-known fact that this airline sponsors a lot of sports clubs and events in the United Arabs Emirates as well as across the world. This sponsorship is a marketing strategy that creates the brands awareness across the globe.

Additionally, this airline has also placed an order of 32 Airbus 380 super jumbo jets in a complete contract. This order is worth $11 billion which is a record for the A380 airbuses (O’Connell & Williams, 2011). As a matter of fact, Emirates airline today holds the record for the most Airbus A380s as well as the Boeing 777s in the world. The new order for the A380s will allow this airline to continue growing due to its excellent geographical location and also be at par with its competitors’ main hubs.

Emirates Airline SWOT Analysis

Strengths

Emirates airline has several strengths starting with the fact that these flights are now covering flying to almost every corner of the world nowadays. Research shows that emirates airlines are flying to six continents, offering a significant range of more than 100 cities and commuting over 2400 passengers weakly. Additionally, this company has a major aviation share of 39 percent in the whole of Asia Pacific Continent. Since this company is a state owned organization, it enjoys a lot of backing from the Dubai government. Additionally, the economy of U.A.E is continuously growing as days go by meaning that many people in the region can now afford air tickets, and of course the first airline to benefit is the emirates airline. The location of the company also adds as strength since it serves as the link between the west and the eastern parts of the world. The fact that this company sponsors many sports and festivals also helps it market itself adding as strength. There is also the fact that this company has a unique business policy that addresses numerous global threats that have attacked the global industry winning the hearts of many passengers looking to fly cheap and arrive safely and comfortably to their destination. The company is also located in Oil Rich Emirate. It also has a strong workforce of over 50, 00 employees. It is also a strong hub in Dubai, and it has always satisfied the needs of its customers.

Weaknesses

Emirates airline also has a couple of weaknesses that it needs to address if it is looking to capitalize on its strengths. For starters, there is the fact that oil prizes are increasing as days go by around the world, and emirates airline has not yet come up with a strategy on how to deal with this crisis in the years to come when this becomes a reality meaning sooner or later its profits are going to be affected. There is also the fact that this company relies too much on International Onward Moving Traffic. Emirates airline has also been accused of hiring cheap labor, and this is a weakness that competitors may be looking to exploit by hiring the most qualified staff in this airline.

Opportunities

Emirates airline have a couple of opportunities starting with the fact that business ventures like Disney Land are attracting international visitors to Dubai. The visitors are choosing emirates airway as the first choice mode of transport that strengthen the company economically. Emirates Airlines also gives frequent flyers several incentives creating a loyal market even for the future. This company’s location means that it can also expand itself to other regions in Asia pacific to better its whooping profits spreading positive market in this region. There is also the fact that this company has also joined the global airline alliance, a move this can also help it in its marketing strategy. The company also has been venturing to more international destinations that are popular amongst customers in the world. Additionally, the company has unveiled a brand new fleet meaning that when it is leveraged it will improve customer’s confidence in the airline

Threats

This company also faces a couple of threats. For starters, it stands to be affected by government policies since it is a state owned property; hence this means that it may become a threat at any moment. The fact that it has enjoyed a lot of profit in the last decade, and if at any time it relaxes it may enter into shambles as there are many competitors seeking to venture into this region. The increasing cost of fuel is also a threat that is facing the emirates airlines.

Competition

Emirates Airlines faces a lot of competition from other companies in the Middle East Market. This helps keeping the company at bay, but if the company relaxed in its aggressive advertising and customer relations strategies, it may lose the reputation it has built in this region to its competitors. Emirates airlines competitors include; Etihad Airways, Jet Airways, Qatar Airways and Air India Express.

However, Emirates Airline realized the competition that it was facing and decided to join an Airline Alliance Program, as a means of remaining relevant not only to Middle East, but also to other regions of the world. This was a bold self marketing move that only sees this airline safeguarding its future, but also marketing itself to potential customers who are now pleased with how far it is prepared to go to be a force to be reckoned with in the flying business. An airline alliance program refers to an arrangement between two or several airlines to work together on various levels. In comprehensive terms, it can be said to be an alliance of a group of affiliate airlines that provides seamless services to its clients through fares and ticketing, joint use of online reservation methods, code sharing of flights, automated baggage transfers, joint marketing, synchronized flight schedules, and the sharing of the frequent flyer plans. Currently, there are three major passenger airline alliances namely the SkyTeam, Star Alliance, and Oneworld. Similar alliances have also been formed between cargo airlines. Examples of cargo alliances include SkyTeam Cargo, ANA/UPS Alliance, and WOW Alliance (Morschett, Schramm-Klein & Zentes, 2010). Such alliances provide a system of connectivity and an advantage for international passengers as well as international packages or cargo. Alliances also offer convenient brand marketing and facilitate passengers making codeshare connections within international destinations.

Today’s markets have been characterized by radical changes occasioned by technological advancements in information and communication technology, increasing interconnection between various markets and destinations, economic advancement of developing countries, and political changes in many countries, which has facilitated transparency in trading practices. The markets have become more global than ever before, which has facilitated increased passenger and cargo traffic and international transactions between individuals, entrepreneurs, corporate entities, and various nations. There have been increased opportunities in the field of international commerce, including the expansion of existing markets and the rise of new markets. Along with the apparent benefits, crippling drawbacks have also attended such developments. The airline industry has been among the most affected by the effects of globalization. Ironically, the increased reputation of flying as the preferred mode of rapid transportation has contributed to the overcrowding of the industry, acting as an obstacle to profitability (Vedder, 2008). Given that business deals are no longer restricted by geographical distances and individuals are turning to international travel at unprecedented levels, both for business purposes and for pleasure, a surge in demand has occasioned over-crowding in the industry, with all competitors eyeing for the same share.

In coming up with a marketing strategy, I believe continue with the same strategy that is being used by Emirates Airline stands as the best one so far in marketing the company to potential clients and maintaining individuals who have already used the airline. Emirates airline have been using a strategy that can be of big help if incorporated in alternative businesses. Emirates airline has a management and marketing systems that allow each member of their teams be in charge of their own jobs and identify opportunities for making improvements (Demil&Lecocq, 2010). Members in this airline can also spearhead the implementations of these initiatives if are deemed fit in cooperation with the management of the company. With a management system where any member can detect and spearhead improvements, Emirates stand a better chance of survival and safeguarding its future even in areas that are hugely controlled by their competitors (Harzing&Pinnington, 2010).

As a matter of fact, it was through this open innovative system that led to ideas such as inverse TVs in passengers’ seats, use of Wi-Fi and mobile phones in airplanes. Emirates airline was the first one to implement these ideas among many others promoting passengers’ comfort during transit. I believe this managements system is a contingency plan in itself. This is because it ensures continuity in management as well as in marketing. These practices do not only serve as good management strategies, but also as a marketing strategy that makes old customers want to come back, and new ones to dream of having the Emirates Airlines experience. In marketing this company, I would also result to the use of flyers, banners, promotions such as free flights and other strategies. The fact that this company is already involved in sponsoring a lot of sporting activities such as football and soccer teams in the world could work as a significantly effective strategy for marketing. The company could also promote many activities that come with these sporting events such as betting and promotions. As a matter of fact, I believe that promotions in these events could go a long way in securing the future of Emirates airline.

For instance, people purchasing tickets to these draws could be entered into a draw that could win them a free all paid trip to their destinations or to Dubai by the Emirates airline. I believe that this could be a strategy of not only getting these people attending these sporting activities, but also looking forward to visiting Dubai for free among other destinations that could be agreed on by the airline’s management. This strategy would not only benefit the airline, but also the city of Dubai because travelers would have to shop and maybe stop over at hotels and other parts of the city. There are other promotions strategies that I would also adopt to ensure that this airline had a future if I were to be the C.E.O of the emirates airline. For instance, I would direct that all frequent flyers that used our airline more so on economical class were surprised to VIP treatment and be treated to a first class flight once in a life time. This would encourage these flyers to tell their friends more about the airline and more so on how it treats its customers encouraging more people to fly with Emirate airline. I would also ensure that the airline hires stewards and stewardesses from the towns its destination towns’ this is because, local people can market the airline faster to potential customers more than any other marketing strategy. People in these cities would opt to opt to fly with an airline that they can trust and they know a person who works with the airline.

In marketing Emirates Airline, I would also use different forms of media such as Television adverts, use of billboards and also social media. I would emphasize more on using social media. This is because the today’s world is connected and with just a click of a button, one can access information from any corner of the world. Emirates airline has already embarked on using social media to reach potential clients and keep in touch with existing ones online. Emirates airlines use the internet to communicate to their clients on the services they offer and also on new improvements to be made available to customers. For example, if you visited their social media pages like Facebook and twitter, all the people are talking about is the big screens on their planes, reliable Wi-Fi and also the comfort of their seats during transit. Other than social media, they also use phone customer services, websites and blogs to communicate with their clients. Every decision that they take, they make sure they involve everyone from the top managerial position to the consumer at the ground through the internet (Chaffey et al, 2009).  They have also tried to use advertisements on social media. This is all in the effort of trying to get as many people in the world get to know what they do, and get to invest with them. They try to involve the audience in their production through all kinds of information.

Every business has to find out exactly their clients’ needs when it comes to marketing, and I can say that Emirates airline tries to involve their clients in these decisions among other eventualities. That is why this company slogan is “Fly Emirates, Continue Discovering.” I would not change this slogan for anything in the world for this airline is true to their word. Customers who fly Emirates airlines continue discovering new and entertaining services available to them, and also discovering new locations that this airline Fly to. Therefore, if I were to promote any slogan, I would also promote the “Fly Emirates, Keep Discovering.

 

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References

Demil, B., &Lecocq, X. (2010). Business model evolution: in search of dynamic consistency. Long Range Planning, 43(2), 227-246.

Harzing, A. W., &Pinnington, A. (Eds.). (2010). International human resource management. Sage.

Merkert, R., &Hensher, D. A. (2011). The impact of strategic management and fleet planning on airline efficiency–A random effects Tobit model based on DEA efficiency scores. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 45(7), 686-695.

O’Connell, J. F., & Williams, G. (2011). Air transport in the 21st century: Key strategic developments. Farnham, Surrey, England: Ashgate.

Chaffey, D., Ellis-Chadwick, F., Mayer, R. & Johnston, K. (2009) Internet marketing. 4^th ed. England: Pearson

Chisnall, P. (2005) Marketing Research. 7^th ed. London: McGraw Hill.

Morschett, D., Schramm-Klein, H., & Zentes, J. (2010). Strategic International Management:        Text and Cases. Wiesbaden, DE: Gabler.

Vedder, H. (2008). Strategic Alliances in the Aviation Industry: An Analysis of Past and Current   Developments. Mu?nchen, DE: Grin-Verl.