Understanding the strategy used by leading airlines : a case study of Qatar Airways

Abstract

The current competitive business environment require continuous improvement to remain either on top of other rivals or to cope with the rising demands. One of the areas that international industry focus on is the marketing strategies across the globe. These marketing strategies can be studied from the leading and fast growing international business. For this project, the researcher selected airlines as the benchmark due to the volatility and the importance of the industry to other international business. Moreover, a case study of Qatar Airways was ideal since the firm ranked best and was still fast growing compared to all other leading airlines. Two research questions were identified in this study. The first one was the investigation of the most pronounced marketing strategy that has facilitated the aggressive growth of Qatar Airways. The second was how the consumers responded to Qatar Airways’ schemes to enhance its recognition as a fast-growing network connecting people to important destinations. The results from the case analysis have addressed these questions adequately. They indicate that Qatar Airways has majored on three strategies to facilitate its aggressive global expansion. The first one is the acquisition of stakes in airlines and airline groups. The other aspect is a new focus on the African market. Qatar Airways also capitalizes on word-of-mouth advertising, sponsorships, advertising through ordinary people, social media marketing, and generating publicity with regards to having a superior corporate image among consumers.