MMC501M | INTRODUCTION TO MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

EMIRATES: TAKING THE IMC ROUTE

CASE ANALYSIS

I. Issue/Main Problem
Emirates was able to obtain an excellent market position with all of its marketing efforts. However, are all
of it effective in projecting Emirates’ message to various audiences? And is it adequate to maintain their
position in the market and even gain a competitive advantage over its top competitors such as Qatar
Airways, Etihad, and Lufthansa?

II. Questions
1. With more than two decades of doing sponsorships as part of Emirates’ marketing mix, how effective
was it in terms of reaching their target market?
2. How consistent is the message that Emirates tries to deliver through sponsorships and other IMC
tools?
3. With the IMC tools used by Emirates, were they able to reach various audiences and clearly convey to
them their one message about high quality, world-class services?
4. Was there any specific IMC tool that emphasizes Emirates’ leverage over its rivals?

III. Facts vs. Opinions

The current slogan of Emirates tells us to “Don’t just fly, fly better”, a very bold promise that emphasizes
its edge over its rivals when it comes to world-class air travel services. The vision of the company is on
building and maintaining its position of global leaders in the aviation industry (Bhasin, 2019).

According to the article written by Hitesh Bhasin (2019) – founder of Marketing91, Emirates has been able
to penetrate new markets because of its increasing size of fleets. It also offers special discounts during off
seasons to attract more passengers thereby using marketing tactics as well. Moreover, in order to reach a
diverse segment of customers, advertisements have been placed in magazines, newspapers, billboards,
television, and even in social media. It is proven that they have utilized both traditional and ultra-modern
marketing strategies to attract different sections of customers.

As a result of IMC approach, Emirates has successfully built brand awareness. It is even backed up by its
continuous marketing and product development. However, this is also the case with its top competitors
as they exert the equal or even more effort as Emirates does. Here are a few examples:
a. Qatar Airways has strategic partnerships with Royal Air Maroc and Cathay Pacific. Like Emirates,
it has won many awards for its first-class service, in-flight entertainment and many more. It is
also considered a top competitor due to their strong focus on sponsorship and marketing for
increasing brand awareness.
b. Etihad Airways is considered as one of the top competitors of Emirates due to its main focus in
customer service and in-flight entertainment. It has established good branding and visibility and
it has sponsored many events as well.
c. Lufthansa is a member of Star Alliance which includes Thai Airways, Air Canada, and United
Airlines thereby making it the largest alliance in the world. It is known for its in-flight services, it
provides economy and luxury cabins, long and short haul. Due to its global reach, Lufthansa is
also considered as one of Emirates’ top competitors.

IV. Conclusion/Recommendation
Emirates continues to deliver on its brand promise of innovation and quality, and it is evident that they
have increased brand awareness and created a positive image when it embraced the IMC concept.
Nevertheless, with its existing top competitors, Emirates must not only rest in an excellent market
position, but thrive to differentiate itself from the others. According to the WPP and Millward Brown 2015
“BrandZ Top 100 Global Brands” Report, differentiation is the single most important contributor to a
brand’s success. Further, this report highlights the power of difference:
1) Difference helps people make a choice between close alternatives;

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 MMC501M | INTRODUCTION TO MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
EMIRATES: TAKING THE IMC ROUTE
CASE ANALYSIS

2) Difference justifies paying a price premium; and

3) Difference makes people feel more satisfied with their choice.

Emirates team could focus on keeping it personal with their customers and cultivate stronger
relationships with them, and pursue alternative pricing. It should reach out to other audiences that have a
negative impression towards the brand, that it is just all about “luxury”. It could capitalize on promoting
its fair pricing despite the high quality of its services. As Bhasin (2019) further discussed about Emirates,
he mentioned that “as Dubai is the major link between east and west, Emirates has been able to serve
low cost tickets to its customers in comparison with the other airlines. Because of its direct flights, it has
been able to maintain an effective pricing policy, as the customers are able to save due to undue
stopovers. The pricing policy of the company is diversified to suit and cater to the needs of different
sections of the society.” Emirates may also consider recalibrating its channels, evaluate what’s effective
and what’s becoming ineffective as they strive to continuously create something new to reach various
audiences.

Furthermore, as a global brand, it is strongly recommended that Emirates modifies its messages and
channels according to where it advertises. It may be more costly, but adapted global marketing is certainly
an important investment as it creates a stronger competitive advantage for a company. Offering area
specific vibe invokes a unique and memorable experience to the local market (Pribanic, 2018).

References:

Bhasin, H. (2019, May 3). Marketing Mix of Emirates Airlines. Marketing 91. Retrieved from
https://www.marketing91.com/marketing-mix-of-emirates-airlines/

Bhasin, H. (2018, June 24). Top Emirates Competitors. Marketing 91. Retrieved from
https://www.marketing91.com/top-emirates-competitors/

Duckler, M. (2018, May 5). Break Free: 5 Tips to Differentiate Your Brand. Marketo. Retrieved from
https://blog.marketo.com/2018/05/5-tips-to-differentiate-your-brand.html

Edwards, S. (2016, January 12). 4 Ways to Differentiate Your Brand in a Congested Marketplace. Entrepreneur Asia
Pacific. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/253542

Pribanic, E. (2018, April 13). Importance of Global Marketing Strategies for Businesses. Tech Funnel. Retrieved from
https://www.techfunnel.com/martech/importance-of-global-marketing-strategies-for-businesses/

WPP and Millward Brown. (2015). Most Valuable Global Brands 2015. BrandZ Top 100. Retrieved from
https://www.millwardbrown.com/BrandZ/2015/Global/2015_BrandZ_Top100_Report.pdf