Essay of Mariam Tchanturia, Student at IBSU, Marketing

The Emirates is one of the most popular airways worldwide, known for its value-driven marketing and the customer engagement. Sticking to the traditional advertising methods, the company uses alternative ways to increase the sales and the satisfaction of its clients.

The Emirates has been using numerous social media platforms, creating relatable and interesting content for people worldwide. In XXI century, no matter the size of the company, social media is the key to advertise the product and attract the clients. Since the company’s target is the group of “globalistas” it has designed the platforms in a way that it’s convenient for them to share the experiences and engage with others. Some people also enjoy reading the globalistas’ experiences and desire to experience the following by themselves. Emphasizing the satisfaction that follows the “Emirate journey” and offering premium services, the company is attracting a lot of clients worldwide. Using such promotions and services provided, people are willing to pay more and refuse to fly with cheaper airways.

In a competitive market, no matter the industry, key to success is fulfilling the needs of clients and meeting their expectations. Once the client has a good experience, the possibility of not sticking to the current company for long term is quite low. As the Emirates makes every single customer feel special and welcomed, the prices don’t have to fluctuate much, as people are always willing to pay whatever it takes.

Georgian Airways is an airline company based in Tbilisi, Georgia. It is the most popular local airline and has been providing the service to its customers since 1993. Even though it has been in the market for 28 years, in my opinion there’s much needed to be done regarding the marketing strategies. The company is mainly concentrated on the traditional advertising and mainly sticks to updating the news on Facebook or on the official website.

On the official website, only special service the company discusses is the flight of underage, expectant mothers and the disabled passengers. Even though such topics are quite important, I believe that once a potential clients click on the “special offer” button they are expecting upgraded, luxurious service. When Emirates finances the hotels and other services that consequently follow the departure, Georgian Airlines doesn’t provide such kind of information at all.

The key issue with their advertisement is advertising the idea of getting from point A to point B, instead of focusing on the experience and key factors that make the journey unforgettable. There are many airlines in the world and when it comes to decision making there are many factors the clients consider. Such factors include the ticket price, the quality of service and the satisfactory after the departure. Even though the price is the most important of all, Emirates has proven, that people are willing to pay much more, once they feel that the service is customized for them and are appreciated by all means.

Since technological advancement is taking over the world at the moment, the social media has become a big part of everyone’s lives. It is a well-known fact that the youth is not a frequent user of Facebook and has shifted to using Instagram on daily basis. This is the reason why all the companies including designer clothing brands and other companies from different industries have moved to advertising products on this platform.

Georgian Airways posts only either when it’s a Georgian holiday or it has to update customers about the covid-19 changes. On the other hand, Emirates post about managing the PCR testing of clients and making their flight as enjoyable as possible. It is clear that Georgian Airways keeps advertising the idea of traveling when Emirates keeps emphasizing the special services that make the company superior.

In order to implement the value-driven marketing, there are several things to concentrate on. Firstly, the company should put itself in the client’s shoes and make the expectations clear. Secondly, the process of service improvement should be consistent and upgrading every single day. Last and not least, following the steps mentioned above, the company should manage to create and unforgettable journey which will guarantee the increase in sales.

As traveling can add up to big expenses, the clients look for special offers or promotions. Such as covering the hotel or meal expenses, in case the flight is delayed. Even if the Georgian Airways offers such service, the clients should be able to see it either on website or on the social media. Since this is the service most clients seek, it should be emphasized on the social platforms the most.

I believe that following the Emirates steps, the Georgian Airways can use the platforms efficiently to communicate with the clients. It is clear that feedback is the key to improving the service. Other than advertising, company could use social media to get daily feedbacks and keep improving the service.

As humans are social creatures, communicating with people and discussing certain topics is enjoyable for everyone. Creating groups on social media just like Emirates did and giving people an opportunity to share their experiences is very benefitable as well. As reading the reviews online is key role in decision making, looking up such information on the platform where all the people have experienced what you are looking for is good for you and for the company as well.

Last but not least, the main thing people value is being treated well and feeling that everything is customized to meet their needs. Even the promotions, discounts on the tickets or special menu on the board is most likely going to make someone’s day better.

To conclude, in order to implement value driven marketing, the company needs to concentrate on what people are seeking for and how they appreciate being treated like. Once the company’s staff puts itself in the customers shoe’s it is very clear what needs to be improved or in some cases abolished from the service.