Social Media Marketing in the Airline Industry

This dissertation explores the impact of social media marketing in the airline industry and its effectiveness in gaining market exposure and enhancing brand image. It discusses the use of social media channels in the aviation sector and provides findings and discussions on the subject. The research aims to evaluate the marketing techniques used in the airline industry, identify the differences between social media marketing and traditional marketing, determine the effectiveness of social media marketing in gaining market exposure, and explore the relationship between traditional marketing and social media marketing efforts in the airline industry.

Running head: DISSERTATION
Social media marketing in the Airline Industry
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author Note:

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Table of Contents
Abstract............................................................................................................................................3
Chapter 1..........................................................................................................................................5
Chapter 5........................................................................................................................................11
5.1 Findings and Discussion......................................................................................................11
Chapter 6........................................................................................................................................14
6.0 Conclusion and Recommendations......................................................................................14
6.1 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................14
6.2 Linking with objectives.......................................................................................................15
6.3 Recommendations................................................................................................................16
6.4 Future Scope and Limitations..............................................................................................17
Literature Review Matrix..............................................................................................................20

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Abstract
The research is based on the study of social media and the effect of the use of social media by the
Airline Industries of the globe. The rise in the number of Airline industries in the globe has
compelled the sector to adapt to new and better technologies that will be useful for the
companies to tackle the new age passengers and customers of the business. The research starts
with the introduction of the topic and a brief idea into the different kinds of the research
perspectives. The main problem identified during the research is the absence of proper training
programs for the employees to train them according to the guidelines. The research questions and
the aims and the objectives of the research have been provided accordingly to provide an
overview of the research. The second chapter consists of the literature review which deals with
the study and review of the different kinds of the secondary researches based on social media and
its use in the Airlines Industry. The perspectives of the research provided in the Literature
Review is based on the different other researches completed earlier.
The third chapter has discussed about the research methodology which has discussed the
different methods that have been used in the following research. The deductive research
approach has been used in the following research along with the positivism philosophy. The
secondary data collection process along with the qualitative analysis of the particular data has
been used to find out the results of the research. The fourth chapter has dealt with the analysis of
the data where the results of the thematic analysis have been provided in a proper and effective
manner. The data analysis chapter is followed by the fifth chapter which includes the findings
and discussion chapter. The findings and discussion chapter involves the consideration of the
analysis and then the discussion of the data accordingly. The following chapter forma an

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important part of the dissertation as because it provides a detailed discussion and consideration
of the different points related to the subject and its discussion in a scientific and organized
manner. The research ends with the concluding chapter that has provided a brief and compact
summary of the total study and has provided a concluding statement on the role of social media
marketing and its impact on the Airlines industry as such.

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Chapter 1
1.1 Introduction
The following research is based on the identification of the impact of Social Media in the
Airlines Industry and how the replacement of the traditional means of marketing and
promotion has helped the Airlines Industry. The use of the social media has been one of the
most common trends in the modern day business organizations. Similar to the use of social
media personally, the market professionals and the management of the company have been
pursuing the use of the social media channels in order to ensure the success of the business.
The study based on the following subject has provided a detailed description and analysis of
the research and also provided the different perspectives and features related to the subject.
1.2 Background of the Research
The modern day business organizations have been able to change themselves and their
approach in order to ensure that they stay updated with the latest technological advancements to
ensure success and commendable market share in the business market (Lee 2017). The
management of the business organizations uses the communication activities to ensure that their
products and services are marketed in the proper manner to the customers of the business
organization. According to the study of, Kohli Suri and Kapoor (2015) the management of the
companies always engaged in carrying on effective communication with the consumers to
promote their brand and bring in awareness for the different kinds of the products and the
services. Traditional marketing activities were used by the business organizations in order to
reach out to the customers. However, the advancement in technology and the technical
awareness of the customers have compelled the management to shift their focus towards the use

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of the technologies. The use of the social media in the business has been one of the many such
examples of technological advances of the different kinds of the business organization. The
following assignment has discussed the role of social media in different kinds of business
organizations with special reference and discussion of the Airlines industry of the globe.
The emergence of different kinds of User Generated applications has impacted the trade
media worldwide. Most of the user generated contents are based on the different kinds of the
social media has had an impact on the way the aviation industry is controlled. From conceding
customers to collaborating with the partners in the Airline business, Social Media brings out a
large number of different opportunities and different kind of challenges that helps the companies
related to the aviation industry accelerate the growth and unleash their potentials (Kim and Park
2017). The aviation industry has been highly impacted by the trade media worldwide. Different
kinds of research shows that the aviation industry is highly impacted by the presence of the
social media sites. Around 45% of the users of social media have been searching for the best
deals on different tickets and other opportunities in aviation markets. More than 64% of the
global travelers on the other hand use social media to blog on the latest travel destinations and
their experiences after visiting the following places (Killian and McManus 2015). The major
areas that have been impacted on the growth of social media are as follows;
a. Switching between different airlines by the passengers
b. Quick and better returns from investment
c. Use of the unused inventory
d. Adding huge growth in passenger footfall

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1.3 Research Problems
The emergence of the social media marketing in the modern era has transformed the way
the organization communicates with both the employees of the organization as well as the
customers of the organization. The global airlines companies of the world have been trying to
emerge as the market leader which leads to the use of the social media market and stay updated
with the demands and wants of the consumers. The technological advances have made social
media as the frontrunner in the globe for the different kinds of the communication activities in
between the different parties by means of internet. The embracement of the social media
technologies by the management of the Airlines have been one of the recent trends in the market.
The evaluation of the industry in this regards has also given rise to a number of different kinds of
problems (Dijkmans Kerkhof and Beukeboom 2015). The very first problem is the absence of
proper efficiency of the employees who are tasked out to operate these kinds of social media
channels. The complexity of using these kinds of channels is one of the major issues with the
organization. Often the employees are not skillful and knowledgeable to tackle the problems
which lead to different kinds of issues. On the other hand, the switch over to the modern
technological creations from the traditional means of marketing and promotion can often lead to
different kinds of problems.
1.4 Research Aims and Objectives
The aim of the research is to evaluate the role of social media in the marketing of the
airline industry and also to find out its effective use in the Airline Industry. The objectives of
the research are as follows;

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a) To critically evaluate the marketing techniques used in Airline Industry.
b) To identify the differences between social media marketing and traditional
marketing.
c) To determine how the social media marketing is more effective than traditional
marketing in gaining market exposure and enhanced brand image.
d) To explore the relationship between the traditional marketing and social media
marketing efforts managed by Airline Industry.
1.5 Research Questions
The Research Questions for the following study based on social media marketing in the
Airlines industry are as follows;
a. What are the marketing techniques used in thr airline industry?
b. What are the differences in between the social media marketing and traditional
marketing
c. How can social media marketing be more effective than the traditional marketing in
gaining the market exposure and enhanced brand image?
d. What are the ways of exploring the relationship in between the traditional marketing
and social media marketing efforts that are managed by the Airline Industry?
1.6 Significance of the Research
The research has been significant in a number of ways. At the beginning the choice of the
subject can be heavily praised as because social media and its role in the development of the
marketing and promotional procedures in the airline industry is something totally new in the
following regards. The presence of the social media trends in the airline industry in the recent
times has been a hit within the business. The research on the effectiveness of the social media

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marketing is also one of the most necessary tasks that has been helpful for the future
researches on the same subject or any subject related to the use of the Social Media in the
Airlines Industry.
1.7 Structure of the Dissertation
The following dissertation consists of six different chapters namely introduction,
literature review, research methodology, data analysis, Findings and Discussions and last but
not the least conclusion and recommendations. A short yet compact discussion of the
different chapters has been provided below;
a. Chapter 1: Introduction
The first and foremost chapter stresses on the basic overview of Social Media and
a short yet compact idea of the growth of social media channels over the years. It has also
provided the importance of social media channels in the Airlines business. Therefore the
chapter is easily understandable to the people. Apart from the introduction, the aims of
the research, objectives and the research questions have been provided.
b. Chapter 2: Literature Review
Starting with an introduction of the subject, the literary review has defined and analyzed
the different secondary literatures based on the following subject. The major literary review
fields include the different perspectives of the business. The research topic has been widely
described by means of the different kinds of the research.
c. Chapter 3: Research methodology

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The following chapter consists of the different kinds of the research methods and
approaches that were used to conduct the research. The thematic research processes and the way
the information was collected has been provided in this particular chapter.
d. Chapter 4: Data Analysis
The following chapter is based on the calculation of the data and the analysis. The
analysis and the calculation of the data have been instrumental in finding out the results of the
following research. The research has used the thematic based analysis to discover the results of
the following research.
e. Chapter 5: Findings and Discussions
The findings and discussion chapter has been provided in the chapter 5 which appears
just after the Data Analysis chapter. The findings has discussed about the results from the
analysis of the research by means of a thematic process. The research has also included a
discussion portion where a critical analysis of the findings from the research has been completed
to analyze the research in a proper and effective manner.
f. Chapter 6: Conclusions and Recommendations
The last chapter has been the chapter where the conclusions based on the research has
been provided. The concluding chapter of the research has provided a detailed summary of the
total study and has analyzed the details of the study in a proper and effective manner. The
chapter ends with a set of different recommendations that can be accepted and implemented by
the airline industry to make the application of the social media in a proper and effective manner.
1.8 Summary of Chapter 1

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The first chapter has provided a clear and vivid picture of the research in a clear and
effective process. The chapter starts with the brief yet compact overview of the research and has
also provided a small hit to the research and the way it will be done. The research has stated the
use of the social media in the airlines industry and the way it will be conducted accordingly. The
providence of the aims and objectives along with the research questions has made the
introductory part of the research one of the most compact and effective chapters in the whole
dissertation.
Chapter 5
5.1 Findings and Discussion
The secondary data analysis has been used to analyze the research. The thematic analysis
of the research has been used in the following research. The research has highlighted the
importance of the use of social media in the marketing of the Airlines. The rapid rise in the
growth of the airlines industry has been because of the increased demand of travelling through
the air. The increased demand of the airline companies has forced the management of these
companies to establish communication links which has been effective for the growth of the
industry. According to, the study of Seo & Park (2018) the major communication links have
been evolved through the social media channels that have the capability to involve a large
number of people from across the globe. The analysis of the data has shown the dominance of
UK as the major aviation hub and market in Europe. The aviation sector of the country
contributes a large portion to the economy of the world (Sandada and Matibiri 2016). The fact
that the Airline industry contributed around pound 22 billion in the economy of the country
makes the industry as one of the most important backbone of the economy of United Kingdom.

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However, the analysis can be seen to attract negativity in the future as because the rise of the
number of airlines leads to fierce competition.
Noe et al. (2017) says that Marketing is said to be one of the most important process that
involves an organized research and promotion to sell the different kind of products and services .
The advancement in the digital process in marketing has made the management of the companies
to focus on the new and advanced marketing techniques rather than the use of the traditional
techniques. The importance of social media marketing has come to the forefront as social media
marketing has been key to the implementation of the new technology and sources of
communication. The implementation of the new source of communication has helped the
organization to ensure more flexibility and freedom the marketing activities. In contrast the study
of, Nezakati et al. (2015) reveals that the marketing activities practiced in the traditional business
marketing methods, the use of the new age technologies like that of social media can be helpful
for reaching out to a larger base of the targeted as well as the potential customers of the business
organizations. The analysis has shown that the role of social media in connecting people from
one part of the world to the other makes the airlines company of United Kingdom to take
advantage of the situation and connect people. However, there have been some major arguments
in the following theory as some of the experts of the aviation sector have the belief that the
traditional marketing principles allows the company to communicate with the potential
customers personally which helps the organization to have a much better idea of the different
kinds of the demands and wants of the customers. However, the much larger scope provided by
the social media use makes the management of the Airlines to consider the implementation of the
following technology in the business structure. The embracement of the digitalization of the

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companies has led to the sudden change in the marketing activities. The management of the
business organizations is too much inclined towards the implementation of the digitalized
promotion methods to ensure success for the business organization. The results of the analysis
have clearly shown the different kinds of problems and issues as a result of using the traditional
business marketing skills. Cost is one of the major disadvantages of the company along with the
absence of the proper marketing campaigns and innovations in marketing techniques.
According to, Uşaklı Koç and Sönmez (2017) the presence of a number of different
disadvantages of the in traditional marketing methods has been key to the rise of social media
channels and sources. The use of the social media channels has been effective for the Airlines of
United Kingdom, because they consume less time and the content can be reachable to the large
number of people interested to avail the service of the airlines. The display of the ticket prices,
cheap discounts and special offers can be presented in a much better manner when they are
presented through the social media channels. As mentioned earlier, the advantage of securing
and marinating a constant communication with the customers as well as the employees on a
continuous basis makes social media advantageous over the other channels of the business
marketing. The presence of digital marketing in the Airlines industry is thus highly
recommended just because of the fluidity and smoothness it provides to the business operations
of the organizations (Tubigi and Alshawi 2015). The Airlines companies’ are seen to be using
the social media marketing on a regular basis to ensure the presence of a regular communication
with the potential customers as well as the present set of the customers. The social media
platforms provide the opportunity to the customers to voice their opinions and demands through
the social media channels. The possibility to gain market exposure and brand recognition through
the use of the proper and effective social media channels is another major advantage of the use of

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the social media channels. Therefore it can be estimated that Social media marketing and the use
of the social media channels has been one of the biggest success factors of the business. The
advancement of the technological sector has thus helped in the ease of operations in the Airlines
sector. The use of the technology and the social media marketing can be key to the success of the
business in the industry.
Chapter 6
6.0 Conclusion and Recommendations
6.1 Conclusion
The study has been related to the use of the new models of marketing and promotion
among which social media plays an effective part. Globalization of the Airlines sector has
changed the way of marketing as the customers who are in fray to obtain the service of the
industry have been changing their minds regularly in order to ensure the success of the business
organization. The traditional methods of the marketing offer a number of different advantages
but they are not at par with the advantages that are generally offered by the modern methods of
marketing and promotion that includes the likes of the organizational methods. The expansion
and the globalization of the aviation industry of the United Kingdom is another major area that
formulates the need for the use of social media and connect to a global group of the customers.
The use of the social media marketing in the business can be a boon for the modern business.
The advantages and the ease of the operations that the use of the following media channels
provides is enough for the success of the industry in the market. The perspectives used in the
following research including social media marketing, the channels of social media marketing
along with the comparative analysis of the traditional marketing process and the social media

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marketing process is one of the most important part of the research as it points out the striking
differences and the capability of each of the processes to market the brand in a particular style.
The analysis of the data and the discussion of the results have further been one of the major
strengths of the following research. According to the results of the research it can be said that
social media practice has in fact a large impact on the success and sustainability of the Airlines
industries.
6.2 Linking with objectives
Objective 1: To critically evaluate the marketing techniques used in Airline Industry
The above given objective of identifying the marketing techniques that are used in the
Airline industry in the modern days has been proved accordingly. The review of the literature has
provided the necessary details related to the use of the different modern techniques used by the
Airlines industry to market and promote their products and services. The different kinds of
techniques used by the Airlines are mainly Face book, Insta gram, Pint rest and a number of
other such social media sites.
Objective 2: To identify the differences between social media marketing and traditional
marketing
The differences of the social media marketing along with the traditional marketing
practices have been provided in a proper and efficient manner. The main issues that have been
identified include the likes of the issue with cost, issue with time and issue with outreach. First of
all the use of traditional marketing and promotional techniques involves a large amount of time
as well as leads to cost overruns. On the other hand the traditional marketing techniques involve

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less outreach as they are limited to only the local customers. However, the use of the social
media does not involve such issues.
Objective 3: To determine how the social media marketing is more effective than
traditional marketing in gaining market exposure and enhanced brand image
The determination of the social media marketing has revealed that social media
marketing is much more efficient than that of the traditional marketing processes. The capability
of the social media to reach top a large group of targeted customers globally and the ability to be
presented in a much better and efficient manner is the major advantage or effectiveness of the
business organization.
Objective 4: To explore the relationship between the traditional marketing and social
media marketing efforts managed by Airline Industry
The review chapter along with the analysis of the results of the secondary information has
revealed the use of both the traditional along with the modern mediums of marketing efforts in
order to ensure the success of the Airline industry. The ability to convince the local customers
with a global outreach can be only attained by the combination use of both the marketing and
social media channels.
Thus each and every objective has been proved true from the research and thus it can be
concluded that modern means of marketing has a large impact on the future of the modern
business organizations.

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6.3 Recommendations
A number of recommendations can be drawn for the Airlines industry after the proper
research and analysis of the following study.
Recommendation 1
The use of social networking must be provided major importance as because social media
is able to revolutionize different kinds of the industry and can be the means of a huge source of
revenue. Social media marketing is being taken off in a major way as the sites like face book,
Twitter are being used by a large percentage of global population.
Recommendation 2
Though the majority of the airlines have not embraced social networking utterly
components of the online advertising has been in use for a much longer period of time. It is being
estimated that online marketing will account for a large chunk of future marketing activities and
therefore, the airline companies must shift focus to online marketing in order to ensure success of
the organization.
Recommendation 3
It is important for the organizations to keep open the chances of practicing both
traditional as well as the modern means of marketing practices in order to ensure the success of
the business. Practicing both the forms of the marketing activities will further strengthen the
organizational structure.

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6.4 Future Scope and Limitations
The following research has been able to meet the different objectives which were set for
the study. The ability to meet the aim of the research has been helpful to make the research a
success. The success of the research has thus made it one of the precious studies that can be used
for further researches or any other researches related to the same study. The scope of the research
thus increases with the success of the research. However the lack of ample time and the inability
to gather the needed fund for the research limited the capability of the research.
References
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Bedford/St. Martin's.
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corporate reputation. Tourism management, 47, pp.58-67.
Killian, G. and McManus, K., 2015. A marketing communications approach for the digital era:
Managerial guidelines for social media integration. Business Horizons, 58(5), pp.539-549.
Kim, W.G. and Park, S.A., 2017. Social media review rating versus traditional customer
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802.

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Kohli, C., Suri, R. and Kapoor, A., 2015. Will social media kill branding?. Business
Horizons, 58(1), pp.35-44.
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Literature Review Matrix
Knoblichet al. (2017) Godey et al. (2016) Xu, Frankwick, and
Ramirez (2016)
Ohand Syn(2015)
 Defined Social
media
marketing as
one of the many
ways to
consider it as a
social tool
 Each and every
forms of
marketing is
not said to be
social media
marketing
 Traditional
Marketing
Media Focuses
on the needs
and wants of
customers
 There are
major
differences in
between
traditional
marketing and
social
marketing
process
 Use of
promotional
contents by the
organizations
 There are
marketing sites
that does not
allow any
communication
with the
customers and
thus they
cannot be
called social
media sites
 Television,
print media and
radio are some
of the tools
used for
communication
 Major
differences
being the
purpose of
marketing, the
means of
marketing and
the way the
products are
marketed Sharing the
promotional
contents within
the friends and
family
 Sites that allow
communication
with other
customers and
stakeholders
can be termed
as social media
sites
 According to
Xu, Frankwick,
and Ramirez
(2016)it is
essential for the
business
organization to
understand the
value of the
products and
its essential
ability
 Social media
marketing
focuses solely
on the
community
engagement
and has a great
outreach
whereas the
traditional
marketing is
confined to
local markets
and
concentrate on
personal selling
 Improvement in
brand exposure
and
 Companies that
use social
media sites
 Personal
communication
is the mainstay
 Traditional
marketing is
focused on

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performance of
the brand
effectively has
an upper hand
in the market
of the
traditional
marketing tools
building brand
and advertising
which is totally
opposite of
what the social
marketing does.
Source: (As created by the Author)