Branding Strategies in the Shipping Industry

Running head: OPERATIONS
Operations
Name of the Student
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Abstract
This research report is an investigation of the branding strategies in the shipping industry to
learn about how shipping organizations are exploiting the brand both in external and internal
market environment. The major purpose of the study is investigate and identify how
organizations in the Marine sector is implementing branding internally and externally for the
interest of all stakeholders involved in the business process. In order to perform the
investigation in the study, a primary data analysis has been performed by collecting data from
the organizational members of the shipping organization. A survey method has been applied
among 50 organizational members of the shipping organizations. To choose the members for
the survey analysis, a non-probability sampling method has been applied. Findings indicate
that organizational members have to be involved when developing branding initiatives.
Organization needs to align employees with branding plans and the brand could arm up its
brand value along with the engagement of the audience. Organization should develop brand
training programs for the leaders and ensue that managers of the organization should
understand how to formulate brand objectives within their employees

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Table of Content
Chapter 1: Introduction..............................................................................................................6
1.0 Introduction......................................................................................................................6
1.2 Background......................................................................................................................7
1.3 Research Aim and Objectives..........................................................................................9
1.4 Research Questions..........................................................................................................9
1.5 Research Significance....................................................................................................10
1.6 Research Structure.........................................................................................................10
1.7 Summary of the chapter.................................................................................................11
2.0 Literature Review...............................................................................................................12
2.1 Conceptual Model of the review....................................................................................12
2.2 What is brand in the shipping industry?.........................................................................14
2.3 Engagement of the audience..........................................................................................15
2.4 Marketing strategy solution contributes to the logistic service......................................19
2.5 Importance of branding in the shipping industry...........................................................20
2.6 Branding supports advertising........................................................................................22
2.7 Stakeholder involvement in branding............................................................................22
2.8 Employee involvement in branding of shipping industry..............................................23
2.9 Involvement of the organizational members:.................................................................25
3.0 Research Methodology.......................................................................................................29
3.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................29
3.2 Research Philosophy......................................................................................................29

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3.3 Research Approach........................................................................................................30
3.4 Research Approach........................................................................................................31
3.5 Research Design.............................................................................................................32
3.6 Data Collection Method:................................................................................................33
3.7 Sampling method:..........................................................................................................34
3.8 Data Analysis.................................................................................................................35
3.9 Ethical Consideration:....................................................................................................36
Chapter 4: Findings and Analysis............................................................................................37
4.1 Survey Data (Quantitative Questions)...........................................................................37
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendation..........................................................................56
5.1 Conclusion......................................................................................................................56
5.2 Recommendation............................................................................................................57
References................................................................................................................................58

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List of Table
Table 1: Necessity of branding in the shipping industry..........................................................32
Table 2: Importance of stakeholders’ interest..........................................................................34
Table 3: Branding Approaches applied in the shipping industry.............................................35
Table 4: Organizational members should be equally involved in brand management............37
Table 5: Shipping organization should be largely involved in environmental sustainability
initiative....................................................................................................................................38
Table 6: CSR in activities for promoting the brand globally...................................................39
Table 7: CSR activities required for brand development in shipping industry........................40
Table 8: Organization involved in digital platform for promoting the brand in a wide market
..................................................................................................................................................41
Table 10: Shipping organization is required to adopt digitalization for promoting the brand.42
Table 10: Social media platforms are effective for branding in the shipping industry............43
Table 11: Traditional advertising for brand image development.............................................44
Table 12: Organization provide its employees with appropriate career growth opportunities 45
Table 13: Organizations involve its employees in the decision-making process.....................46
Table 14: Organizational policies of your organization associated with environmental
sustainability............................................................................................................................47
Table 15: Major market for the operation................................................................................48

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List of Graph
Graph 1: Necessity of branding in the shipping industry.........................................................34
Graph 2: Importance of stakeholders’ interest.........................................................................35
Graph 3: Branding Approaches applied in the shipping industry............................................36
Graph 4: Organizational members should be equally involved in brand management...........38
Graph 5: Shipping organization should be largely involved in environmental sustainability. 39
Graph 6: CSR in activities for promoting the brand globally..................................................41
Graph 7: CSR activities required for brand development in shipping industry.......................41
Graph 8: Organization involved in digital platform for promoting the brand in a wide market
..................................................................................................................................................42
Graph 9: Shipping organization is required to adopt digitalization for promoting the brand..43
Graph 10: Social media platforms are effective for branding in the shipping industry...........44
Graph 11: Traditional advertising for brand image development............................................45
Graph 12: Organization provide its employees with appropriate career growth opportunities
..................................................................................................................................................46
Graph 13: Organizations involve its employees in the decision-making process....................47
Graph 14: Organizational policies of your organization associated with environmental
sustainability............................................................................................................................48
Graph 15: Major market for the operation...............................................................................49

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Chapter 1: Introduction
1.0 Introduction
This research project is a detailed investigation about whether branding approaches
are properly implemented in the shipping industry. It has been identified that the shipping
industry has started to understand better the significance of communications, however, only a
few organizations in the sector fully understand the real power of brand as well as the
commercial opportunities that can be generated they are properly implemented. Over the last
one decade, several organizations that span the shipping supply chain have effectively figured
out the importance of having a positive reputation and it effectively matters in business when
one does think of the brand. It could sound like trust and respect and relate to the
organization. It has been learnt that shipping sector has become more commoditized as well
as competitive, organizations in the industry tend to communicate more through multiple
online and offline. Moreover, it is learnt that more than 25% of purchasing decision
techniques within the shipping industry is particularly derived from the brand. The major
purpose of the study is to investigate whether or not organizations in the shipping industry are
exploiting brand-power both in external and internal organizational environment.
There is no doubt that many organisations in the shipping industry are pushing more
content and stuff out into the market however, it is often based on scattergun approach
established upon a fundamental desire to be visible. Thus, in order to be true and deliver the
brand, organizations need to make sure that their values are adequately represented at every
internal and external touch point within the organization. Moreover, the values that are turned
into behaviour, are creating culture and defining how employees communicate with each
other and external stakeholders. Nonetheless, the questions are that in spite of few
progressive organizations, how the brand is exactly investing in the techniques of training.

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Thus, this research project particularly investigates how branding strategy is adequately
implemented in shipping sector both with externally with the business partners in the sector
and internally with the employee of the organization.
1.2 Background
It has been learnt that shipping industry being giant medium of transportation and
logistics, did not implement adequate approaches for its branding. Shin and Thai (2015)
mentioned the fact that branding, communications and media relations and social media are
the fundamental context of the shipping industry should deal with. This means that shipping
industry until few years has issues with branding. Lewis et al. (2014) mentioned the fact that
as both collective and individual organizations operating today struggle to articulate their
values to the world economy and to attract people in the sector and draw public attention to
issues that affect organizations at sea and onshore. Within the sector, shipping community
there is a state of frustration because of the lack of respect and commands.
This research project particularly focuses on ship management and logistics of
shipping organizations in the sector. This means that the research investigates how branding
is used in these two areas of shipping organizations. According to Lewis et al. (2014), ship
management as per its name, deal with the technique of managing a ship. Hence, ship
management is usually done by independent organizations which hires and uses ships of
other brands or independent owners. It has been identified that when it comes to shipping
management, it is now often seen that technologies shake the marine sector coming from all
angles. Marquardt et al. (2011) mentioned that there are some advances in multiple
computer-based technologies but there could be some curveballs that could change the nature
of maritime operation as well as business of shipping. It has been identified that shipping
management in the sector is entirely based on technology where global IT technology is at a
stage where computers as well as automation systems tend to become more intelligent. On