University Dissertation: Social Media Marketing in Airline Sector

This dissertation examines the impact of social media marketing on the airline industry. It begins with an introduction to the topic, background research, and the research problem, which highlights the need for effective employee training in social media management. The study establishes research aims, objectives, and questions, including an evaluation of marketing techniques, a comparison of social media and traditional marketing, and an exploration of their relationship. A literature review provides context, followed by a discussion of the research methodology, including deductive approach, positivism philosophy, and qualitative analysis of secondary data. The data analysis chapter presents results from thematic analysis, followed by a findings and discussion chapter that critically analyzes the research. The dissertation concludes with a summary of the study and recommendations, assessing the role of social media marketing and its impact on the airline industry, alongside the limitations and future scope of the research. The dissertation is structured into six chapters covering introduction, literature review, research methodology, data analysis, findings and discussion, and conclusion and recommendations.

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