MKT00720 - Competitive Marketing: Woolworths and Qantas Airways Case

This report analyzes the marketing strategies employed by Woolworths, operating in the retail sector, and Qantas Airways, in the airline industry, to achieve a competitive advantage. Both companies implement customer-centric strategies, but in different ways tailored to their respective industries. Woolworths focuses on personalized marketing and customer relationship management to enhance its brand and customer base, while Qantas Airways emphasizes technology, data-driven insights, and employee engagement to improve customer experience and loyalty. The report highlights how Woolworths has overtaken its competitors through collaboration with local farmers and service-oriented operations, and how Qantas Airways has invested in technology and customer-centric approaches even during challenging times. Both companies demonstrate the importance of customer loyalty and service quality in maintaining a competitive edge in their respective markets. Desklib provides access to similar case studies and solved assignments for students.

Running head: ANALYSIS OF WOOLWORTHS AND QANTAS AIRWAYS
ANALYSIS OF WOOLWORTHS AND QANTAS AIRWAYS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ANALYSIS OF WOOLWORTHS AND QANTAS AIRWAYS
Executive Summary
The report is based on the analysis of two organizations which belong to two different
sectors. The ways by which the organizations are able to gain competitive advantage in their
sectors have been analysed in the report. The organizations which have been taken into
consideration are Woolworths which operates in the retail sector of Australia and Qantas
Airways which operates in the airlines sector. The report has depicted that the two
organizations have implemented different customer centric strategies in order to create
competitive advantage as compared to the other organizations.

2ANALYSIS OF WOOLWORTHS AND QANTAS AIRWAYS
Table of Contents
a. Introduction................................................................................................................3
b. Description of the cases.............................................................................................3
c. Evidence based on marketing related success............................................................4
d. Explain the ways by which these organizations achieved success in the industry....5
e. Conclusion..................................................................................................................7
References......................................................................................................................8

3ANALYSIS OF WOOLWORTHS AND QANTAS AIRWAYS
a. Introduction
The organizations which operate in the modern competitive environment require a
competitive advantage in order to create a profitable position in the industry. Marketing
activities play an important role in the ways by which the companies are able to create
competitive advantage over the others in the market. The huge number of activities which are
effectively performed by the organization based marketing and promotions play an important
in the ways by which the organizations are able to operate. Promotional activities are able to
increase awareness related to the organizations and its products in the minds of the
consumers. The organizations will be able to face the competitors with the help of sustainable
competitive advantage and huge customer base (Daspit et al. 2017).
The report will be based on the study related to the marketing plans and activities that
are performed by two organizations in order to create competitive advantage in the market.
The organizations which have been considered for this analysis are Qantas Airways and
Woolworths. The companies belong to different sectors and are able to create competitive
advantage in the market with the help of appropriate strategies with respect to the industry of
operations (Hill, Jones and Schilling 2014).
b. Description of the cases
Qantas Airways is an airlines organization which has its operations in Australia. The
organization has acquired the topmost position in the Australian airlines sector with the help
of its large fleet size and the revenues that are earned as well. Qantas Airways was
established in 1920 and its international had first started from the year 1935. The company
has its base in Sydney and Qantas Airways mainly operates on international basis. The other
subsidiary organizations which operate under Qantas Airways have their origin in different
regions. Jetstar Airways is also owned by Qantas which is known for offering budget services

4ANALYSIS OF WOOLWORTHS AND QANTAS AIRWAYS
to the customers. Qantas merged its operations in the year 1992 with a nationally owned
organization named Trans Australia Airlines (Qantas.com. 2018).
Woolworths is an organization which mainly operates in retail sector of Australia and
New Zealand. The organization has been able to position itself in the second place in retail
sector of Australia with the help of its huge revenues in the market. The company is also one
of the biggest takeaway based retailer in entire Australia. The first Woolworths store was
established in 1924 in Australia. Woolworths has been able to create its unique position in the
industry with the help of different effective strategies. Customer relationship has been an
important factor behind the success of Woolworths in the retail market (Woolworths.com.au.
2018).
The two companies which have been considered for the analysis of competitive
advantage have been able to develop their position in the industry with the help of innovative
strategies. The marketing activities related research will be done with the help of different
articles that have been published in the Australian newspapers. The newspaper stories and
articles have been able to provide an insight based on the ways by which these companies
have operated (James 2016, pp. 493).
c. Evidence based on marketing related success
Woolworths has tried to gain competitive advantage in the market in Australian retail
industry with the improvement of services and products that are offered by the company.
Woolworths has provided offers to the customers by analysing the preferences and choice in
an effective manner. The relationship that has been established by the company with its
customers has been effective and helpful in creation if competitive advantage. Woolworths
has implemented relationship or personalised marketing for operating in the retail industry.

5ANALYSIS OF WOOLWORTHS AND QANTAS AIRWAYS
The news article has been able to provide information based on the ways by which
Woolworths has been successful in gaining an advantage (Adbrands.net. 2018).
On the other hand, Qantas Airways was able to create competitive advantage in retail
industry by placing the customers at the centre of operations. Customer centric approach has
been implemented by the organization at the time of change implementation in order to
competitive advantage as compared to the other organizations. The partners of Qantas
Airways have also played an important role in creating a relationship with the customers with
the help of appropriate rewards (Gouveia 2018).
d. Explain the ways by which these organizations achieved success in the industry
Personalised marketing has been implemented in the organizational operations which
has helped the company to create a competitive advantage. The company has customised its
offerings based on the demands that are placed by the customers. The activities related to
mass marketing that has been performed by the organization previously has been changed to
personalised process of marketing. The offers and rewards are thereby designed by the
company with respect to the needs of customers. Woolworths has thereby used the new
strategies related to marketing in order to reposition the brand in the retail industry for the
purpose of improving the customer base (Michael, Storey and Thomas 2017).
The promotional activities of the company are also based on the ways by which a
larger of group pf customers can be attracted towards the organization. The strategy based on
operations that was used by the organization previously was also changed in order to the
make the it service oriented rather than being product oriented. The organization has changed
the strategy in order to communicate the customer based proposition to create a loyal base
(Financial Review. 2018). The service oriented nature of the operations of Woolworths have
been an important part of the advantage that the company has in Australian retail industry.

6ANALYSIS OF WOOLWORTHS AND QANTAS AIRWAYS
Woolworths was able to beat the sales if its biggest competitor Coles in the Australian retail
market. The organization has created the dominant position in the retail industry with the help
of its collaboration with local farmers and growers (Mitchell 2018). The company was able to
create this position in the retail industry in the year 2006. Woolworths was thereby able to
beat the competition in retail market with the help of its effective strategies.
The transformation based process that has taken place in Qantas Airways is the past
few years is based on the restricting of costs. The organization did not lose focus on its
customers even in the rough times. Management of the company has thereby invested huge
amounts in the usage of technology and the data so that the customer strategy and business
can be driven in an effective manner. The cross-functional areas have been provided with
huge importance in order to enhance the experience which is provided to customers. The
major areas based on differentiation of the services that are provided to the customers are
related to the technologies that are implemented by the company (Daspit et al. 2017).
The major point of difference in this case is based on development of ways by which
Qantas Airways is able to manage the employees in an effective manner. The company has
developed effective strategies for the purpose of engaging the customers in different
processes. The company has been able to place the organization at the centre of the strategies.
The quality related to services which are provided to the customers also plays an important
role in the competitive advantage of Qantas Airways. Transparency levels which have been
maintained by the company in its operations has been able to create a driving force in the
operations (Michael, Storey and Thomas 2017).
The levels of trust of employees have increased and sustainable earnings of the
company have also increased in the process. Qantas has also provided experience to the
customers in such a manner which can help in the creation of an advantage in the industry.

7ANALYSIS OF WOOLWORTHS AND QANTAS AIRWAYS
The rewards which have been provided by the company to build a loyal customer base also
play an important part in the successful operations of Qantas Airways in the industry. Qantas
Airways has been able to gain a share in the market as the marketing strategies have played
an important role in increasing the trust of the customers (Gouveia 2018).
e. Conclusion
The report can be concluded by stating that organizations which have been taken into
consideration for analysis have been able to create competitive advantage in the industry. The
two companies are namely, Woolworths and Qantas Airways. The organizations operate in
two different industries with the help of their appropriate strategies. The competitive
advantage plays an important role in the ways by which the companies operate in the market.
The approaches that have been taken by these organizations are different from each other and
have been able to create a different position of the company as well. The approaches which
have been applied by the companies are both customer-centric in nature. The customers are
given high levels of importance so that the company can create a loyal base. Competitive
advantage will thereby be gained by the two organizations with the help of services that they
provide. The products that are designed by customers are not enough always to increase the
competitive advantage. However, services can play an important role in the ways by which
the organizations can stay competitive.

8ANALYSIS OF WOOLWORTHS AND QANTAS AIRWAYS
References
Adbrands.net. 2018. Woolworths : marketing and advertising profile at Adbrands.net.
[online] Available at: https://www.adbrands.net/au/woolworths_au.htm [Accessed 4 Aug.
2018].
Daspit, J. J., Chrisman, J. J., Sharma, P., Pearson, A. W., and Long, R. G., 2017. A Strategic
Management Perspective of the Family Firm: Past Trends, New Insights, and Future
Directions. Journal of Managerial Issues, 29(1).
Financial Review. 2018. How Woolworths’ personalised marketing is lifting loyalty and
sales. [online] Available at: https://www.afr.com/it-pro/how-woolworths-personalised-
marketing-is-lifting-loyalty-and-sales-20130213-jz5jx [Accessed 4 Aug. 2018].
Gouveia, M. 2018. Use marketing and trust to deliver competitive advantage: Qantas CMO -
Which-50. [online] Which-50. Available at: https://which-50.com/use-marketing-trust-
deliver-competitive-advantage-qantas-cmo/ [Accessed 4 Aug. 2018].
Hill, C. W., Jones, G. R., and Schilling, M. A., 2014. Strategic management: theory: an
integrated approach. Cengage Learning.
James, S.D., 2016. Strategic bankruptcy: A stakeholder management perspective. Journal of
Business Research, 69(2), pp.492-499.
Michael, S., Storey, D., and Thomas, H., 2017. Discovery and coordination in strategic
management and entrepreneurship. Strategic entrepreneurship: Creating a new mindset, 45-
65.

9ANALYSIS OF WOOLWORTHS AND QANTAS AIRWAYS
Mitchell, S. 2018. Woolworths kicks off new marketing campaign. [online] The Sydney
Morning Herald. Available at: https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/woolworths-
kicks-off-new-marketing-campaign-20151020-gkd4dl.html [Accessed 4 Aug. 2018].
Qantas.com. 2018. Fly with Australia’s most popular airline | Qantas AU. [online] Available
at: https://www.qantas.com/au/en.html [Accessed 4 Aug. 2018].
Woolworths.com.au. 2018. Woolworths.com.au. [online] Available at:
https://www.woolworths.com.au/ [Accessed 4 Aug. 2018].