Portuguese Airline Brand and their Marketing Strategy and, how their Image is Important for the Customers

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background1

Theoretical framework2

Problem Statement3

Aim and Objectives of the study4

Research questions4

Organization of the Study5

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW6

What influences brand value?6

Measuring the value of a brand7

Airline as service7

Service equality8

Passenger satisfaction9

REFERENCES10

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background

When a brand is frequently used by a consumer and has that consumer's trust, the consumer is more likely to respond favourably to its advertising. These same consumers will be the audience that notices the ads more frequently than those consumers who either do not use the brand or have a less than favourable opinion of it (Dahlen & Lange 2005, p.473-488). Brands that receive favourable responses are considered strong brands and those with less favourable responses are weak brands.

According to Keller's 1998 study, both strong and weak brands achieve "high market penetration and familiarity," but have different degrees of favourability and position within the market (as cited by Dahlen & Lange 2005 p.473-488). A brand's advertising can be effective without direct recall by the consumer. While the consumer may not be aware of where they were exposed to the brand's message, they may still have a positively altered perception of the brand through the stimulus of advertising (Dahlen & Lange 2005 p.473-488). There are many terms commonly used to describe this phenomenon, but this study will specifically focus on the term of implicit memory processes.

A brand concept as defined here follows Cooper (2009) notion that identifying and managing a brand concept prior to market entry delineates potential positioning strategies and represents the means for developing, maintaining, and controlling a brand image. Essentially, the brand concept developed by the firm represents the brand image targeted by managers - the image they wish to develop in consumers' minds. Once a brand concept has been selected, the product can be positioned by managing the marketing mix components (product, promotion, distribution, and pricing). Consumers' perceptions of the marketing mix, and the needs fulfilled via consumption, determine the brand's image (Cooper 2009, p.116-123).

Theoretical framework

The current study is expected to provide several theoretical and practical contributions to the current understanding of brand image. Brand associations are, in fact, "the heart of brand-building". According to this branding literature, an examination into the characteristics of brand associations illuminates how consumers determine brand meaning, and ultimately brand preference (Hamel, and Prahalad, 2009, p.3).

Although many human needs are universal and held cross-culturally, the key issue for international marketing is whether consumers in a foreign market perceive products or services as being capable of satisfying their particular needs. In other words, people throughout the world have similar needs (e.g., survival, health maintenance, social assimilation). However, the issue is whether they attempt to satisfy these needs as product and service consumers, through marketplace exchanges. Three specific types of needs are examined here - functional, social, and sensory (lnkpen and Choudhury, 2009, p.313-323).

One type of cross-cultural human need that may be manifested through marketplace exchanges emanates from the problem solving and/or problem ...