Building brand distinction and marketing orientation in the marine commercial craft sector

Abstract

Purpose - This study attempts to build brand distinction at a practical level by integrating marketing orientation at the core of business practices within the existing commercial craft companies that ferry passengers around the Maltese Archipelago. Three main frameworks are employed in this research: Components of Brand Distinction (Davis, 2010), McKinsey’s 7SS Framework (Peters and Waterman, 2004), and Corporate Brand Name (Olins, 1978). Although these are typically applied to larger organisations, this study demonstrates how smaller scale companies, which customarily adopt more rudimentary tactics, can equally benefit from the application of Marketing theories and tools. Design/Methodology/Approach - Organisations are observed in order to investigate the way they approach customers. A stockStake of the market is conducted from the companies’ website. Given the size and nature of the sector, a personalised approach was adopted. This is based on the marketing theories and frameworks in the literature review. Findings - From the inSdepth interviews carried out it is evident that companies are very sales oriented. Brand distinction is also rather limited within the sector. Companies strive to survive as they cannibalise each other. Research limitations/implications - On the whole, a number of organisations were hesitant to share information about their business. Time constraints also restricted interviewing clients directly whilst going to or leaving the trip. Practical Implications – There is a great need for the existing companies to be more focused and select a target audience/s. This study gives four practical examples of how to build brand distinction by being more customerScentric. Originality/Value - Building relevant brand distinction through marketing orientation is a necessity if a company is to succeed in a dynamic environment in which customer requirements and aspirations are changing rapidly. Applying a diverse approach, which includes marketing theories and frameworks to such an undeveloped sector, can potentially elevate a company to the next level.