Page 255 - DMGT510_SERVICES_MARKETING
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Services Marketing
Notes
Example: Performance reports like annual reports, project reports by consultants or
even medical reports.
Statements
Slogans, vision and mission statements make a service firm distinctive and successfully convey
its philosophy. They have the same properties as a jingle, and help people to become involved
with the service brand.
Task Consider logos of some Indian airline companies and try to find out the history
behind the logo.
Business Cards
A business card serves multiple purposes. It conveys a strong impression to the customer of the
service firm of which the provider is a part, by its design, print, paper texture, etc. When
recycling became politically correct, customers made an evaluation of the service firm based on
the quality of paper. Business cards become a ready reckoner for the customer as a database and
are a form of remembrance advertising.
Case Study Kingfisher Airlines: A New Entrant Seeks to Manage
the Firms Physical Evidence
ow does one differentiate ones service in a highly cluttered, me-too, competitive
market? Especially in a service sector undertaking like an airline, which was
Hnotorious for its intangibility, swift imitation, and difficulty in evaluation by
both customers and service providers? How does one communicate the value proposition
to an audience becoming increasingly cynical, demanding, and price-conscious? How
does one discover an entirely new segment? These thoughts were uppermost in the mind
of Vijay Mallya, the flamboyant liquor baron, as he took the audacious decision to extend
his beer brand Kingfisher to airlines.
The Indian aviation market had been hotting up in the last two years. For quite long, it had
been the epitome of all the sad aspects of Indian service: lack of professionalism, bad
service, and minimal choice for the customer and poor value to boot. With deregulation in
mild dosages since the last decade, the Indian domestic consumer has begun to feel the
comfort of better service delivery and experience. Jet Airways set the standard, while Air
Sahara provided the heat of competition. The battlefield had been strewn with a lot of
carcasses: Damania Airlines, East West Airlines, NEPC Airlines, ModiLuft, Vayudoot, etc.
Vijay Mallya set up a task force to prepare a feasibility report, and the business analysis
included market analysis and financial analysis. Mallyas careful research revealed the
first of the gaps: safety. Domestic airlines were notorious for their slipshod operations
and astounding lack of passenger safety. Mallya decided to highlight this aspect in his
offer and communication. His aircraft acquisition was very well thought out; he went in
for three brand new A320 Airbus aircrafts bristling with ultra-modern avionics and fly-
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