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The Effect of Consumer Behavior on Southwest Airline’s Market Strategies

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The Effect of Consumer Behavior on Southwest Airline’s Market Strategies
Southwest Airlines provides flight transportation to leisure travel and business travel clients. While they specifically cater to each of these areas of segmentation, Southwest Airlines organizationally competes on a low cost strategy. The company’s approach to the market is to provide a low cost option to both consumer segments, while providing top-notch service and convenience. Southwest’s strategy targets business class travelers, making corporate partnership agreements a large part of their marketing and finance strategy. In catering to the business class bargain hunter, Southwest has established a value concept of customer loyalty and convenient services. Southwest has been able to capitalize this market segment to become the largest domestic airline while also able to maintain the highest customer satisfaction level in the industry.
The company is able to maintain partnerships and brand themselves as an affordable business travel option by providing discount partnerships with affiliate businesses. This allows the airline to maintain market share by providing financial motivations for its business partners to incentivize them to continue to patronize Southwest Airlines. They actively promote their schedule of frequent non-stop flights to major city hubs as well as surrounding cities, proving to be a practical option for business class travelers. Southwest’s business traveler value concept extends to additional accommodations such as first class boarding, frequent flier credits, and a complimentary on board cocktail (Moline 24). Renovations to allow for roomier seats, power outlets and work station counters allows Southwest to provide specific product differentiation that is attractive to business travelers, while maintaining their competitive cost strategy structure.
The company is able

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