CORPORATE IDENTITY VS. IMAGE. A CASE STUDY OF RYANAIR IN THE EYE OF THE PANDEMIC
Author
Kaasgaard, Mads Linné
Term
4. term
Publication year
2021
Submitted on
2021-05-30
Abstract
Covid-19 severely disrupted the airline industry and intensified competition to attract travel-hungry consumers. This thesis examines how Ryanair presented its corporate identity during the pandemic and whether that presentation aligns with consumers’ perceptions of the company’s image. The study is a qualitative, interpretivist case study grounded in social constructionism and employs multimodal analysis of materials from Ryanair’s corporate and consumer-facing websites, press releases, news articles, images, and interviews. Ryanair’s corporate identity is mapped using Kapferer’s Brand Identity Prism, while the gap between identity and image is assessed through analysis of perceived misalignments and an evaluation of the airline’s image repair strategies based on Benoit’s Image Repair Theory and their potential effects on consumer perceptions. Findings indicate that Ryanair’s presented identity only partially aligns with consumer perceptions, that the company failed to improve its image, and that both consumers and employees form few positive views of Ryanair. Moreover, Ryanair misread consumer expectations for public conduct, contributing to a worse image than before the pandemic. The study underscores the importance of aligning corporate identity and crisis communication with stakeholder expectations.
Covid-19 har rystet luftfartsbranchen og efterladt selskaber i skarp konkurrence om at genvinde rejselystne forbrugere. Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan Ryanair præsenterede sin virksomhedsidentitet under pandemien, og om denne præsentation stemmer overens med forbrugernes opfattelse af selskabets image. Undersøgelsen er et kvalitativt, interpretativt casestudie forankret i socialkonstruktivisme og bygger på multimodal analyse af materiale fra Ryanairs virksomheds- og forbrugerrettede hjemmesider, pressemeddelelser, artikler, billeder samt interviews. Ryanairs virksomhedsidentitet analyseres med Kapferers Brand Identity Prism, mens forholdet mellem identitet og image vurderes gennem en analyse af image-gabet og en gennemgang af selskabets anvendte image-reparationsstrategier med afsæt i Benoits Image Repair Theory og deres potentielle effekt på forbrugernes opfattelser. Resultaterne peger på, at Ryanairs præsenterede identitet kun delvist flugter med forbrugernes opfattelse, at selskabet ikke formåede at forbedre sit image, og at både forbrugere og medarbejdere i ringe grad danner positive anskuelser af Ryanair. Desuden misforstod Ryanair forbrugernes forventninger til adfærd i det offentlige rum, hvilket bidrog til et ringere image end før pandemien. Specialet fremhæver betydningen af at afstemme virksomhedsidentitet og kommunikation med interessenternes forventninger i en krisesituation.
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