Low-cost and the Greenest Choice? Consumers' Perceptions of Wizz Air's Sustainability Communication: How does Wizz Air’s sustainability communication as a low-cost airline affect its receivers’ perceptions of the airline’s credibility?
Author
Gammelgaard, Charlotte
Term
4. term
Publication year
2023
Pages
79
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan forbrugere opfatter troværdigheden af lavprisflyselskabet Wizz Airs kommunikation om miljømæssig bæredygtighed, med udgangspunkt i selskabets kampagne Fly the Greenest. På baggrund af det voksende fokus på klima og den stigende flyaktivitet adresserer studiet et paradoks: fly er blandt de mest CO2-intensive transportformer, samtidig med at flyselskaber profilerer sig som bæredygtige. Gennem otte semistrukturerede interviews analyseret med kritisk diskursanalyse efter Faircloughs tredimensionelle model (social kontekst, diskursiv praksis og tekst) belyses interviewpersoners holdninger og begrundelser. Resultaterne viser, at selv om flere mener, at miljøtiltag kan styrke et selskabs image, er de generelt skeptiske over for Wizz Airs budskaber og vurderer dem som lite troværdige. Begrundelserne omfatter en grundopfattelse af luftfart som klimaskadelig, tvivl om at et lavprisselskab kan finansiere reelle bæredygtige initiativer, bevidsthed om, at virksomheden kontrollerer egne kanaler og vil fremstå positivt, samt bekymringer om greenwashing. Enkelte oplever kommunikationen som imageforbedrende, men overordnet viser studiet, at CSR-kommunikation ikke altid modtages som tiltænkt, og at dominerende samfundsdiskurser om klima former modtagernes vurdering af troværdighed.
This thesis examines how consumers perceive the credibility of low-cost carrier Wizz Air’s environmental sustainability communication, focusing on its Fly the Greenest campaign. Against a backdrop of rising climate concern and growing air travel, the study addresses a paradox: aviation is highly emission-intensive while airlines increasingly brand themselves as sustainable. Using eight semi-structured interviews analyzed through critical discourse analysis based on Fairclough’s three-dimensional model (social context, discursive practice, and text), the study explores participants’ attitudes and reasoning. Findings indicate that although several interviewees believe environmental initiatives can enhance corporate image, they are generally skeptical of Wizz Air’s claims and do not find them credible. Reasons include a baseline view of aviation as climate-damaging, doubts that a low-cost airline can fund substantive sustainability initiatives, awareness that company-controlled channels aim to present a positive image, and concerns about greenwashing. While a few respondents see the communication as image-enhancing, overall the research shows CSR messages are not always received as intended, and dominant societal discourses about sustainability shape perceptions of credibility.
[This summary has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project (PDF)]
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