Positioning communication strategies of Greek shipping companies relating to ferry passenger markets

摘要

The purpose of this paper is to assess the possible linkages between the positioning strategies and the communication messages selected by the four largest shipping companies and addressed to their target passengers in the ferry sector. In marketing literature, it has been established that positioning refers to the communication elements that the marketing mix needs to be communicated to the target market buyers. Content analysis provides the experimental tools to survey the words, themes, characters, space and time measures or topics selected by the companies to appear in their brochures and catalogues, in order to occupy a particular position in the mind of each passenger. Findings show that the Greek shipping companies embark upon positioning strategies that are rather tactical than strategic, due to the absence of marketing departments, as it happens in the majority of the shipping companies.