Blog Post #6: An Ocean Apart- WestJet to Expand its Operations
http://www.bnn.ca/News/2013/11/15/WestJet-going-trans-Atlantic-with-new-Dublin-flight.aspx
Known for its flights within North America, the airline company WestJet has recently announced its plans to expand and cross the ocean to a new destination: Dublin. This would be a first for WestJet for flights outside of their standard North American flights since the launch of the company. With the new direction the company appears to be going in (the expansion to more international flights), one could say that WestJet is potentially changing their business strategy. To specify, one of the methods listed out in Porter’s Generic Strategies includes a Focus Strategy for narrow market segments and product uniqueness. Previously, this would be where WestJet fall under, as the company purposely focused on the North American sector for their airline business. However, with the inclusion of the proposed expansion of their offered flight services to other areas, such as European countries, WestJet’s previously narrow market segment will expand as well. This in return will cause for a new evaluation on WestJet’s market strategy. To add on, this also affects the company’s brand positioning, as world markets for airlines will become more competitive due to the added services of a competitor. As a result, companies may have to try harder to vie for consumers as customers consciously decide on which airline they prefer on various aspects; such as price and available services.
