Marketing Strategy and Competitive Positioning pdf ebook

part of the business model in future. 
The company, however, faces certain challenges. 
It competes mainly with other global distribution 
services, including US group Sabre and UK-based 
Travelport, both of which listed last year. ‘Sabre and 
Travelport are trying to gain market share’, noted 
Gonzalo Sanz, an analyst at Mirabaud Securities. 
Airline companies have also attempted to provide 
their own IT infrastructure, which threatens to cut 
Amadeus out of the loop and reduce the number of 
transactions flowing through its system. 
On this front, though, analysts have suggested 
the tide may be turning in Amadeus’ favour. Last 
summer, Ryanair, which had previously refused to 
place itself on global distribution platforms, relented 
and announced a partnership with the company. 
Source : from ‘Amadeus set to soar on airline bookings’, Financial Times , 26/02/2015 (Hale, T.).
Discussion questions 
1 
Where does most of Amadeus’ value lie?
2 
What information do companies need to have about their customers?

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CHAPTER 4 CUSTOMER ANALYSIS
definition is to recognise five main roles that exist in many purchasing situations. Often several, 
or even all, of these roles may be conducted by the same individuals, but recognising each role 
separately can be a useful step in more accurately targeting marketing activity (see Figure 4.1).
The roles are as follows:
1 
The initiator. This is the individual (or individuals) who initiates the search for a solu-
tion to the customer’s problem. In the case of the purchase of a chocolate bar, it could 
be a hungry child who recognises her own need for sustenance (or pleasure!). In the case 
of a supermarket, the reordering of a particular line of produce nearing sell-out may be 
initiated by a stock controller, or by an automatic order processing system.
2