Virgin on why aiming for perfection can leave marketers ‘tied up in knots’
Covid-19 may have delayed the rollout of the Virgin Group’s new loyalty scheme, but Virgin Red CMO Kelly Best is a firm believer that staying agile is more important than waiting for the ‘perfect moment’ to launch.
Last year, the Virgin Group celebrated its 50th anniversary. Obviously, things didn’t go quite as planned, but one concept developed to coincide with the half-century has been gathering ground over the past few months and looks set to take off in 2021.
Virgin Red is a rewards programme that connects a global consumer base with the various brands gathered under the Virgin umbrella. The idea is to reinforce the notion of Virgin as one company, while introducing users to less well-explored corners of the group. So, if you’re a Virgin Money customer you could earn enough loyalty points to buy a flight with Virgin Atlantic, for example.
“We’re in a hugely fortunate position where we have pretty much 100% global recognition in all major countries, but this was a real opportunity to deepen familiarity with Virgin brands, particularly among the younger generation,” explains Virgin Red CMO Kelly Best.
Described as a “global currency”, Virgin Points was launched in September, growing out of a similar existing programme for Virgin Money credit card customers.
