The travel firm briefed direct marketing agency Kittcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw to develop an eCRM strategy that would allow it to start communicating with consumers on a regular basis.
Virgin Holidays began by mapping out the online customer experience to gain an understanding of what different customer groups needed at different points during the holidaybooking process.
Having defined the purchase cycle and identified the key consumer segments,Virgin Holidays set up a series of email triggers aimed at driving responses from consumers at specific points in the cycle and encouraging them to move forward through the booking process.This highly targeted approach helped generate $US6m in direct sales for Virgin Holidays during the first month. It achieved an open rate of 85% and a click-through rate of 48%.The campaign also led to a 6% increase in average spend per customer and helped Virgin Holidays shift its marketing budget toward more profitable sales channels.
