The Magic Behind Virgin Voyages' Marketing
Virgin Voyages Makes “Ship” Happen with Movable Ink’s Automation Capabilities
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Challenge
As a newer cruise line, Virgin Voyages was sailing in largely uncharted waters when it came to automating emails and ensuring a streamlined marketing experience for its Sailors. Manually creating Sailors’ individual pre-boarding emails left margin for human error in the production process.
Solution
Virgin Voyages partnered with Movable Ink to fully automate their strategy, which opened doors to an array of Sailor-centric initiatives. This helped their marketers prioritize personalized, data-driven messaging.
The following case study showcases how Virgin Voyages transformed a manual, daunting email production process into one with ease through automation. Keep reading to see what campaigns they docked from the change.
All Aboard to Automation
In 2023, Virgin Voyages made automation their top priority. They decided to implement this through various email touchpoints at key milestones that engaged Sailors from their initial website visit all the way to their embarkation day.
The initial email immediately establishes a positive rapport with the recipient, serving them with the latest prices on their recently searched cruise destination. This not only catches them at the moment they’re ready to engage, but keeps them in the know with the most accurate information.
Results: 10% increase in click-through rate
Always Sea Real-Time Pricing
Virgin Voyages doesn’t want to rock the boat with outdated and inaccurate pricing information — their marketers make it their mission to send emails that are always the source of truth.
This being said, Virgin Voyages uses Movable Ink to pull in those real-time prices, while also making sure the correct currency is displayed depending on the Sailor’s location.
Over 500 itinerary card variations have been developed, allowing for a more one-of-a-kind experience without the extra lift from the marketers. This gives their team more time for creative innovation, collaboration, and opportunity to find new ways to leverage the data at their fingertips.
I think it's important to leverage whatever data you can. Especially as a relatively new business and as a small team, even just having that one extra touchpoint can make all of the difference in your communications.
Liza Herth
Customer Lifecycle Marketing, Virgin Voyages
Ride the Wave of Customer Loyalty
Virgin Voyages’ loyalty emails are a data lover’s dream with a completely personalized banner, including first name personalization, booking number, name and date of cruise, and tier status. This is a one-stop shop for all Sailor details that begins before the cruise even sets sail.
This premiere experience doesn’t end after the ship has docked either; it continues in the inbox. Virgin Voyages sends their Sailors follow-up loyalty communications to ensure they don’t miss a beat (or a discount) when prepping for their next getaway.
Results: 30% increase in open rate, 15% increase in click-through rate
Key Takeaways from this Dreamboat Strategy
- Automate key milestone campaigns with behavioral targeting to start off on the right foot with your customers and help them make their next move.
- Use your loyalty program as an opportunity to send tailored experiences that remind your customers why they choose your brand over your competitors.
- Implement real-time data to showcase integrity and make it clear that your brand is the source of truth.
Hear Virgin Voyages' marketing story!
Virgin Voyages' Liza Herth describes how her team uses limited data to provide highly personalized experiences and leverages Movable Ink to enhance their small team's production efficiency.
