Virgin Atlantic, like other big brands in the UK, have to go through a series of stages before they place their product on the shelves for the customers to take advantage of.
First of all, they have to evaluate the product they are going to market. This stage is vital, proving a catalyst for the other stages in marketing to work as a product will only sell if it meets the demand and needs of its audience. The marketing team at Virgin Atlantic will have to thoroughly check the ins and outs of the product before it goes on sale to the world, deciding on what will benefit the customer and if there are any tweeks that can be made to improve it.
Virgin Atlantic are a very well known brand in the Travel & Tourism industry, probably the most prestigious brand in the UK at the moment. They know how to make a lasting first impression with their TV ad campaigns centering on beautiful, godess-like women who are inviting the public to travel the world with them. Also, the first thing the majority of people think of when they think of Virgin Atlantic, is the colour red. Everything they aim to sell or show of themselves centres around the colour red and this colour is a firey and passionate colour; something that shows off the Virgin Atlantic way of dealing with their customers and business, alike.
(current ad campaign by Virgin Atlantic)
Secondly, their idea will go through a life cycle. This will put the product through a series of tests to determine whether it is right for the audience they are aiming it at and if it will sell. Developing products (& services!) is something Virgin Atlantic take extremely seriously and something they will spend a great deal of time on before letting the public see their work.
Once the product has been developed, they will then move on to actually marketing it. Richard Branson puts a great deal of money into marketing his products and services and because the VA marketing team take a great deal of time developing their marketing strategy, their adverts and promotion material is always exemplary.
Thirdly, the marketing team at VA will have to decide on a price. This price will reflect the company as a whole and give the impression on the potential customer what exactly to expect from Virgin Atlantic now and in the future. However, due to wanting to attract new customers, Virgin will look at lowering the price of the product (an introductory price) until they gain enough custom, then they will raise the price.
The introductory price of the product all narrows down to the competitors of that company. For example, Virgin Atlantic's main competitors are the likes of British Airways and American Airlines. VA's marketing team will look at the prices that the likes of British Airways are offering and determine then what price to put their product on the market for. Sometimes this may be the same price as the competitors, sometimes it will be less to bring in new customers to give the airline a try.
Like all airlines, Virgin Atlantic change their prices to match the seasons and popularity of a destination. For example, a ticket to Australia will be cheaper in the British Summer Time due to it being Australia's winter, as more people will be looking to go away for the sun rather than the rainstorms. Also, they will market cheaper offers throughout the year for advance bookings.
(screenshot of the Virgin Atlantic website)
Fourthly, where Virgin Atlantic choose to place their product is also vital to their marketing strategy and its success. Whilst Virgin don't have any high street travel agencies for potential customers to just pop in and buy a holiday, they do have a very up-to-date and easy-to-use website that is marketed all over internet. For example, if I was to type in "flights to america" into the Google search engine, Virgin Atlantic are the first advert to appear.
Also, they are advertised on the television; with second-to-none television advertisement campaigns that set them apart from the rest of the airline industry and is continuing to develop to bring them into the 21st century. Their campaigns are always memorable, luxurious and brand-specific, however they market to just about anyone as they offer a wide range of prices from Upper Class to Economy, plus a wide range of destinations such as America and Mexico.The accessibility of their flights is easy for the majority of the country; with flights daily from Manchester, London & Glasgow.
Lastly, their promotion techniques are what secures the final sale of the product. Whilst first impressions count for everything, making sure not to fault in your selling of the product is vital as this can be where a customer will hesitate. Virgin Atlantic's staff know how to sell their products; they are extremely knowledgeable of the company they work for, the places they visit and the offers that are available at the time. Whilst making a good product is key to making a good sale, good promotion is also vital. There is no point making something that is needed by a mass audience if there is no promotion or poor promotion techniques.
With Virgin Atlantic now being a household name and an airline that people turn to when they're looking for long haul flights, they let a lot of their TV advertisements do a lot of the talking for them. Richard Branson, the found of the Virgin brand, is very much involved in everything that the company produces and this gives a great image to the wider public that this man is there to make sure there is a business that is smooth running and to a high standard.
Also, due to the majority of the internet being a "free" zone to promote products these days, Virgin use the likes of Facebook and Twitter to promote their products to a mass audience in a quick click of a button. It's easy, it's fast and it's exceptionally cheap in comparison to a TV ad campaign.
