Rewarding Virgin customers across the Virgin family
- A rewards club where you can earn on the everyday to save for the extraordinary
- Virgin Red is the red thread connecting the Virgin family
- Virgin Red makes it easy to support local communities, charities, and the environment
- Loyalty doesn’t expire with Virgin Red – there’s no use-by date with Virgin Points
Virgin Red, the new Virgin rewards club has opened its doors on an exclusive, invitation-only basis – with groups of new members joining the new Virgin Red app over the course of several weeks. Virgin Red celebrates its members for living a life more Virgin – giving them exclusive access to rewards from the Virgin group and beyond. Virgin Red makes it really easy for members to earn and spend Virgin Points – the universal Virgin currency which was launched in September. And, it’s a rewards club like no other because Virgin Points don’t expire – so no matter what life throws at its members, points can be used now or in the future. Put simply, loyalty doesn’t expire with Virgin Red.
On top of this, Virgin Red encourages its members to spend points as much as it encourages them to earn them. Rewards aren’t one size fits all either – from the everyday to the extraordinary – Virgin Red showcases the best of the Virgin family.
With five rewards categories including lockdown-friendly rewards and, over time, thousands of earn and spend opportunities to choose from, members can:
- Enjoy EVERYDAY TREATS – such as getting a freshly ground Fairtrade coffee or (Vegan) Sausage Roll on the go (from Greggs), a case of wine delivered to their door (from Virgin Wines), theatre tickets or a drive-in cinema experience (with London Theatre Direct).
- TRAVEL & ADVENTURE – with Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Holidays, Virgin Limited Edition, Virgin Voyages and on reward flights to Europe and beyond with Air France KLM and seven other airline partners.
- Embark on an EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE – from Virgin Experience Days that can both be enjoyed at home or away – for instance a stay at home chocolate truffle making masterclass to money-can’t-buy experiences that will be revealed next year. Or drawing on Virgin’s long music heritage, listen to your favourite vinyl in the comfort of your own home or access the exclusive Virgin Red suite that has been purchased at Manchester’s AO Arena to enjoy a variety of events.
- Support the build of technology capable of removing carbon* from the atmosphere (a world-first for a loyalty programme), donate points to local good causes and national charities, via Virgin Money Giving or purchase products from Virgin StartUp businesses with Virgin Red’s POINTS FOR GOOD category. (More about Points for Good later …)
- Easily earn Virgin Points and get the most out of EVERYDAY LIVING by earning on utility bills (with Octopus Energy), and a range of high street and online retailers** including Marks and Spencer, Boots, B&Q, John Lewis & Partners and Just Eat. Plus points, can of course, be earned with Virgin companies including Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Holidays, Virgin Media***, Virgin Wines, Virgin Experience Days and Virgin Mobile****.
Kelly Best, Virgin Red’s Chief Marketing Officer, says: “Being a member of Virgin Red is not just about earning Virgin Points – it’s about helping members live a life more Virgin by discovering all of the amazing products and services the Virgin companies offer.
“Virgin Red has been built by understanding what our members need, want and love and creating a club that revolves around them. Virgin Red has been designed to help members collect Virgin Points on their everyday spend so they can save for the things that really matter to them – from everyday treats and extraordinary Virgin experiences to supporting the build of carbon removal technology or donating points to local charities through Virgin Money Giving.
“Virgin Red exists to reward and recognise its members – so we will always listen to them to ensure we evolve based on what our members tell us they want as well as responding to the challenges everyone is facing at the moment – to ensure our rewards stay relevant no matter what the future may hold.
“This is another reason why we’re inviting small groups of members to join Virgin Red over the course of several weeks – as we embark on our very own test and learn phase ahead of our open-market launch next year. Launching in a controlled way like this, helps us to refine the programme and ensure everything is working as it should.”
Points for good
Members of Virgin Red not only have access to everyday treats and extraordinary experiences, they can also use Virgin Points for good and to support small businesses:
- This year, Virgin Red members will be able to use their points for good and support seven different national charities, along with three regional charities through Virgin Money Giving. In 2021, members will be able to nominate select charities, community groups and good causes that points can be donated to. A couple of the charities Virgin Red members can support this year, include:
o Edinburgh Food Project – a charity which provides three days of nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to them in crisis.
o National Autistic Society – the UK’s leading charity for people on the autism spectrum and their families. The charity provides support, guidance and advice, and campaigns for improved rights, services and opportunities to help create a society that works for autistic people. - Members can support the Eve Branson Foundation (EBF) which enriches the lives of people in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains through its craft centres – centres which encourage the production and selling of artisan goods so that young people are able to generate a small income for themselves and their families. Alongside these skills-training craft centres, the EBF supports community initiatives that tackle healthcare, wellbeing and education. To support this wonderful cause, members can use their points to purchase an Eve Branson Foundation handmade artisan tote bag.
- Members can spend Virgin Points on products from small businesses, supported by Virgin StartUp, which helps founders across the UK to start, fund and scale their business. Virgin Red will include select start-ups to help boost their new business or enterprise. Initially, members can buy products from Saint Fragrance, which sells mood-enhancing luxury candles that are vegan friendly and made with sustainable ingredients. There are many more StartUps ready and waiting in the wings, to be revealed later this year.
- In a world-first for a loyalty programme, Virgin Red is partnering with Carbon Engineering. Members, through points, can support the development of Carbon Engineering’s Direct Air Capture technology. In the future, our intention is to enable members to spend Virgin Points to facilitate the removal of carbon from the atmosphere.
Today is just the start as we launch our exclusive, invitation-only app…
Virgin Red has launched (initially on an invitation-only basis) to users of Virgin Red Vaults***** who will be invited to join over the course of several weeks – from mid-November 2020 to the end of the year. In the new year, Virgin Red will evolve into an even bigger, better rewards club fit for the future, ready to launch where you don’t need an invitation to join. It’ll be home to rewards with partners from across the Virgin family, plus many more.
The app will continually develop – next year you can expect to see improvements to discoverability and search and increased partners and features, including improving the log-on journey.
Kelly Best continues: “Today is just the beginning for Virgin Red as we develop a club that’s fit for the future – and we can’t wait to speak to the members who’ll be joining us during our test and learn phase to see what they think. We’re on a mission to disrupt how customer loyalty is traditionally rewarded as we begin to deliver on our ambition to be game-changing – creating a rewards club that is global, with one single currency that never expires.”
Throughout Virgin Red’s exclusive, invitation-only period, new updates, offers and functionality will be added to the programme – through a regular drumbeat of releases – all in preparation for Virgin Red’s open market launch in the new year. Because of this and the Covid-19 crisis, Virgin Red will showcase a selection of rewards including those which are lockdown-friendly (rather than its whole catalogue – whilst also keeping the dream alive with rewards for better times ahead) during this period and will release new offers regularly.
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For further information:
Jodie Burton, PR and Communications Manager, Virgin Red
07808 260774
jodie.burton@red.virgin.com
Charlotte Sjoberg, Corporate Affairs Director, Virgin Red
07933 393665
charlotte.sjoberg@red.virgin.com
