Virgin Airlines Australia set up a loyalty program to encourage traveling with pets. Instead of leaving dogs and cats in the care of someone else's back home, this campaign encourages travelers to bring their pets along for the ride. When flyers bring their pets on board, they will earn 300 points towards the 'Velocity Frequent Flyer' program.
Annually, the Australian airline flies over 30,000 pets a year and it is the first loyalty program of its kind in Australia. To promote this new initiative, the airline has also launched the 'Cutest Baby' competition to name the official pet ambassador for the program. Pet owners are encouraged to share pictures of their fur babies to Facebook and the winning cat or dog will appear in campaigns for the loyalty program and receive a special pack of pet-related items.
Traveling Pooch Promotions
Virgin Australia's Loyalty Program Encourages Traveling with Pets
Trend Themes
1. Pet-friendly Travel - This campaign highlights a trend towards pet owners increasingly seeing their pets as a part of the family and seeking out pet-friendly travel options.
2. Loyalty Programs for Pets - The introduction of a loyalty program for pet owners is an innovative trend that creates a unique selling point for an airline.
3. Social Media Contests for Pet Owners - The social media competition to name the official pet ambassador for the program highlights the trend for businesses to engage customers through user-generated content and social media contests.
Industry Implications
1. Airlines - This trend could disrupt the traditional airline industry by positioning pet-friendly travel as a competitive advantage and differentiator.
2. Pet Care and Supplies - As more people choose to travel with their pets, this trend opens up disruptive innovation opportunities for pet care and supply companies to create new products and services specifically tailored to pet travel.
3. Hospitality - The trend towards pet-friendly travel also creates opportunities for the hospitality industry to expand their pet-friendly offerings beyond just hotels and resorts.