What is the purpose and main idea of the article?
It’s told about tangible points of difference which affect their decision to make a purchase, because there are many different models of car which have various characteristics. And in a highly competitive service industry such as international airlines, organizations wishing to be successful have to be aware of their competitors and the nature of competitive activities. Transatlantic routes and European routes are still enormously important markets for airlines, particularly in the field of business travel. To survive, airline companies have been forced to focus upon developing their market share by improving their range of services. : Customer service
Customer service: Virgin Atlantic has set the standard for excellent customer care. Virgin Atlantic has proved to be one of the most forward-thinking companies in modern times and also was the first airline to offer just two flight classes, Economy. In 1996, The Company has been recognized for its achievements through consistent success in winning prestigious awards. It has been voted ‘Airline of the Year’ four times by the readers of Executive Travel and ‘Best Transatlantic Airline’ by Travel Weekly for eight years running. Virgin Atlantic, throughout its development has proved foremost in airline service with a string of ‘firsts’ in customer care.
Virgin Atlantic has successfully used branding to develop perceptions of a corporate personality, and they developed a ‘service brand’ symbolizing both individualistic attributes and quality of service. Brands appeal to consumers through:
• THOUGHT - Brands have a rational appeal which is logical and relates to what they can do. For example, they have to perform what they are supposed to do on the basis of points of difference.
• SENSATION - Brands appeal to senses. For example, design features, how the brand looks and the opportunities they provide for new experiences.
• FEELING - Brands go further than logic to deal with emotion. These values and all they represent appeal to the innermost feelings of many consumers.
• INTUITION - Consumers react instinctively to brands which they feel are for ‘people like them!'
Virgin Atlantic, the PR created through Branson has been an important part of the widespread success of the brand and the values with which consumers can associate. The role of the airline itself has been that of matching the reality of the product with the values created by the image.
The brand values had to symbolize a level of quality which Virgin would build into the product itself. For example, Virgin’s revolutionary Upper Class changed the face of business travel. Virgin Atlantic operates one of the most generous frequent flyer programmers available - Virgin Freeway. A Freeway member will earn enough miles for two return flights between London and Europe. Miles can also be earned with Virgin’s partner airlines -SAS, Austrian Airlines, Sun Air, Air New Zealand and British Midland.
In recent years, the development of brand values and the fostering of loyalty and confidence they represent have helped Virgin Atlantic go from strength to strength. Virgin Atlantic has extended its network of routes across the world and has captured market share from leading players in the industry.