How Long Can This Brand Remain A Virgin?

With creative materials like “We are Better in Bed”, “Who says there is no Virgin in Port-Harcourt?” and “No Paddy in the Jungle”, among other ‘crazy’ works, the Virgin brand quickly registered and impacted its youthfulness on the Nigerian airline industry. Particularly, it rescued the national carrier from the comatose state in which the defunct Nigeria Airways found itself. The coming of the Virgin brand to acquire 49% equity of the national carrier saw to the emergence of the Virgin Nigeria Airways brand.

Maverick businessman, Tony Branson, Chairman of the Virgin group, an unconventional investor, was optimistic about his new Nigerian baby. As a form of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), his decision became an expression of confidence in new democracy and a positive endorsement factor for the economy. It was a swift and smooth sail for the Virgin brand until the international Airport compulsory relocation saga which the Branson group saw as a breach of agreement.

The group reciprocated by making good its threat to pull out of the Virgin Nigeria Airways. Though unconfirmed, the group has divested and turned over its equity holding unto a yet to be announced airline operation being put together by the Globacom group, as a new addition to the already burgeoning business empire.

Also last week, Virgin Nigeria Airways entered into a technical partnership arrangement with Ethiopia Airline, which effectively severed its technical relationship with Virgin Atlantic.  While the good times lasted, the airline in a typical Branson style ordered for 24 new Embraer jets at the 2007 Dubai Air Show. Till date, it has taken delivery of only one of these. What happens to this ground breaking move? Also, the tsunami in the banking sector did not spear Virgin Nigeria Airways. The airline owes millions of dollars to UBA and GTBank, although these debts have not been declared “non performing loans”.

While it is believed that the issues of debts and allied matters would have been taken care of as part of the procedural due diligence process before that the takeover, one factor that have been plaguing the minds of fans of the Branson’s Virgin-inspired Virgin Nigeria Airways is the sustainability of the youth centric customer service orientation of the exiting brand. On the altar of this virtue – good customer service culture and very reasonable pricing modem which have stood out the Virgin brand across industries, Nigerians have come to embrace the brand for its stylish, revolutionary and non conventional mode of business – the hallmarks of the Virgin brand.

As the Virgin spirit makes its final departure from the Nigerian national carrier, the new stakeholders have called a pitch with the aim of giving distinct character to the emerging national carrier. According to findings, the Nigeria Eagle may be adopted as the new name for the airline. It would be recalled that this was the name earlier proposed for what became Virgin Nigeria Airways. However, the pedigree of the Virgin brand in the industry, coupled with the enormity of its 49% equity stake in the enterprise compelled the adoption of the Virgin brand name.

Currently DDB Nigeria, FireHouse – a South African agency just coming into the country, and Verdant Zeal, the incumbent of the Virgin Nigeria business are challenged to individually proffer  the most suitable brand personality and positioning platform for the new national carrier – Nigeria Eagle.

Can the emerging airline lay claim to or contest the youthful, daring and the uncompromising brand personality of the real Virgin brand. Not likely. On the positioning platform, Nigeria Eagle as a name and “Wings of Nigeria” as pay-off could have been a good match for a national carrier. Unfortunately, “Wings of Nigeria” is obviously not available. It is owned by Arik Air, a privately owned enterprise. The challenge  the industry still refers to the carcass of the Virgin Nigeria Airways as a Virgin brand. The issue, however, is how long this brand can remain Virgin.

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