A quick look at how successful design strategy can build good products and drive revenue.
Previously known for its river cruises, Viking launched Viking Ocean Cruises in 2015. We helped Viking develop a full range of new digital products to deliver an exceptional customer experience with these goals in mind:
- Support the critically important “new product” introduction of Viking Ocean Cruises.
- Create a strong, lasting connection between Viking Ocean Cruises and its guests by adding measurable value to their experience in their eyes.
- Generate incremental revenue with new cruise bookings, encouraging guests to add optional extras both before and during their cruise (e.g — on-shore excursions or onboard spa treatments).
- Be easy and reliable for guests to use.
- Fully integrate with Viking’s legacy systems.
- Help to modernize the overall Viking brand.
Understand your customers needs
The top prospects for upscale ocean cruises aren’t just successful and affluent people. They are often both very hands-on and self-reliant while still wanting to be pampered from time to time. When traveling, they frequently choose hotels with concierge service… so that’s what we decided to bring to them for Viking Ocean Cruises.
While Verso created a wide range of new digital products for Viking which covered the digital landscape (website, onboard kiosks, iTV, online advertising and many more), at the heart was the My Viking Journey application.
We designed a, simple to use but powerful customer experience application to be the seamless, digital concierge. By making it easy for them to manage their entire trip (both before and during) from their mobile devices, the impact of My Viking Journey was substantial from day one.
Success by design
During 2016 (first full year of operation for Viking Ocean Cruises), 96% of guests created a My Viking Journey account vs. the ingoing goal of 80%. My Viking Journey generated $244 million in incremental revenue. Cruise Critic voted Viking Ocean Cruises the world’s best cruise line.
