Introduction
Virgin Pulse, headquartered in the United States with European operations based in Zurich, needed to adapt its employee wellbeing programs for new regions. In this rapidly evolving, highly competitive market across the Benelux, DACH, and France, Virgin Pulse had two objectives. Participants from a successful 100-day virtual challenge had to be retained and re-engaged for future events, while new clients in regions unfamiliar with the offering required convincing evidence of program effectiveness.
To address these dual imperatives, a comprehensive strategy combined robust data tracking, region-specific insights, and tailored communication. This multi-pronged effort aimed not only to boost engagement among existing clientele but also to highlight viability of the offering by showcasing its ability to meet diverse cultural and market demands.
Key Obstacles
- Market positioning & competition: Standing out in a crowded marketplace—particularly in regions where brand recognition was lacking—posed a significant challenge. Competitors with established local reputations had an advantage, making it crucial to differentiate Virgin Pulse’s offerings.
- Expanding into new regions: As an American company entering European and other international markets, Virgin Pulse had to navigate diverse cultural expectations, regulatory environments, and business norms while still supporting existing customers globally.
- Retention & upsell in a new landscape: Maintaining engagement after the initial challenge and finding opportunities to upsell additional services became more complex when juggling localized messaging, cultural nuances, and different competitive landscapes.
- Communication across borders: Presenting persuasive data to a global audience meant adapting dashboards, reports, and town hall sessions to resonate with regional stakeholders who varied in language, culture, and decision-making styles.
The objectives
- Retain and expand engagement: Keep current participants active for subsequent challenges and identify upsell opportunities, even in regions with unfamiliar market dynamics.
- Establish a regional foothold: Use successful case data to enter new markets and expand further, securing a competitive edge against local players and showcasing how Virgin Pulse’s wellbeing solutions can be tailored for diverse workforces.
- Data-driven storytelling: Convey clear, compelling data to highlight the transformative impact of the programs and underscore its credibility across varied international contexts.
Strategy in action
- Focused customer success: A robust tracking system monitored participant engagement before, during, and after the challenge—allowing real-time identification of team specific trends and use these for strategic upsell at the end of the event. This approach was adapted to account for local market nuances and cultural preferences.
- Localized data as a catalyst: Instead of a “one-size-fits-all” model, the team compiled region-specific metrics on employee participation and wellbeing outcomes. These localized insights formed persuasive narratives, giving a competitive edge in newly targeted markets.
- Tailored communication across geographies: Final reports and presentations were adapted to suit each region’s unique needs—whether a concise executive summary for decision-makers, one-on-one consultations for local HR teams, or immersive town halls for large, culturally diverse audiences.
Tangible results
- Improved retention rates: +70% of initial challenge participants stayed engaged for subsequent challenges—demonstrating that the tailored and data-driven approach resonated across different cultural and competitive landscapes.
- Expanded global participation: New regions saw a notable uptick in involvement, with +80% increasing their participants’ numbers—validating localized strategies for standing out against established competitors.
- Effective upselling & onboarding: By presenting region and employee-specific data, success stories were converted into compelling sales points. This approach led existing stakeholders to double down on employee well-being and enabled the seamless onboarding of new, globally dispersed customers—most notably one with 27k full-time employees.
Key takeaways
- Localizing a global brand increases competitive edge: An American wellbeing provider can stand out in European markets by addressing distinct cultural nuances and regulatory concerns. Localizing both data and communications ensures that a global identity feels relevant and trustworthy on a regional scale.
- Data driven stories outperforms generic solutions: In crowded marketplaces, showcasing precise, localized metrics can cut through the noise. Tying statistics to relatable employee or organizational scenarios positions the wellbeing program as both impactful and indispensable.
- Adaptable communication unlocks diverse stakeholder buy-in: Flexibility in messaging is vital when addressing groups ranging from front-line employees to C-suite executives. Altering not just the format but also the content focus—metrics vs. storytelling—can multiply impact across multicultural and multi-level organizations.
- Retention hinges on continuous engagement: Post-event follow-ups, localized incentives, and data-informed interventions keep participants inspired to stay involved. A consistent communication strategy—tailored for each culture—reinforces the value of repeated interactions rather than one-off experiences.
