Rumor Has It….

ByJennifer Moody
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Rumor has it that Richard Branson is expanding into hotels.

Actually that part is fact. But in the viral marketing campaign for the new brand, Branson is encouraging individuals to start their own rumor about what the new brand will deliver.

The rumors have been running rampant on Twitter…

Alt text: A screenshot of a tweet from the user @daditomaso, retweeted by Virgin Hotels. The tweet reads, "Morgan Freeman reads the newspaper to you while you're getting ready in the morning. #VirginRumors bit.ly/1ttlN3r." The tweet is dated 8/26/14 at 3:05 PM.

I’d pay extra for that service!

Alt text: A tweet from Virgin Hotels (@virginhotels) reads, "I’ve heard when you stay the weekend, Richard Branson writes you a note to get out of work on Monday. #VirginRumors." Below the tweet is an image of a note that says, "TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, PLEASE EXCUSE ______ FROM WORK ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2014. WELL, JUST BECAUSE."

My boss would love that one.

The image is a screenshot of a tweet that has been retweeted by Virgin Hotels. The tweet is from a user named Jonathan Sumner, with the handle @JSGoCats. The tweet reads: "I heard every room comes with British accent classes. #VirginRumors bit.ly/1ttlN3r". The tweet is dated 9/4/14 at 10:37 AM. There is a small profile picture of Jonathan Sumner on the left side of the tweet.

That might come in handy.

The image shows a Twitter exchange. The first tweet is from a user named Donnie (@chi_citygrl) and reads: "I hear there's a Nutella dispenser in each room @virginhotels #VirginRumors" with a timestamp of 9/16/14, 11:45 PM. This tweet has 2 retweets and 9 favorites. The second tweet is a reply from Nashville Virgin (@NashvilleVirgin) and reads: ".@chi_citygrl @virginhotels That might be our favorite one yet!"

Oh yes, please… sounds like the Nashville outpost might be on board with that idea!

Do you want to get into the act?  You can enter to win a two night stay at the Virgin Hotels website.

Alt text: A tweet from Virgin Hotels' Twitter account (@virginhotels) reads: "These rumors are crazy. You should definitely not follow us & spread some totally mad, probably not true rumors of your own. #VirginRumors." Below the tweet, there is a banner image with the word "HELLO" and a profile summary that says: "Virgin Hotels @virginhotels. The world's first Virgin Hotel opens 2014. Until then, take our word for it. http://www.VirginHotels.com."

The first hotel in the brand will open in Chicago, rumor has it sometime in 2014. In the meantime, Virgin has been cheekily rolling out the welcome mat at competitor hotels around the Windy City…

Alt text: A screenshot of a Twitter exchange between Virgin Hotels and W Hotels. Virgin Hotels tweets, "@WHotels Good welcome mats make for excellent neighbors. Happy to join the Chicago community with you! #VirginRumors" on 9/9/14 at 3:56 PM. The tweet has 3 favorites. W Hotels replies, "@virginhotels Welcome to the neighborhood! Cocktails are in order." on 9/9/14.

W Hotels played along nicely!

And baiting local celebrities…

The image is a screenshot of a tweet from Virgin Hotels' Twitter account (@virginhotels). The tweet reads: ".@Oprah rumor is you'll be hosting an in-depth interview with guests in the lobby every Friday. Or do you prefer Saturdays? #VirginRumors". The tweet is dated 9/9/14 at 4:35 PM. The Virgin Hotels logo is also visible at the top left corner of the tweet.

That would certainly be fun, wouldn’t it?!

What do you think of Virgin Hotels’ marketing campaign?

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