At the Big Ten basketball championship final at New York’s Madison Square Garden earlier this month, four rows of seats and dedicated space at Delta’s Sky360° VIP lounge were reserved for event sponsor SoFi. Most people using these facilities were not SoFi employees, but its customers, who occupied the front two rows and enjoyed complimentary cocktails and food at the lounge.
It’s all part of a VIP approach to keeping customers and adding new ones — a strategy the company said is worth the investment.
“Even for someone who has a great job and makes a nice living, it’s hard to imagine [customers] spending discretionary income on that — we want to treat our members,” said Libby Leffler, vice president of membership at SoFi. “The best way to build trust is through these community events; we’re seeing those members are referring people from their networks like their workplace or where they went to school.”
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