News 2001
Virgin Mobile Extends its Student Marketing Campaign
26/11/2001
It's giving away 10 free houses to students
Virgin Mobile, the UK's fifth network, today announced the launch of The Big Red House, the final phase of Virgin Mobile's student specific initiative. The Big Red House campaign gives students around the UK the opportunity to win one of ten houses rent-free for the next academic year, courtesy of Virgin Mobile.
To be in with a chance of winning the competition, students simply need to log on to Virgin Mobile's web site www.virgin.com/thebigredhouse fill in their details, answer four simple questions and describe their ideal house using as much originality and wit as possible.
This final part of the campaign is being supported by a 'Housemates from hell… and how to avoid them' guide designed to help students live in the best possible harmony with the rest of their household. The guide offers useful pointers for students in dealing with hygiene, housework and fellow householders - it's an indispensable guide to life on a grant.
Virgin Mobile's student campaign started in September with the opportunity for students to win the ultimate house party - The Big Red House Party - promoted by Virgin Mobile with a range of teasers including beer mats and washroom posters, distributed at 50 universities around the country.
Virgin Mobile continues to recognise the fact that the student market is a huge growth market and are the high spending consumers of the future. A recent survey of students showed that 86% of the UK's 3.2 million full-time student population own a mobile phone. With 18% of these already spending over £40 per month of their tight budgets on their mobile phone calls, it's a logical move for Virgin Mobile to increase its activity amongst this group.
The final phase of the competition will end in March 2002 when the houses are handed over to the winners and then the campaign will start all over again with teasers in September 2002. Over the duration of the campaign the Big Red House message will have been marketed using a variety of different methods including email, SMS, radio, student press, estate agents, flyposters and postcards.
Lucy Atabey, direct marketing and promotions manager, Virgin Mobile, said: "We have had great success with the Student Brand Managers representing Virgin Mobile at universities around the country but wanted to do something that included even more of the student population. The Big Red House campaign raises awareness of Virgin Mobile with students in a credible and memorable manner and we hope this annual campaign will become the student event to be included in."
To get hold of a copy of the eight page guide students can call the 'Housemates from Hell' hotline on: 020 7208 2708 or to find out more about Virgin Mobile, log on to www.virgin.com/mobile.
Editor's notes:
For further information on Virgin Mobile:
Press Office Hotline: 0845 600 6272 or email: press.office@virginmobile.com
Steven Day, Virgin Mobile, 07931 777777
Alison Bonny, Virgin Mobile, 07802 430 276
Sasha Bradbury, Consolidated Communications, 07941 230 700
About Virgin Mobile:
Virgin Mobile is now established as the most successful virtual network operator in the world, and is the UK's fifth network. Since its launch in November 1999 it has attracted 1.25 million customers, making it one of the fastest growing mobile phone companies in history.
Virgin Mobile is a 50:50 joint venture company between Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Deutsche Telekom's One 2 One, and is the UK's first mobile virtual operator.
It has scored a number of firsts, including being the first operator to scrap peak rate calls, introduce a daily discounting tariff and was the first company in the world to introduce an integrated MP3 mobile phone.
In the UK, Virgin Mobile phones are available direct on 0845 6000 600; on the web at www.virgin.com/mobile; or on the High Street at over 5,000 outlets including Virgin Megastore, Our Price, V.SHOP, Sainsbury, Tesco, WH Smith, Co-op, Asda, Somerfield, John Lewis, Littlewoods, Morrisons, The Link, Phone People and Carphone Warehouse.
