News 2005
Virgin Mobile texts the hassle out of Christmas
22/11/2005
- Virgin Mobile team up with John Lewis to offer Christmas gift service
- Text service provides solution to Christmas present dilemmas
- Tailor-made gift suggestions for all ages
22.11.05 There are now just over 40 shopping days until Christmas, and with more consumer choice than ever in the shops, it is hugely difficult to find the perfect gift for friends and loved ones. Today, Virgin Mobile launches a new text service that recommends the perfect gift for everyone, no matter what his or her age.
Virgin Mobile has teamed up with leading department store John Lewis, to offer a solution to take the trauma out of Christmas shopping. John Lewis has compiled a series of lists with a ‘top three’ of gift suggestions for each gender, in six age groups. All users have to do is to text the age followed by a space and then the gender of the person for whom you are buying to 80015, and Virgin Mobile will text you back with the top three suggestions from John Lewis.
The age and gender groups featured are as follows:
Female – 5 and under, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, 20-30, 30+
Male – 5 and under, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, 20-30, 30+
For those of you who don’t know that all five year old girls dream of owning a Baby Annabel boll, or that no self-respecting nine year-old boy can be without a B-Daman Tournament Set then this service will be a Christmas lifesaver. The gift service will allow you to become the most popular brother, sister, auntie or Godfather this Christmas.
Alison Bonny from Virgin Mobile comments: ‘There is nothing worse than the creeping dread you feel as it approaches closing time in the high street on December 24th and you have no idea what presents to buy people. We want to take the hassle out of finding that perfect gift for Christmas and by linking up with John Lewis we intend to make Britain’s presents this Christmas a sock-free zone!’
The text service costs 3p for Virgin Mobile customers and standard rate for other networks and is available from 14th November. To use the service, simply text ’male’ or ‘female’ followed by a space, then the age of the person you are buying for to 80015. Virgin Mobile will then send a text message back featuring John Lewis’ gift suggestions.
For further information please contact:
| Henry's House: | |
| Krissy Knights: | 0207 291 3035 or krissy@henryshouse.com |
| Rachel Moule: | 0207 291 3033 or rachel@henryshouse.com |
| Virgin Mobile: | |
| Virgin Mobile Press Office: | 0845 600 6272 or press.office@virginmobile.com |
| Alison Bonny: | 07802 430276 or alison.bonny@virginmobile.com |
| Jo Baker: | 07941 233300 or jo.baker@virginmobile.com |
About Virgin Mobile:
Virgin Mobile Holdings (UK) plc, the UK's largest mobile virtual network operator, is majority owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and uses T-Mobile's network. Since its launch in November 1999, Virgin Mobile has attracted more than 5.6 million customers.
In the UK, Virgin Mobile phones are available direct on 0845 6000 600; on the web at www.virginmobile.com or on the high street at approximately 5,000 outlets including Virgin Mobile Stores within Virgin Megastores, The Carphone Warehouse, The Link, Dixons, Phones 4 U, Curry's, Comet, Tesco, Asda, John Lewis, Argos, TOMO, Woolworths, Toys R Us and Ryman plus hundreds of independents mobile phones dealers and available via Shop Direct, Littlewoods, Grattan and Empire home shopping channels.
Virgin Mobile Pay Monthly is currently available in Virgin Mobile Stores, The Carphone Warehouse, The Link, at concessions in WHSmith and at www.virginmobile.com.
Virgin Mobile employs approximately 1,400 staff at three sites, Trowbridge, London and Daventry, and has an outsourced customer service centre operated by approximately 200 staff in Middlesbrough.
Virgin Mobile's customers were found to be the most-satisfied mobile consumers in the pre-pay sector for two years running in 2005 and 2004, according to the surveys by J.D. Power and Associates. Virgin Mobile is also featured in `The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For’ list 2005 and is part of the FTSE4Good Index.
