•Strategy - Tailored, more relevant offering for single, distinct segment •Positioned as a youth centric brand.

Seeking Youngistan

Why this segment?

• Target customers aged between 15 and 30 years.• Estimated population in India of people between 15 and 30

years - 400 million.• Distinct mobile phone usage habits by the young users present

a huge advantage:– Early adopters.– They make more and longer out-bound voice calls. – Significant users of SMS, potentially large customers for

other value added services.– Shorter handset up gradation cycle - under 12 months.

Ad Tagline - “Think Hatke

• Richard Branson – ‘There is no point in Virgin doing anything, unless we can make a difference.’

• The branding and marketing style of Virgin comes with a difference.

• 10 paisa every minute for incoming.

Revolution in India’s mobile world with the offer of rock-bottom call rates and a unique cash back offer for receiving calls.

Objective

• Spread brand awareness and create a foothold in this market segment for itself and satisfy some unmet customer needs.

• Virgin mobile had to communicate its brand in a way such that the customers notice it and perceive it as being a bit different.

• Virgin found that its users cared more about community than utility, so had to ensure its offerings were tailored to suit this group's preferences.

Advertising

•TV COMMERCIALS•INTERNET BASED ADS

TV Ads

• Virgin aired commercials where youngsters find ways to win approval in sticky situations. While Indian youngsters had a carefree spirit, there is a lurking desire for legitimacy in whatever they do. TV Commercials: Popular ads, use lambent wit.

• Emphasis on the idea - Find a

way around, rather than a way

against.

Internet Ads

Sales promotional

• Online Participation

Allows customers to earn free airtime by participation in online advertisements and media.

• Party Line An innovative strategy to attract youth with its

new plan which allows up to 6 friends to form a group and connect with each other by dialing a number.

Sales promotional Contd….

• Free Virgin Mobile Minutes Win win situation for the customer and Virgin Mobile.

• Virgin Mobile Insider Program Free phones and swags to insiders in exchange of

feedbacks

• Virgin on Campus: Students becomes brand ambassador and sell Virgin

merchandise in exchange of counseling sessions .Encourage students to produce content.

• Online Purchase Schemes• Tie-up with MySpace

Providing free and instant access to world’s largest social networking site

• Richard Branson –

Outrageous, flamboyant,

unconventional, maverick

entrepreneur.• True to style, Branson

unveiled his mobile

brand with a 15-storey

jump off a hotel building.

Publicity

Direct Marketing

• Internet portal: The official portal of Virgin gives a lively feeling and has a very jazzy look.

Direct Marketing Contd..

• Youth customers spend significant chunk of their time online.

• Convenience of buying from home.• Customers rewarded with additional talk time, extra

messages and other freebies.• E.g.: Bak Bak offer provides online customers Rs. 100

worth of free talktime, 500 free SMSs, lifetime validity and a free prepaid connection on purchase of every handset.

• Online viral campaign: Interactive microsite to promote its new ‘SMS Free After First Three’ tariff plan

Direct Marketing Contd..

• ParentalEnlightment Kit: A series of tools kids can use to persuade their parents to buy them a Virgin Mobile phone. • A guerrilla marketing campaign targeting parents

Events and Experience

• Virgin Festival: Virgin Mobile organizes Virgin Music Festivals allowing customers to "Book The Band" by voting for who they want to see in an open show .

• Rockathon: Virgin Mobile, in partnership with Yahoo and Planet M are attempting a rocking feat! 100 hours of live music

Personal Selling

• KIOSK

Trained customer

care personnel

address queries.

• Help in educating

the end consumer.

Offerings

Strengths

• The branding and marketing style of Virgin comes with a difference

• The ad causes the consumer to pay attention.

• The ad properly reflects the consumer’s level of understanding of and behaviors with the service.

• Internet portal: The official portal of Virgin gives a lively feeling and has a very jazzy look.

• The best part is the commercials…no more communication with 999 plan and free lifetime incoming calls…rather quite unique and

Weakness

• Your audience should think that ‘they understand us’ rather than us saying so.

• They got it right in the product packaging but didn’t find the spot as engaging as the launch ads.

Recommendations

• Your audience should think that ‘they understand us’ rather than us saying so.

• They got it right in the product packaging but didn’t find the spot as engaging as the launch ads.