Virgin Mobile Taps SHIFT Communications
January 5th, 2009 by kristen.gianaras
By Aarti Shah
January 5, 2009
NEW YORK: Virgin Mobile has named SHIFT Communications as its AOR. The agency will focus on broadening the company’s message to fit with the current economy, as well as promote its expanded offerings.
Virgin Mobile offers prepaid and pay-as-you-go cell-phone coverage, but the company added post-pay service after it completed its acquisition this past August of Helio, which included its product offerings like Ocean, as well as its almost 200,000 customers.
SHIFT, which was expected to commence work on the account January 1, will assist Virgin Mobile on three major challenges facing the company. Among them is changing the perception of prepaid cell phones in the consumer marketplace, according to Jayne Wallace, VP of corporate communications at Virgin Mobile.
In addition, the agency will be tasked with maximizing Virgin Mobile’s social media opportunities and raising awareness of its post-paid cell-phone offerings.
The company’s previous messaging carried an anti-contract sentiment, but it will now emphasize that consumers can have any wireless service and on their own terms.
“We are developing a new campaign and branding to be broad enough to encompass prepay and post-pay,” Wallace explained. “But prepay is still our bread and butter and we want to let people know that in this economy it’s a great alternative, not just a second-best option.”
