I have to say the more and more I hear from the Virgin FreeFest – the more I love it.
What is FreeFest?
FreeFest is scheduled to take place August 30th at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. Headliners include Weezer, Blink-182, Franz Ferdinand and Public Enemy, along with a dozen other acts.
What is Book The Band?
Along with Kyocera, Virgin Mobile USA (NYSE: VM) is launching “Book the Band By Virgin Mobile” — an opportunity for five emerging bands with different sounds to vie for a slot in the Virgin Mobile FreeFest lineup.
Which bands?
Alesana
TEXT “ALESANA” TO 59907
http://www.myspace.com/alesana
The Birthday Massacre
TEXT “BIRTHDAY” TO 59907
www.thebirthdaymassacre.com
Black Gold
TEXT “GOLD” TO 59907
www.blackgoldmusic.com
Iglu & Hartly
TEXT “IGLU” TO 59907
http://www.myspace.com/igluandhartly
This Providence
TEXT “PROVIDENCE” TO 59907
www.thisprovidence.com
What we think?
So, Virgin gives away 35,000 FreeFest tickets. But initiatives such as this are cash cows and money winners back for the company. For example mobile youth will vote several times for their mobile bands. If the 35,000 people who have tickets feel chuffed – then they will also vote as a “payback” or “thank-you”.
On top of that there is a huge push to donate USD 5 to charity at the show. Virgin will get 50 cents of this for registration which is fair. But it will also help to ensure that the concert is more than a money drain.
With the push on mobile and SMS these low end services can really drive Virgin Mobile’s brand and create stronger awareness, loyalty and allegiance. That is what reduces churn and what will make Virgin succeed.
Well done to Virgin and Kyocera.
Fans can volunteer for a chance to earn a Free I.P. ticket to the Virgin Mobile FreeFest taking place on August 30th at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md. Fans can devote time to community service at designated homeless youth shelters around the country for a VIP ticket to Virgin Mobile FreeFest. Virgin Mobile USA is also encouraging people, regardles of wireless carrier, to text “FREEFEST” to 20222, making a $5 donation[which will go to select youth homeless centers through The RE*Generation program, Virgin Mobile USA’s initiative to help homeless youth.
I think this whole freefest thing is awesome! And its cool that Virgin are helping out the homeless, but they’re even coming out with a special $10 / 120 minute phone card for the poor which they are not planning to offer to their regular customer base. The chaepest phone card they have available for their regular customers is a $20 card. I thought Virgin was a really cool cell network because of the young hip and trendy edge they seemed to have with stuff like freefest etc. But now they seem to becoming the mobile network for the homeless and they’re neglecting all of us regular network at the same time… What..?