2/13/2005

DATE DITCHING

Now here’s a “niche” in the market I’ve never thought of. For all of you cell phone using daters, here’s a good buy for you!

Virgin Mobile is now offering a “Call you back” service to all their customers (Only in Australia at this point). Here’s the idea…You’re on a date. The conversation stinks, McDonald’s really isn’t your favorite hotspot for a comfortable dining experience, and “Desperate House Wives” comes on in 15 minutes. What to do…What to do…You discreetly dial three numbers on your phone, hit the send button, and hang up. One minute later, “Ring-Ring”. You answer the phone and it’s a concerned roommate telling you to get home immediately, “Something’s happened.” Your concerned date promptly packs up the Happy Meals and takes you home.

What your date doesn’t know is that the person on the other end of the concerned phone call was actually a Virgin Mobile phone operator making up a story so that you can get out of your terrible date.

This is all part of a new service offered by Virgin Mobile. It’s funny to think of an actual demand for such a commodity but it’s real and Virgin Mobile has the supply. “A survey of 402 people by Virgin Mobile found that 53 percent arrange in advance to have a friend call them mid-date to check they are all right or if they need an excuse to get out. The results showed women were twice as likely as men to use the tactic.”

Click here for the story: Ubiquitous Markets (Valentine's Day Edition)

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