Ad campaign and new customer marketing to highlight great little extras

Virgin Media today unveiled a new strategic marketing campaign aimed at existing customers to reward them for their loyalty with magic moments as well as highlighting the great value extras they already get at no extra cost. A red feather provides visual continuity across the Tickle campaign for any ‘tickle’ that lucky customers receive.

The tickles will continue throughout the remainder of 2011 with targeted marketing to existing customers, offering them brilliant experiences tailored to the way they use our services. It could be a product upgrade, a new piece of kit, an extra service or an out-of-this-world prize or gift. For example, a customer that’s had a basic set-top box for many years could be offered a new one, enabling them to watch our growing range of fantastic HD channels for no extra monthly fee. They will be directed to a tickle terminal, an online destination where they can see individual tickles meant just for them, as well as alerted to things they already get but may not realise which draws attention to ways they can get the most out of their subscription.

A ‘tickle tour’ will begin in mid October, with Virgin Media surprising a small and select number of customers across the country with an incredible basket of gifts including a whopping 40 inch HD TV, a free TiVo® Service set-top box, a year’s free TiVo subscription and more.

Virgin Media is also launching the second phase of its multi-million pound TiVo advertising strategy, with its very own tickle. Since Virgin Media TiVo became available, tens of thousands of customers have discovered what the company believes is the best way to watch TV, ever. The new TV and digital activity will continue the successful creative fronted by Marc Warren, star of Hustle and Mad Dogs, with direct response channels highlighting extra savings by offering free box activation for new and existing customers, saving them £49.95. The full campaign, launched in July, has been created by DDB UK and involves TV, digital, retail and social media executions.

Jeff Dodds, executive director of brand and marketing, said: “Our priority is putting our customers first and we think this is a great way to remind them – and tell those thinking of joining us – why Virgin Media adds up to great value now and in the long term. This is not just a single campaign but a manifestation of our long standing focus on ensuring loyal customers feel looked after. We want to acknowledge and reward them with some fantastic extras. We are always giving our customers so much more so this is about drawing attention to those additional services, features and benefits they couldn’t get elsewhere. A tickle is a little something that makes you smile. In life we only tickle people we know and like – for us, that’s our customers.”

About Virgin Media

Virgin Media is the first provider of all four broadband, TV, mobile phone and home phone services in the UK.

The company delivers ultrafast broadband connections to over half of all UK homes, with speeds of up to 100Mb, and is expanding this cable network – the result of a multi-billion pound investment – to reach thousands more people across the country.

Virgin Media has developed the most advanced interactive television service, bringing together broadcast TV, thousands of hours of on demand programming and the best of the web in a single set-top box powered by TiVo. The company was the first to offer HD TV and 3D on demand to millions of UK households.

Virgin Media also operates the most popular virtual mobile network in the UK which, when launched, was the world’s first such mobile phone service. It is also one of the largest fixed-line home phone providers in the country.

Virgin Media Inc. is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market and the London Stock Exchange (VMED). For more information, go to www.virginmedia.com.