Virgin Mobile, which provides a prepaid cell phone service, is providing its customers with a way to earn some extra minutes. Under its "SugarMama" program, users would watch ads and provide feedback to the advertiser in exchange for free airtime.
The company says three advertisers have thus far agreed to participate. Pepsi, Microsoft's Xbox division and a youth anti-smoking campaign will in effect pay for the airtime in exchange for the direct marketing feedback.
Virgin Mobile said it has high hopes for the program, noting that it's customers tend to be the highly sought-after youth market. Since many of them operate on tight budgets, the company expects the program to be popular with users as well as advertisers.
"This is truly a win-win situation for everyone involved," Virgin Mobile USA CEO Dan Schulman said.
To participate in the program, the company says users have to be at least 13 years old and fill out a demographic profile. After watching a video commercial, participants would respond to a quiz. Each "correct" answer would equal free air time.
