Jun 08, 2009 09:02 ET

Virgin Mobile USA Launches Bazaarvoice Ask & Answer

Now Shoppers Can Easily Tap Into the Knowledge and Passion of Other Virgin Mobile USA Customers to Get Answers to Their Most Pressing Questions Before Making a Purchase

AUSTIN, Texas --(Business Wire)-- Jun 08, 2009 Bazaarvoice, the market and technology leader in hosted social commerce applications that drive sales, today announced that Virgin Mobile USA is using Bazaarvoice Ask & Answer™ on www.virginmobileusa.com. Shoppers can simply click the “Got Questions? Get Answers” link available on every product page to get the information they need on the full line of stylish and affordable prepaid cell phones for sale through Virgin Mobile USA. A “Got Questions?” tab in the product detail section highlights directly relevant questions and the most helpful answers from customers who have direct experience with the product in order to help shoppers choose the right cell phone online or at more than 40,000 top retail locations nationwide.

“Virgin Mobile USA is always on the lookout for great ways to engage our very social, community-oriented customer base,” said Virgin Mobile USA, Vice President of Digital Marketing Stacy Schwartz. “Bazaarvoice Ask & Answer gives us a platform to use our customers’ knowledge and passion about Virgin Mobile USA to help other shoppers. We’re also able to better understand our consumers’ needs and questions, so we can continually improve the experience and messaging we provide to them.”

Virgin Mobile USA chose Bazaarvoice on the strength of its industry-leading social commerce platform, used by over 525 brands worldwide. The SaaS-based Ask & Answer service integrates seamlessly with the Virgin Mobile USA site alongside standard marketing information on product features, specs, and accessories. Questions like “How sturdy is this phone?”; “Is there a vibrating option?” and “Does this camera have special features?” can now be answered by other customers who have direct experience with the product in order to help shoppers make the best purchase decisions. All Questions and Answers are also aggregated in a central repository that can be searched by keyword or browsed and sorted by most helpful, most recent, and more.

“Bazaarvoice understands the nuances of using ‘social commerce’ to drive online conversions, not just for the sake of adding user-generated-content to the site,” continued Schwartz. “They truly understand our needs as a consumer-focused brand, helping us connect our customers in an open dialogue with one another to drive engagement and boost sales.”

“Virgin Mobile USA is known for its award-winning customer service and high customer satisfaction and recommendation rate,” said Brett Hurt, founder and CEO of Bazaarvoice. “Our Ask & Answer solution is another great way for Virgin Mobile USA to build satisfaction and brand loyalty through authentic, credible consumer-generated content that directly addresses the unanswered questions that can stop purchases and lead to returns.”

About Virgin Mobile

Virgin Mobile USA, Inc. (NYSE:VM), through its operating company Virgin Mobile USA, L.P., offers more than 5 million customers control, flexibility and choice through Virgin Mobile's Plans Without Annual Contracts, with coverage powered by the Nationwide Sprint Network.

Virgin Mobile USA is known for its award-winning customer service, with more than 90% of its customers reporting satisfaction. Virgin Mobile USA service recently announced its Pink Slip Protection program, which provides eligible monthly plan customers who lose their jobs and become eligible for state unemployment benefits free service for up to three months*. Its full slate of smart, stylish and affordable handsets are available at approximately 40,000 top retailers nationwide and online at http://www.virginmobileusa.com/, with Top-Up cards available at almost 150,000 locations. Virgin Mobile USA also offers unlimited all-in contract plans with advanced devices like the Ocean 2.

*Subject to certain terms and conditions

About Bazaarvoice

Bazaarvoice’s Software as a Service (SaaS) social commerce solutions have served more than 50 billion pieces of customer-generated content on more than 525 brand web sites like Best Buy, Costco, Dell, Macy’s, Overstock, P&G, Panasonic, QVC and USAA in 36 countries. The company connects organizations to their influencers through a unique network that reaches hundreds of millions of consumers around the globe, enabling authentic customer-powered marketing. Through syndication, analytics, partnerships, and consulting, Bazaarvoice brings the voice of the customer to the center of their clients’ business strategy, proving “social” can drive measured revenue growth and cost savings for manufacturing, retail, travel, and financial services companies. Headquartered in Austin, the company has offices in London, Paris, and Singapore. For more information and access to client success stories, visit www.bazaarvoice.com, read the blog at www.bazaarblog.com, and follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bazaarvoice.

For Bazaarvoice
Renee Newby, 757-651-6554
renee@bradypr.com