Virgin Mobile offers Aussies free beer

Oh Virgin Mobile, you know us too well.

The party-hearty mobile operator today launched its new-look branding and members' lounge alongside a new CBD store on Pitt Street in Sydney. Part of the new direction for Virgin will be ongoing member's benefits for subscribers, starting with "Free beer on Fridays" running for the entire month of October. Members and guests logging into the new Members' Lounge website will have the option to be sent a redeemable voucher via SMS for a Hahn Super Dry in selected venues.

The mobile operator will also leverage the Virgin brand by offering deals to its customers in partnership with Virgin Airlines and Virgin Car Insurance. Customers who fly Virgin, for example, will be able to claim 10 per cent of the cost of their airline ticket back as credit on their mobile phone account. Members' benefits will also revolve around entertainment, which embraces Virgin Mobile's recent sponsorship of the Metro Theatre in Sydney. Members will be given VIP treatment at gigs hosted by the Metro, including advantages when buying tickets, access to the best areas of the theatre, and band meet and greets.

At the store opening, Virgin Mobile Australia CEO Peter Bithos explained that the shift in the company's focus is intended to provide value to customers beyond the signing of a new contract and for the life of the subscription. "We want a relationship with our members that goes beyond a transactional one," says Bithos.