Watch an Ad, Get Some Airtime

Prepay provider Virgin Mobile USA launched a new program called "SugarMama" Tuesday that would allow its users to earn airtime by viewing advertisements. The user would view the online ad or text advertisement, and then provide feedback to the advertiser on what they saw.

Three national brands have initially signed on to the service: Microsoft's Xbox division; Pepsi-Cola, which would initially feature Diet Mountain Dew; and truth, the national youth anti-smoking initiative.

The service will be powered by Ultramercial, a Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. based internet advertising firm that specializes in offering incentives to users that watch its clients ads.

"This is truly a win-win situation for everyone involved," Virgin Mobile USA CEO Dan Schulman said. While customers would be able to earn free minutes, advertisers would gain an easy way to target Virgin's young user base -- a key demographic in the growing mobile advertising space.

SugarMama is the result of testing with its customers, Virgin Mobile said. Users will be required to opt into the service after certifying they are 13 years of age or older, and filling out a demographic profile.

From there, the user would need to watch a video advertisement, then be able to answer several questions to ensure they understood its content. Correct answers would equal free airtime. Additionally, users could opt into text messages for the opportunity to earn more minutes.

Virgin has high hopes for the new service. "Our customers are the first to try new things and often convince others to do the same," chief marketing officer Howard Handler said. "They are passionate about the brands and music they associate with and, like Virgin Mobile itself, they are not afraid to be different."