How Virgin Plus
uses information

Advertising is a reality in today's online world, and people are finding that they receive ads that are irrelevant to them. Virgin Plus's tailored marketing program will work to ensure that the ads participants receive when using our services may be more relevant to them, rather than the random ads they may currently receive. In other words, participants won't see more ads, just ads better suited to them.

Tailored marketing means Virgin Plus will be able to customize advertising based on usage patterns, similar to the ways that other companies have been doing for some time. We may use an individual's detailed URL and location info for marketing purposes, and/or to limit the number of irrelevant ads a user might see (for example, if an offer is not available in the participant’s geographic location).

Participants who have Virgin Plus wireless services, if they consent, will enable Virgin Plus to collect information based on browsing patterns, location information, wireless calling patterns, app usage, and the account information provided when services were obtained from us, and information on how services are used for marketing purposes. Learn more Less

What kinds of information will we collect from participants?
We collect the information provided when participants subscribe to and use our services. For the purposes of our tailored marketing program,this can include:

Browsing activity and application (app) usage: Web pages participants visit from their mobile phone including apps used, and full URLs.
Account information: Network type (e.g. LTE), rate plan, address, email address, age range, gender and preferred language.

Wireless service usage details: Information relating to usage of our products and services such as number of text messages sent and location information.

Virgin Plus’s marketing partners will not receive the personal information of program participants; we just deliver the offers relevant to the program participants on their behalf.

Participants in the tailored marketing program may enjoy a number of benefits, including additional advertising relevance, meaningful cost savings, and knowledge of local promotions. Examples include:

A local travel agency may want to advertise vacation deals by sending a special offer via banner ad or pop up ad to people that have an interest in 'Travel' based on their website and app usage. We may look at the top websites browsed, or apps used, by an audience near the agency’s location.
Similarly, if you travel to the United States frequently, Virgin Mobile may let you know about travel packages offered that will help save you money when you use your mobile phone for making calls or using data in the United States.

Remember, participants can change their mind about participating in Virgin Plus's tailored marketing program or opt-out altogether at any time by visiting vpc.ca/manageprefs. Participation is not a condition of paid services from Virgin Plus.

Got questions? We can help.

How your participation in Virgin Plus's tailored marketing program will help reduce random and frequently irrelevant advertising while protecting your privacy

What personal information is used in Virgin Plus's tailored marketing program?

Account information and service usage information of mobile users (mobile browsing, location and apps) may be used for the program.

a) Account information is information such as network type (ex. LTE), address, age range (within a 5 year range) and gender. The full list of account information used for marketing purposes is set out below. Where there is more than one user or mobile phone under an account, the information may be aggregated at the account level or at the user level, depending on the information provided when the user or mobile phone was added to the account. Use of account information will vary by the requirements of the report being generated or target profile:

Account information
Age Range:	This is based on the date of birth (if any) provided when purchasing products and services from Virgin Plus. This is grouped into a minimum of 5 year age ranges starting at age 18
Gender:	This is inferred from the title you selected for your account (such as Mr., Mrs., Ms.), if any, and may also be inferred from your first name.
Primary Language:	This is based on the primary language for communications that you selected for your account, and is one of French, English or Other.
Revenue Range:	This refers to the average revenue per account and/or user. The specific value for each under your Virgin Plus account is aggregated to fit into one of Very Low, Low, Average, High or Very High.
Price Plan Type:	This refers to whether your account is pre-paid or post-paid and the type of plan you have with either of those categories.
Billing Address:	At the Account Information level, this refers to the city or region of your billing address which includes postal code. Safeguards are in place to ensure that postal codes cannot be used by 3rd parties to identify you.
Phone Type (OEM, Model), Operating System and Network Type:	This refers to the brand and model of phone(s) operating on your account (Smartphone, Tablet, PC Card, Feature Phone, Router, etc.) as well as the model (Samsung Galaxy S6, Sony Xperia Z5, Apple iPhone 6), and operating systems (Android, iOS, Windows) of the phones and network type (HSPA, LTE).
Usage of Data, Messaging and Voice:	This refers to your usage of Virgin Plus wireless products and services such as number of messages sent and received, voice minutes, used data consumption and type of connectivity when downloading or streaming. The content of such communications is not captured; the program simply looks at the usage of various types of services.

b) Service Usage Information: Service usage information refers to information about how and where you use your Virgin Plus wireless products and services. The types of service usage information Virgin Plus may use are described below:

Location:

The location of your wireless phone is generated when your phone communicates with our cell-towers. Typically, this is used to manage network congestion. Your location may be used to analyze traffic patterns or event based analytics to provide you with ads, offers or discounts relevant to your specific location or travel patterns. The location information used is based on available technology.

Mobile Usage:

Interests: Your mobile usage activities (browsing, calling patterns, and app usage) are used to identify broad, non-sensitive categories of interest in your profile. All websites and calling patterns are initially analyzed to create interests but only those that fit non-sensitive interest categories are used. There are also secondary interest categories; for example, under the sports interest there are secondary categories such as hockey, soccer, baseball and so on.
Interests are also identified based on the applications (apps) you use. Apps usage is categorized into non-sensitive categories using the interest categories commonly used in app marketplaces. For a complete list of app categories, see Less.

Web Categories	App Categories
Arts & Entertainment Less Books & Literature Celebrity Fan/Gossip Fine Art Humour Movies Music Television Arts – Other Entertainment Venues & Events Streaming & Downloadable Audio Streaming & Downloadable Video Entertainment - Other	Books
Automotive Less Auto Parts Auto Repair Buying/Selling Cars Car Culture Certified Pre-Owned Convertible Coupe Crossover Diesel Electric Vehicle Hatchback Hybrid Luxury MiniVan Motorcycles Off-Road Vehicles Performance Vehicles Pickup Road-Side Assistance Sedan Trucks & Accessories Vintage Cars Wagon Automotive - Other	Business Less Advertising Agriculture Biotech/Biomedical Business Software Construction Forestry Government Green Solutions Human Resources Logistics Marketing Metals Home & Office Furnishings Manufacturing Physical Security Productivity Retirement Homes & Assisted Living Business - Other
Business Less Advertising Agriculture Biotech/Biomedical Business Software Construction Forestry Government Green Solutions Human Resources Logistics Marketing Metals Home & Office Furnishings Manufacturing Physical Security Productivity Retirement Homes & Assisted Living Business - Other	Catalogues
Careers Less Career Advice Career Planning College Financial Aid Job Fairs Job Search Nursing Resume Writing/Advice Scholarships Telecommuniting U.S. Military Careers - Other	Education Less 7-12 Education Adult Education Art History College Administration College Life Distance Learning English as a 2nd Language Graduate School Homeschooling Homework/Study Tips K-6 Educators Language Learning Private School Special Education Studying Business Educational Institutions Educational Materials & Studies Reference Materials & Maps Tutoring Wikis Education - Other
Education Less 7-12 Education Adult Education Art History College Administration College Life Distance Learning English as a 2nd Language Graduate School Homeschooling Homework/Study Tips K-6 Educators Language Learning Private School Special Education Studying Business Educational Institutions Educational Materials & Studies Reference Materials & Maps Tutoring Wikis Education - Other	Entertainment
Food & Drink Less American Cuisine Barbecues & Grilling Cajun/Creole Chinese Cuisine Cocktails/Beer Coffee/Tea Cuisine-Specific Desserts & Baking Dining Out French Cuisine Health/Lowfat Cooking Italian Cuisine Japanese Cuisine Mexican Cuisine Vegan Vegetarian Wine Food & Drink - Other	Finance
Fitness Less Cold & Flu Dental Care Exercise Men's Health Nutrition Weight Loss Women's Health Supplements & Compounds Health - Other	Food & Drink Less American Cuisine Barbecues & Grilling Cajun/Creole Chinese Cuisine Cocktails/Beer Coffee/Tea Cuisine-Specific Desserts & Baking Dining Out French Cuisine Health/Lowfat Cooking Italian Cuisine Japanese Cuisine Mexican Cuisine Vegan Vegetarian Wine Food & Drink - Other
Hobbies & Interests Less Art/Technology Arts & Crafts Beadwork Birdwatching Board Games/Puzzles Candle & Soap Making Card Games Chess Collecting Comic Books Drawing/Sketching Freelance Writing Genealogy Getting Published Guitar Home Recording Inventions & Patents Jewelry Making Magic & Illusion Needlework Painting Photography Radio Roleplaying Games Sci-Fi & Fantasy Scrapbooking Screenwriting Stamps & Coins Video & Computer Games Woodworking Hobbies & Interests – Other Games	Games
Home & Garden Less Appliances Entertaining Environmental Safety Gardening Home Repair Home Theater Interior Decorating Landscaping Remodeling & Construction Home & Garden - Other	Health & Fitness
Law, Gov't & Politics Less Commentary Immigration Legal Issues Politics U.S. Government Resources Philanthropic Organizations	Lifestyle
News Less International News Local News National News Magazines Portal Sites News, Portal & Search - Other Pay To Surf	Medical
Personal Finance Less Beginning Investing Credit/Debit & Loans Financial News Financial Planning Hedge Fund Insurance Investing Mutual Funds Options Retirement Planning Stocks Tax Planning Accounting Banking Online Financial Tools & Quotes Finance - Other	Music
Pets Less Aquariums Birds Cats Dogs Large Animals Reptiles Veterinary Medicine Pets - Other	Navigation
Real Estate Less Apartments Architects Buying/Selling Homes Real Estate - Other	News Less International News Local News National News Magazines Portal Sites News, Portal & Search - Other Pay To Surf
Science Less Astrology Biology Botany Chemistry Geography Geology Paranormal Phenomena Physics Space/Astronomy Weather Science - Other	Photo & Video
Shopping Less Comparison Contests & Freebies Couponing Engines Auctions & Marketplaces Catalogues Online Shopping Shopping - Other	Productivity
Social Networking Less Social Media	Reference
Society Less Dating Ethnic Specific Marriage Senior Living Weddings Parks, Rec Facilities & Gyms	Social Networking Less Social Media
Sports Less Auto Racing Baseball Bicycling Bodybuilding Boxing Canoeing/Kayaking Cheerleading Climbing Cricket Figure Skating Fly Fishing Football Freshwater Fishing Game & Fish Golf Horse Racing Horses Hunting/Shooting Inline Skating Martial Arts Mountain Biking NASCAR Racing Olympics Paintball Power & Motorcycles Basketball Hockey Rodeo Rugby Running/Jogging Sailing Saltwater Fishing Scuba Diving Skateboarding Skiing Snowboarding Surfing/Bodyboarding Swimming Table Tennis/Ping-Pong Tennis Volleyball Waterski/Wakeboard Soccer	Sports Less Auto Racing Baseball Bicycling Bodybuilding Boxing Canoeing/Kayaking Cheerleading Climbing Cricket Figure Skating Fly Fishing Football Freshwater Fishing Game & Fish Golf Horse Racing Horses Hunting/Shooting Inline Skating Martial Arts Mountain Biking NASCAR Racing Olympics Paintball Power & Motorcycles Basketball Hockey Rodeo Rugby Running/Jogging Sailing Saltwater Fishing Scuba Diving Skateboarding Skiing Snowboarding Surfing/Bodyboarding Swimming Table Tennis/Ping-Pong Tennis Volleyball Waterski/Wakeboard Soccer
Style & Fashion	Travel
Technology & Computing	Utilities
Travel	Weather

Top websites and applications: Mobile browsing also generates a ranked list of top domains for each user profile. This is top level domain only (ex. TSN.ca) and only domains that are non-sensitive. For example, a user that visits TSN's hockey content a lot will possibly get TSN.ca as a top domain. We also maintain a list of the top 25 apps on your mobile phone based on usage.

Information not used:

We constantly work to protect your sensitive personal information. Unlike others, Virgin Plus does not use personal information relating to finances, health or sexual orientation. Virgin Plus also does not use transaction information, personal credit score information or the contents of voice or digital communications, or similar sensitive information. Encrypted mobile browsing (ex. URL's associated to HTTPS) is also not used.
What types of information do advertisers see when developing an advertising campaign?

As further described in the 'How does Virgin Plus work with partners' section below, advertisements are delivered without disclosing any personal information to the advertiser. The characteristics advertisers can use to define an audience for a campaign or for a report are those set out above in account information, service usage information (for mobile usage, this would be the interest categories, not the actual URLs) and the top websites and apps, if on the approved list of non-sensitive websites and apps. The advertiser receives an estimated audience size, meaning the estimated number of participants who fit the combination of characteristics selected by the advertiser.

To protect users' privacy, Virgin Plus sets a minimum audience size of 100, this ensures that no one will be able to infer information about a single individual
How does Virgin Plus work with partners?

Virgin Plus works with 3rd parties to display relevant advertising or present discounts or offers for our marketing partners.
Displaying relevant advertising, promotions or offers, in the case of mobile advertising, a prospective advertiser selects the characteristics of the audience they are targeting. Banner ads on mobile apps or browsers are typically connected to an Ad Network server. If you have provided your consent, the Ad Network may have a campaign loaded with your anonymous ID corresponding to certain pre-defined characteristics in which case the relevant ad associated with that campaign will be placed.
How does Virgin Plus use location information to market its own products and services to me?

In order to recommend certain products or services that may better meet your needs, we may look at your location to, for example, email or text you about a new rate plan that might suit the needs of someone who travels a lot or commutes regularly. If you do not consent to our use of your mobile location information to provide you with helpful Virgin Plus offers, we may still market to you using personal information, other than location, unless you opt-out of other marketing uses as described below. We won't, however, use mobile location information for Virgin Plus's marketing if you decline or opt-out of this program.
Who is involved with these programs?

Currently the program is operated by Bell Mobility. If the program is expanded to other Bell affiliates in future (Bell Canada, Bell ExpressVu, Bell Media, Bell MTS and Bell Aliant), we will seek your consent in advance. Partners are also involved outside of the Bell companies but personally identifiable information will never be released through this program.
What if I decide I don't want to give my consent to use my information for marketing?

Participation is voluntary and you can change your participation status at any time by visiting the marketing preferences page. If you choose to decline, Virgin Plus will not use your personal information as described above and will cease to collect and use your information for the program and will delete any existing profile information. Participation is not a condition of receiving paid services from Virgin Plus.
Declining to participate in the Program does not impact the use of your personal information for other Virgin Plus marketing activities such as telemarketing or commercial electronic messages (for example, emails and text message offers). You can conveniently manage the use of your information for these marketing activities at our marketing preferences page.
Questions or concerns about your privacy?

We'd be happy to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about your privacy.
You can visit us online at virginplus.ca/privacy for more information or to reach us, please visit our contact section.
What happened to Virgin Plus’s online marketing program?

Virgin Plus’s tailored marketing program is the same program. We’ve simply updated the program name to better reflect the benefits you can receive if you participate.
Will participation in the Tailored Marketing Program put my personal information at an increased risk?

No, Virgin Plus applies security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of all personal information collected, whether part of the Tailored Marketing program or not.