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Imagine an awkward first date, in which a couple dines in uncomfortable silence. Relief passes over the woman's face as she hears the ring of her cell phone. "Are you sure you can't get anybody else?" her date hears her say. With a plausible explanation that a friend is in need, the woman makes a quick escape. The truth is, the call didn't come from a friend or even a human being. The call was from Rescue Ring, a pay service offered by Virgin Mobile USA to help customers out of seemingly inescapable situations. At the end of the 30-second call, Rescue Ring beams "Now get out of there and start having a better day!" It is by offering such hip content, including over-thetop wake-up calls, gossip about entertainment and horoscope readings, that Virgin Mobile USA has successfully targeted young consumers, according to the story "Virgin's Version" (p. 58) in the Fall 2002 issue of Forbes ASAP magazine. A 2002 Yankee Group study suggests that Virgin is targeting the right demographic: It estimates that Americans ages 10 to 19 are the fastest-growing segment of cellular users, and that they are more likely to adopt pay-as-you-go services. Analysts suggest Virgin has a leg up, but should Sony, Microsoft and Disney start playing in the category, as expected, targeting that group could get a whole lot tougher.