APPA Marketing Coalition

A cooperative effort forAPPA member utilities offering

voice, video and/or Internet services

APPA Broadband ConferenceSan Francisco, CA

October 10 – 13, 2004

Why should we consider a marketing co-op?

Because we all have the same message, the same advantages

over our competition and the same

basic disadvantages!

Advantages

• Customer loyalty based on years of service excellence

• Local customer service

• Local technical support

• Lower pricing

• Better technology – especially marketable for those who have invested in FTTx

Disadvantages

• Smaller market areas– No economy of scale offered when producing marketing materials

– Higher quality work is not always affordable when looking at one production vs many

• Learning curve– FCC rules, regulations, requirements

– Programming contract negotiations

– New products

• New to competitive marketing– What works and what doesn’t

– Importance of creating an identifiable image or “look”

– Successful local market “tie-in” promotions

Sharing ideas and designs affords more opportunities for all members.

• Your employees faces can be inserted in this design!

• Add your logo and it’s done!

Focus on advantages!

Incorporate your “image”

• Develop a consistent message that touts our advantages

• Create a portal to post design and conceptual ideas– Draw on each other’s creative energies– Cuts local graphic design costs by presenting ideas

that are already developed– Opportunity for larger production scale if several

members are interested in similar marketing tactics– Reduces time spent on creating marketing ideas

when we all share• Create an on-line forum for Q & A

APPA Marketing Co-op

• Streamline process for required regulatory customer notifications– Examples: FCC Do Not Call Notification

FCC Subscriber Privacy Notification

** Creates efficiency if each of us schedule these notifications during the same month each year. Reminders can be sent via email.

** Less opportunity for anyone to be found “out of compliance” when reminders are in place on a consistent basis.

APPA Marketing Co-op

APPA Marketing Co-op

• Share marketing analysis information– Short, concise statistical info about

campaigns that work and those that don’t– In the long run, we’ll all save money by

learning from each other

• Over 100 APPA members offer cable, phone and/or Internet service(s)

• Although the types of deployment and service offering combinations vary, we all share a common bond and common competition

• Working together will save us all time and money!

• Working together will net more customers!

• Questions?

• Additional Ideas?