Now You're Living

K.C. Neel

Cox Communications Inc. has launched image campaigns in the past, but the crusade the company launched last spring is the most aggressive and most extensive to date. There's also more on the line than in years past.

Cox hired BBDO in Atlanta to develop the "Now You're Living" campaign which is designed to enhance Cox's image with customers as it introduces high-speed data and telephony services. "We needed to lock into a relationship with our customers," says VP-marketing Joe Rooney. "If we want to transition into a full service telecommunications provider, we need to assure them we can provide the services they need and want."

Cable operators have gotten a lot of grief in years past for their lack of branding, Rooney says. "Cable operators marketed the easy way because we could. Let's face it, the industry achieved a 65% penetration doing it the easy way so it didn't make a lot of sense to do it otherwise."

But things have changed. Cable operators want to offer services that have high expectation levels and they have to be able to assure their customers that they can handle the load.

"We remind them that we've given them good customer service in the past and promise them that we'll continue to deliver that level of excellence with all the new products and services we deliver going forward," he says.

Cox launched its latest image campaign during the second quarter. The company first targeted its employees, Rooney says, "because you have those people on board and believing your story before customers will."

That was followed up with TV and radio spots, newspaper ads and direct mail pieces. The ads' message: Cox can deliver more than cable TV. "We wanted the campaign to say "We'll deliver products and services that enhance your life," Rooney says.

Most of Cox's previous image campaigns had tag line such as "Quality you can depend on," and "Expect the best."

"We haven't changed this campaign that much from those," Rooney says.

"There's still a commitment to deliver quality services. But we want to capture and leverage the excitement of new services like high-speed data and telephony and translate that into a more emotional foundation than we have in the past."

Cox will refresh the campaign next spring, Rooney says.