Cablefax The Magazine - July 2016 - 16

2016 Top Ops Awards
INDEPENDENT MARKETING TEAM OF THE YEAR
MI-Connection
and service calls,
which our customers
love, " says Auger. " We
answer the telephone
promptly, and very
rarely are people
placed on hold. If
there's a service
problem, we'll address
it that day or at
a minimum next day. "
Created in 2007 by North Carolina towns Mooresville, Davidson, and
Cornelius, MI-Connection was saddled with improving the image of
a now community-owned cable company in the wake of Adelphia's
bankruptcy and Time Warner Cable's brief ownership that followed.
The task: to change the company's image so that it could compete
with the big guys.
" Some folks didn't really buy into the fact that a cable company
should be community-owned, " remembers director of marketing and
sales Ellen Baker. " At the time we were doing regular marketing, as
the big box people do, and we were getting customers and all, but
we weren't telling our story. So we felt like we needed to fi nd our
voice, and communicate that with our customers. "
The fruits of that pivotal moment continue to bear fruit today. Their
advertising is a husband-and-wife team in town who relocated from San
Francisco. At one of MI-Connection's many community events, the pair
pitched a new " straight talk campaign. " It was blunt and to the point. " If
you owned a grocery store, wouldn't you shop there?, " read one advertisement.
" Does your cable company really need your business?, " read
another. Or how about tapping into the population's economic concerns,
with " Can you create local jobs just by watching TV? "
" Our uniqueness is that we are local-our service is provided by
local people, " says CEO Dave Auger. " We are owned by 3 towns that
we service, and so we tell people you should buy local as opposed
to sending your dollars to New York City, Denver, or wherever the
competitors are headquartered. " Visit MI-Connection's Facebook
page. As you scroll down, you will see some of its creative marketing
campaigns. They're pretty engaging and even funny. One example:
" Best when bought locally: Seafood, Produce, and Cable TV. "
MI-Connection also has created a consumer retention program using
the straight talk campaign messaging, so as not to leave out the
company's current customers. One headline reads, " You're going to
need a lot more popcorn. " During the summer they give free VOD
movies, one each week, to all of their customers. " It's a retention
method for during the summer when there's a lot of disconnect. In
all of the copy the message is the same, " Baker says.
Another key component of the turnaround was the company's improvements
to customer service. " We provide 2-hour windows for installation
16
cablefaxmag.com
And of course being
local means showing
your face at community
events. The
company sponsors
many local community
activities, such as Race City Festival, and it has partnered with
the Mooresville school district to provide free Internet to students
who are at risk or need government assistance.
MI-Connection
MIC12ST_001a - Grocery Store
1
Mooresville Weekly
10.26.2012
Straight Talk
Client
N/A
11 " x 13.4375 "
9.88 " x 12.50 "
Pulling all this off is a challenge for a staff of 62. " But it's something
we have to do just because of the level of competition that's in this
market, " Auger said. And it's paid off fantastically. In the last 5 years
revenues are up 37 percent, EBITDA is up 132 percent and customers
are up 30 percent, according to Auger. " It's been explosive growth
since initiating and implementing this campaign. " And while they prefer
remaining under the radar, " it's great that some of these successes
are being acknowledged, " he said. Baker concurs, adding that " it's
been a lot of hard work, but it's been rewarding seeing the tides turn. "
Moving forward, the team will continue their straight talk messaging.
" We just want to keep building on it, and try to convey the message
and take it to another level, " Baker says. " We are increasing Internet
speeds for our customers without increasing rates. We're just going
to keep our nose to the grindstone and get feedback from our
consumers and see where it takes us. "
FAST FACTS
uMI-Connection has been categorized as HD Verified
by the Google Video Quality Report.
uThe company offers a download speed of up to
60Mbps and upload speed of up to 10Mbps
uWith MI-Connection's free summer movie promotion,
customers can choose one VOD movie per week from a
collection of more than 3,000 titles.
July 2016
Cablefax: The Magazine
http://www.cablefaxmag.com

Cablefax The Magazine - July 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cablefax The Magazine - July 2016

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Cablefax The Magazine - July 2016 - Cover1
Cablefax The Magazine - July 2016 - Cover2
Cablefax The Magazine - July 2016 - Contents
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