The Season of Giving: How These CEOs Are Helping Children With Bark

Darin LaCoursiere, President and Chief Executive Officer, Endeavor Communications

My mission as the CEO of Endeavor is to provide valuable managed services to our communities in Indiana. But a personal experience changed my view on what value really means for Endeavor…and sparked a mission to help children who deal with the cruel effects of online bullying.

The Sad Reality: Bullying Now Follows Kids Wherever They Go  

Years ago, when my family moved from Michigan to the small town of Eureka, South Dakota, we expected a fresh start. Little did we know that this move would teach us the reality of bullying for kids today. 

Our daughter, a bright and ambitious teenager, became the target of relentless bullying after our move. The bullying extended beyond the school gates and into the digital realm. The situation escalated when she was kicked off the homecoming court by a boy who had tormented her online for months. However, her resilience shone through when she decided to participate in the Miss Teen South Dakota pageant, where she became the first runner-up. It was a testament to her strength and determination in the face of adversity.

The sad reality is that bullying, which used to happen only in physical locations, now reaches our children anywhere they go through the apps on their phones. Technology tools make messages spread fast—and multiply to many groups. With online bullying, more kids can join the abuse quickly. The effect becomes even more severe for any kid who is suffering.

We Provided Free Bark Accounts to Teachers in Our Community  

Our family’s personal ordeal prompted me to take action when I learned that Calix was making Bark available as a fully integrated managed service for the Calix broadband platform. We were already fully bought into the end-to-end platform. I knew that would make it exceptionally simple and fast for us to launch Bark. With their help, we:

• Provided free Bark accounts to teachers, targeting those with children in the vulnerable age group. 

• Explored partnerships with local police departments, aiming to create a collaborative effort to combat online bullying. 

• Initiated multi-faceted campaigns, reaching out to subscribers and non-subscribers alike.  

   

In October 2023, Endeavor became the first BSP in Indiana to offer Bark. Our initial launch made the social media monitoring tool available to thousands of families in our broadband footprint across Indiana. In 2024, we plan to expand our Bark offering through Endeavor IT (our nationally managed IT business) and beyond. Ultimately, our Bark offering will reach hundreds of thousands of families across the northern, midwestern, and southern United States. 

For us, this initiative is a step toward educating parents about the deep value we provide for them. Bark is not just a service. It’s a commitment to safeguarding our communities. Every child deserves to grow up in an environment free from fear, and with Bark, we are determined to contribute to that reality.

To learn more about Bark on the Calix platform, schedule a Bark consultation.

Jay Shrewbury, General Manager, Oberlin Cable Co-Op

Our decision to introduce Bark social media monitoring to our community was not just about business strategy. It was also a deeply personal decision. 

At Oberlin, we truly care about the well-being of people in our communities. I believe we have a responsibility to educate and protect the more than 800 young minds in our schools. Some of the biggest threats to their well-being today include being bullied on social media and being exposed to misinformation on the internet.  

Why the Managed Services Strategy Wins 

With Bark, we can do something to defend them against these threats. That’s why we were early adopters of the “managed services, not speeds” strategy that Calix CEO Michael Weening talked about at ConneXions. Managed services differentiate us as a brand that cares. We started with managed Wi-Fi in 2022 and followed with Bark this month. We plan to launch SmartTown™ and SmartBiz™ in 2024.  

The managed services strategy works. Managed services are why our Wi-Fi trouble calls have dropped 53 percent. They’re why we’re gaining market share—generating a 33 percent net-margin increase—even though a massive legacy competitor has overbuilt us. 

Community Response: Why Our City Volunteered To Help Subsidize Bark 

We’ve received widespread support since we launched Bark in mid-November. The local high school uses Bark, and the principal loves the tool. The Oberlin police chief fully endorses Bark. 

As other CEOs and general managers have stated, we’re not looking to make money on Bark. To keep it affordable, we purposely chose not to launch Bark at full retail price. In fact, I collaborated closely with the city of Oberlin’s Equity Division to educate them about the value of Bark for the community. They were so excited about the potential that they offered us funding to make up the difference between what we pay Calix for Bark and the discounted rate at which we offer it to members ($4.95 per month—a significant 60 percent discount off the retail price).  

Our Commitment to Members Is What Makes Us Competitive 

Bark isn't just a service; it’s a testament to our commitment as broadband service providers. Compared to our competition, we are small. We notice our competitors keep dropping their prices. They have a marketing budget that exceeds our annual revenue. Still, we’ve retained a highly loyal membership.  

With the power of a managed service like Bark, we are making a positive impact on the lives of our members—becoming the community leader in digital equity and inclusion. Much like the other Calix-based managed services we offer, I believe Bark will be extremely “sticky.” Our members are more likely to stay with us, not only because of our pricing and great service, but because we’re doing great things that a giant legacy provider simply will never do for them.  

Schedule a consultation to learn more about Bark on the Calix broadband platform.

John Durocher, Chief Customer Officer, Calix

When I talk to general managers (GMs) about Bark, they love the value it represents. But here’s the burning question they want an answer to: “Should I sell this as an add-on?”

Here’s what the Calix Customer Success Services team has learned after working with 20+ GMs to successfully launch Bark. If you approach Bark as an add-on, your techs have to essentially become salespeople. They need to quickly become incredibly knowledgeable about Bark. And you’ll have to support Bark with ongoing go-to-market campaigns. 

Why It’s Ideal To Offer Bark as a Package

If you want to be smart about operational efficiency and marketing spend, here’s my advice. Include Bark as part of a bundled package. 

Think about it. A simplified, bundled offer strategy—customized around how you can deliver safer, secure, protected digital experiences for families—often yields higher conversions. Why? Because it’s far easier for subscribers to understand the value. 

The fact is that add-ons don’t really work in any industry. They make customers feel nickel-and-dimed. If you spent $80,000 on a luxury car and then had to pay $100 more for floor mats, you’d lose your mind. The same is true for your managed services. Your subscribers will be more inclined to see Bark as a value-add when you deliver it as part of a “guardian” or “family safety” package. That’s a message they can understand. As a bonus, a packaged offering is also far easier for your front-line teams to execute!

Now, you may be thinking, “Hang on. If I offer Bark as part of a package, do I need to go back and re-price everything?” No. Here’s what you can do. Launch Bark as part of a promotional packaged offer. Over time, make it part of your overall offers. 

Use Calix Smart Start To Accelerate Your Bark Launch  

As Michael Weening mentioned in his article, Calix created the Smart Start program to help our BSP partners drive success with managed services like Bark. We have a team of Bark specialists who deliver the success formula for launching Bark: 

• Align your teams and communicate the strategic importance of Bark. Compensation and incentive programs tend to drive early launch success. 

• Partner with local institutions. To maximize the impact of Bark in your community, engage with schools, first responders, city leaders, and child-focused organizations.  

• Invest in a consistent omni-channel marketing plan. You’ll need a dynamic website and social media to help educate consumers on the power of Bark. 

Your Bark specialist can help you with all of the above. Bark Smart Start guided engagement is unique based on your needs. The goal is to move as quickly as you would like to move. Your specialist will help you at every step. 

As the stories in this issue of the Leadership Beacon prove, Bark can make an incredibly positive difference in the lives of your subscribers. Bark is also a smart move for your business. It’s exactly the kind of managed service that can help you further your business transformation as you become a managed service provider—not just another broadband provider offering speeds and feeds. That’s how you grow value for your business and your communities at the same time. 

Learn how Smart Start and Calix Customer Success can maximize your Bark launch.