Knowing your subscriber audience is at the heart of great marketing. To do that, you need to build a brand identity based on delivering an exceptional subscriber experience. As a marketer, you can lead your organization's transformation by using the data and insights to understand subscribers and communicate to them in meaningful ways. BSPs who demonstrate their commitment to service and services as part of their brand will always succeed. 

The tools to elevate your marketing efforts and strengthen your brand already exist, but you must leverage them effectively. How do you do that?  

• Provide services subscribers want. Use data and insights to identify lifestyle segments such as heavy streamers, remote workers, or young families and create relevant, meaningful services your subscribers will love.   
• Communicate authentically. Hone your messaging and communicate across subscribers' preferred channels.   

Building a Brand Helped Paul Bunyan Communications Increase Subscriber Growth by 30 Percent

Paul Bunyan's brand identity is more than the speed of the service they deliver to their subscribers. They differentiate by highlighting how their technological advantage serves the community. Recently, Bemidji, Minnesota, earned recognition as a top work-from-home destination in North America by PC Magazine.   

By taking a lead role in the 218 Relocate program–designed to attract remote workers to the area–Paul Bunyan Communications was an integral part of Bemidji's success. Thanks to their investments in their community and their efforts to help their community succeed, Paul Bunyan Communications fortified their brand identity. As a result of their community engagement and the power of their brand, they were able to drive 30 percent broadband subscriber growth in three years. It's a great example of how building a robust brand identity through thoughtful and strategic marketing can set an organization up for success.
 

Successful Subscriber Acquisition Strategies Require Data, Insight, and a Strong Brand Identity

We know acquisition is a top growth priority for BSPs. Previously you might have struggled with acquisition for two reasons: incomplete data and undifferentiated messaging. Today, the data and the tools to identify acquisition candidates are available through Marketing Cloud, and examples of differentiated marketing in our industry are growing across our community.  

Our goal is to help every one of our customers leverage Marketing Cloud Plus and data and insights regarding acquisition candidates to find potential new subscribers and engage them around your unique value proposition. By partnering with Calix, you have access to all the tools, resources, and expertise you need to differentiate your organization across increasingly competitive markets. These tools, resources, and expertise include Calix Marketing Cloud Plus, Revenue EDGE Managed Services (a growing portfolio including SmartTown™, ProtectIQ®, Arlo Secure, and Bark), Calix Business Insights Services, and the Calix Market Activation program. I believe that these assets and resources can enable any service provider to run world-class campaigns and make your marketing execution as powerful as any consumer giant.
 

The Key to Continued Growth? Your Brand  

Building a powerful brand identity that highlights your innovation, your commitment to subscriber experience, and your fundamental role in your communities is the clearest way to set yourself apart from competitors. That puts you, the BSP marketer, in the driver’s seat. If you want to acquire subscribers successfully, you can’t just have great data and good ads; you have to offer a different value prop. In 2023, our ambition is to partner with every one of our customers who are interested in rethinking their value prop and their brand identity. That is why we are investing heavily in Go To Market Success Consultants who will work with you and your teams to reevaluate your brand positioning. I encourage all of you to explore this opportunity in 2023 by scheduling a consult with Calix Customer Success services. 

Our engagement with Darren Farnan (General Manager, United Fiber) and the team at United Fiber exemplifies the impact that brand repositioning can have for a service provider. Darren and team determined that entry into a new market required them to rethink how they positioned themselves and their services. They engaged with the Calix team to leverage best practices to help them rapidly launch a new campaign targeting potential subscribers in a new market, the city of St. Joseph, Missouri. By engaging community leaders in St. Joseph and launching an omnichannel marketing campaign that emphasized their subscriber service, their community commitment, and their innovative new services like ProtectIQ, they excited potential new subscribers and were able to generate more than 3000 signups in less than three weeks. By shifting the emphasis of their value proposition from speed to managed services, they have repositioned themselves for success through differentiation. 

Let us know how Calix can help you drive transformation in your business. Email me at matt.collins@calix.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.