We Asked and You Answered–Key Insights From Our Survey of Calix Customers

Over the past year, the broadband industry has faced a challenging landscape wrought with economic change. To meet those challenges, small-to-medium broadband service providers (BSPs) have re-examined their business strategies and identified new and unexpected challengers. To find out how BSP marketing teams planned to respond to these changes, Calix partnered with analyst Heavy Reading to survey marketing leaders at BSPs with fewer than 100,000 subscribers. The results comprise The Marketer and Broadband Service Provider report.

The recently released report provides a snapshot of how new strategic priorities and competitive threats are changing the marketing tactics and technology needed against a backdrop of economic upheaval. Below are the five insights we gained from our survey of BSPs with 100,000 or fewer subscribers:

1. More than 50 percent of marketing leaders are determined to increase market share in the existing area and expand outside their region. 

Due to the size of broadband businesses surveyed, many are in predominantly rural areas. Once the only game in town, they are now eyeing new regions and growing revenue.

2. Nearly 70 percent of marketing leaders are concerned that consumer giants like Amazon threaten their business.  

Juggernauts like Amazon still aim to disrupt more industries, and broadband service providers seem to be their next target as they aim to launch their satellite network business in late 2022.  

To beat this fierce competition before it even launches, marketing leaders are asking themselves if they can stick to tried-and-true marketing messages: Faster speeds! Satisfaction guaranteed! Low prices! They don’t think they can simply tout fast speeds and low prices—and still win. They need to offer their subscribers a truly differentiated experience.

3. 90 percent of marketing leaders are extremely confident they can deliver a differentiated customer experience.

Are you ready to get ahead of your competition with a new premium offering your subscribers want? From managed Wi-Fi to in-home, connected security solutions, subscribers crave a bevy of demands. With premium services the competition is not offering, marketing leaders can deliver a differentiated subscriber experience that will build loyalty and grow the business. 

But what are those solutions and services that subscribers want? And how do marketing leaders know what they want? 

4. 78 percent of marketing leaders plan to integrate more marketing tools over the next three years.

From Facebook to MailChimp, the breadth of tools available is extensive. Integration keeps insights simple and lets marketing teams ditch time-consuming tasks so they can focus on reaching their revenue goals.

While integration is helpful, one question remains: Can marketers differentiate their brand? Will they have to ditch their tried-and-true marketing messages if all their peers and competition say the same thing?

5. 90 percent of marketing leaders tout their faster speeds as a reason subscribers use their broadband service.   

If everyone shouts from the mountaintops that they have the fastest speeds, are they genuinely showing subscribers they are a differentiated broadband service provider? And what that means for marketers is that they will have to ditch their marketing messages, but how? 

Asking these questions is the first step towards building a more successful marketing strategy designed to respond to the challenges and opportunities BSPs face not just today, but as the industry evolves.

To learn more about the challenges and opportunities facing broadband marketers today, check out the recently published "Marketer and the Broadband Service Provider Report."