News

July 22, 2007 9:00 PM

Consumers in Control at CTAM Summit

Cable Marketing Event Puts Focus on Building Brands and Relationships

By Debra Kaufman, Special to TelevisionWeek

When the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing gathers in Washington, D.C., from July 23-25, the organization will rally around its CTAM Summit theme, "Power to the People!"

"Our business is shifting from the power of the programming and operating partners to the consumers," said CTAM Summit Co-Chair Wonya Lucas, general manager of the Weather Channel. "It’s all about the democratization of media, and we want to have an open dialogue about that. At one of the first CTAM Summits I went to, there was a lot of talk about how consumers would have control. That was just a notion, and now it’s a reality. Another meaning is that the summit is in Washington, D.C., where ‘power to the people’ is the law of the land."

CTAM President-CEO Char Beales said the organization conducted a survey of its members to organize the summit, which includes several keynote addresses and 47 sessions, around four "pillars" of greatest interest. "Some are traditional," said summit Co-Chair Sam Howe, chief marketing officer for Time Warner. "And yet there’s a new, edgy twist to each of them."

An old favorite—brand—was the top theme to emerge. "In an age where the TV is a less relevant aspect of branding, that’s very much on people’s minds," said Mr. Howe. "How do you keep a brand strong in a nonlinear world?"

Ms. Beales added that new networks and the evolution of nonlinear and on-demand also are factors. "We still have a fair number of new networks coming in and trying to establish their brand," she said. "And even some of the bigger brands are looking at how they evolve their brand as their business models change. Brand has become even more important in a nonlinear world."

Keynoter Steve Hayden, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide vice chairman and co-creator of the "1984" Orwellian takeoff ad for Apple, also will address the topic.

"I can’t tell you the number of conversations I’ve had where people want to know the future of brand on all the platforms," said Ms. Lucas. "Steve Hayden has created great brands, and his ability to use many platforms to build and reinforce brands is very appropriate."

Also speaking about brand is Marc Gobe, president-CEO and executive creative director of Desgrippes Gobe Group and author of "Brandjam: Humanizing Brands Through Emotional Design and Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People."

Relationship marketing is the second pillar that CTAM members tagged as relevant. Ms. Beales noted cable operators have traditionally had a relationship with an address, not with individuals in a household. "Now we’re seeing the companies really tackle relationship marketing. It’s important to hold on to those customers, and relationship marketing can help you do that."

Mr. Howe agreed that more marketers are thinking about relationship marketing throughout the life stages of a product. "While this isn’t necessarily brand-new thinking, the urgency around it has increased," he said. "MSO marketers have heightened competition in the form of telcos, in particular, who are going after high-value customers. Similarly, those programmers have to pitch more and more narrowly in order to win at the programming game."

CTAM members expressed an eagerness to learn about relationship marketing from outside the industry, and Gary Loveman, chairman, CEO and president of Harrah’s Entertainment, will provide that perspective. "Harrah’s is well known in marketing circles for a retention card that consumers use when they return to a Harrah’s casino," said Mr. Howe. "They’ve been very effective in creating loyalty with that card and tracking consumer behavior when they’re in the casino."

For CTAM members who want to delve more deeply into the topic, Rajiv Lal, senior professor of retailing at Harvard Business School, will present a two-part case study on Harrah’s decisions.

The synergistic connection between keynote addresses and panels is no accident. "We endeavored to create a generalist view all the way to the specialist view," said Mr. Howe. "We’ve got the keynote for a broad view, but if you want to go in deep, you can go to the case study being taught as well as other panels and roundtables."

Digital products are the third theme much on the minds of CTAM members. "Cable spent a decade and $100 billion rebuilding the plant to create a robust pipe ... and now we’re there and delivering it," said Ms. Beales, who pointed to interactive TV as one application that has gone from blue sky to reality. "People are eager to figure out how to maximize the pipe, and programmers are eager to extend their programming into the digital pipe as well."

Phil Schoonover, Circuit City’s president, CEO and chairman,will discuss consumer adoption of new digital products and the ways cable and retail can work together to be both productive and profitable. "Who better to tell us about what’s ringing the bell for consumers than one of the big-box retailers in the country?" said Mr. Howe. "We know that attendees are interested in hearing about products that aren’t pie-in-the-sky, even though they may not have them at their companies."

Lastly another perennial, the Next Gen theme, will explore technologies and trends beyond the next 18 months. Keynoter Shari Swan, founder-CEO of Streative Branding in Amsterdam and a well-known speaker on new products, created a network of "moles" who provide information about what people are talking and thinking about. "She gets feedback from her cutting-edge influencers within a week and as a result of this feedback sniffs out trends," said Ms. Beales.

Two topics that Ms. Swan will touch upon are "sustainability and green," already established in Europe, and "simplexity," which means that complex products must be presented as simple to the customer.

Awards are another element of CTAM Summit 2007. The Rainmaker Award is given to CTAM members who have made "exceptional contributions to CTAM’s corporate initiatives," and this year’s winners are Gary Dusa, director of sales development, Insight Communications; Ellen East, VP of communications and public affairs, Cox Communications; Robert Faught, senior VP, retail sales, Comcast; Andre Martineau, senior director, business solutions, Advance/Newhouse Communications; Stacy Melle, VP, marketing, NBC Universal Digital Distribution; and David Pugliese, VP, product marketing, Cox Communications.

The TAMI Award recognizes outstanding member volunteers’ "creativity and effort in the development of various events and programs." The 2007 recipients are Daniel Fischer, president, Solve It Group; Shawn Gannon, VP, national affiliate marketing, Playboy Entertainment; Jo Holz, VP, news research, NBC Universal; Laura Masse, executive VP, marketing, Hallmark Channel/Hallmark Movie Channel; and Domenic Vivolo, senior VP, marketing and sales, Astral Television Networks.

Time Warner President-Chief Operating Officer Jeff Bewkes will be honored with the 2007 Grand TAM Award in recognition of his more than 20 years of industry leadership. Mr. Bewkes will be interviewed by CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien. "We thought he was a great choice because he runs a company that is really in the middle of everything we’ll be discussing at CTAM," said Ms. Lucas.

To be announced during the CTAM Summit are the Gold and Silver winners of the Mark Awards, which recognize marketing excellence in cable and broadband, honor outstanding achievements in strategic marketing and spotlight the creators of the work. John Salley of "Best Damn Sports Show Period" will host.

Networking and parties are another traditional CTAM Summit highlight, and this year is no exception. The gallery opening on Monday is a champagne fest; Tuesday night is the chairman’s reception; and Wednesday night will feature Grammy-winning musician Wyclef Jean at the nightclub Love.

Although fun is an important part of the equation, Co-Chair Ms. Lucas is looking forward to the summit’s closing panel, which features ESPN President and ABC Sports Co-Chairman George Bodenheimer; Time Warner Cable President-CEO Glenn Britt; HDNet co-founder and Chairman Mark Cuban; Charter Communications President-CEO Neil Smit; and the Weather Channel Cos. President-CEO Debora Wilson.

"I’m really looking forward to the dynamics on that panel," said Ms. Lucas. "We’re pulling all those pillars of our industry together to talk about consumers and how they use media today and into the future. As a closing panel, it’s relevant to our business."

2007 CTAM SUMMIT
Theme: Power to the People
Where: Washington (D.C.) Convention Center
When: July 23-25
Details: ctam.com

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