Time Warner Cable 2011 Annual Report Download - page 14

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operators, sells advertising time to national and regional advertisers. Through National Cable Communications, TWC is a
party to an agreement to sell DIRECTV Group Inc. (“DIRECTV”) advertising inventory on regional sports networks
(“RSNs”) and, beginning in 2012, on approximately 25 DIRECTV channels in six cities. TWC also sells the video
advertising inventory of certain RSNs in New York City and Ohio, and, beginning in the fall of 2012, it plans to sell the
video advertising inventory of two new RSNs that it expects to launch in Los Angeles.
Regional Sports and News Networks
In February 2011, TWC entered into an agreement with the Los Angeles Lakers®for rights to distribute all locally
available pre-season, regular season and post-season Los Angeles Lakers games, beginning with the 2012-2013 season and
continuing through the 2032-2033 season with the right to extend for an additional five seasons. In the fall of 2012, TWC
expects to launch two HD RSNs, one in English and one in Spanish, to carry the Los Angeles Lakers basketball games and
the Los Angeles Galaxy®Major League Soccer games as well as other regional sports programming. TWC also manages 18
local news channels, including NY1 News, a 24-hour news channel focused on the New York metropolitan area, nine local
sports channels and seven local lifestyle channels, and it owns 26.8% of Sterling Entertainment Enterprises, LLC (doing
business as SportsNet New York), a New York City-based regional sports network that carries New York Mets®baseball
games as well as other regional sports programming.
Marketing and Sales
TWC uses the brand name Time Warner Cable and its graphic brand identity, the “eye and ear” symbol, to market its
services. The brand identity and brand messaging are delivered via broadcast, TWC’s website, its cable systems, print, radio
and other outlets, including outdoor advertising, direct mail, email, on-line advertising, local grassroots efforts and
non-traditional media.
TWC also employs a wide range of direct channels to reach its customers, including outbound telemarketing, email
marketing, door-to-door sales, online at www.timewarnercable.com and through third-party web partners, and in TWC and
third-party retail stores. Beyond these channels, TWC uses social media applications, such as Facebook®, to build awareness
of its brand, products and services. In addition, TWC uses customer care channels and inbound call centers to sell additional
services to existing customers, as well as new services to potential customers.
Increasingly, TWC uses proprietary segmentation techniques to target products and services to specific groups of
existing and potential customers. TWC launched SignatureHomeTM, a product and service bundle targeting its higher-end
demographic with a video, high-speed data and voice bundle that includes certain enhanced features, in November 2010.
During 2011, TWC actively marketed SignatureHome alongside new promotional packages of products and services. TWC
also expanded its launch of Time Warner Cable TV Essentials, a package targeting budget-conscious customers, during 2011
and introduced new bundles with TV Essentials and its lower speed high-speed data tiers. TWC uses product innovations,
like its TWC TV apps, to differentiate TWC from its competitors and creative marketing campaigns to appeal to groups of
customers. TWC plans to continue to tailor services by customer segment and market these services with a mix of targeted
media and direct marketing efforts.
Customer Care
TWC continues to upgrade its customer care processes and infrastructure as it consolidates and regionalizes many of its
service operations. The introduction of SignatureServiceTM as part of TWC’s SignatureHome offering is a departure from its
traditional “one size fits all” customer service, and the Company is continually improving its installation and service
processes and the related options available to customers, such as shortened service windows and guaranteed on-time
appointments. TWC also enables existing customers to self install many of the Company’s services without the need for a
service appointment. To provide customers with more service and response options, TWC is upgrading its call center
platforms to allow customer calls to be routed more efficiently, and investing in its interactive voice response system and a
broad set of self-help tools through online channels, such as interactive chat and MyServices at www.timewarnercable.com.
The Company also continues to focus on improving reliability and the technical quality of its plant to avoid repeat trouble
calls.
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