Conference Notebook

Time Warner Cable has rolled out new ads in NYC this week touting customer-catering services such as Start Over, part of a message that pres/CEO Glenn Britt believes trumps competitors’ positioning. This focus on products and services that simplify life "creates emotional ties to consumers," he said, and is more effective than DirecTV‘s sports push and DISH‘s focus on pricing, for example, or even Verizon‘s network spotlight. "We’re trying to understand what consumers really want," said Britt, noting that customers have been very receptive to the MSO’s price lock guarantee offer. — Verizon‘s renewed commitment to aggressive marketing and promotions this Q is paying nice dividends, said pres/COO Denny Strigl. FiOS TV "volumes are good," he said, and there has been improvement in DSL volumes as well. The telco has also focused more on its relationship with DirecTV, he said. As for mobility, Strigl downplayed the future promise of WiMAX, predicting trials next year for Long Term Evolution handset tech and commercial availability in ’10—a time frame similar to that of WiMAX. Plus, he said, Verizon’s spectrum position is unsurpassed in the US.