West Coast Gets Multilingual Invitation to Cable

Cable systems in some West Coast markets have leaped the language barrier to connect with ethnic consumers, thanks to International Channel Networks’ "Get More, Get Cable" campaign. Comcast has used ICN’s campaign materials in San Francisco and Seattle, while Adelphia and Time Warner Cable used "Get More" in Los Angeles and San Diego, respectively. The "Get More, Get Cable" campaign shows how cable is a better value than DBS, especially when taking into consideration its advanced services. "This gives an easy explanation of what cable is up to," says Natalie Rouse, ethnic marketing manager at Comcast’s San Francisco system. "There’s a group of consumers in our area who immigrated to the U.S. from countries that don’t have cable, who don’t understand the value this can bring to their lives. Now we have a great way to reach them." Printed in five languages (Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Korean and English), the 16-page "Get More, Get Cable" consumer guide describes how cable works, makes comparisons to DBS and highlights advanced services. ICN also staged "Get More, Get Cable" events and placed advertorials in local ethnic newspapers. About 3,000 copies of the guide were printed in each language; operators distribute the guides in any venue they wish free of charge. Lundwall Communications, the Denver-based marketing agency that worked on CTAM’s "Only Cable Can" project, created the "Get More" guide and advertorials. "We’re consistent with what CTAM’s doing," says ICN executive communications director Teresa Wiedel. "A lot of ethnic consumers get their international programming through DBS, so we’re out to differentiate why they should choose cable for that programming."