Char Beales

April 19, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

I just returned from a meeting with cable’s customer care leaders and I’m optimistic that the building blocks, resources and support are converging to better serve our customers.

As a veteran of the successful On-Time Guarantee program, I can attest to the power of focus. Although the Guarantee was very specific, the extended benefit of improved customer service was evident on multiple fronts and our research proved that customers noticed.

Harvard Business School Professor Earl Sasser, a leader in the study of service in many industries, told attendees that he often sees a disconnec...Read More

February 7, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

High-definition television has been in the news lately, as set sales soared during the holidays and the buzz built up to the Super Bowl. CTAM has been tracking this rapidly changing segment and we see opportunity for cable to tap the confluence of new product developments to deliver the best HDTV experience for consumers.

Recent CTAM Pulse research shows us that consumers are increasingly interested in putting that hi-def experience in their homes. One-third (34%) of the households surveyed that purchased a new TV set had purchased an HDTV set within the past four years; 51% of digital-cable subscribers and 37% of total cable customers who purchased a new TV set bought an HDTV.

We’ve been reporting for sometime the increasing use of video-on-demand in cable homes. And now we’re seeing a growing number of c...Read More

January 23, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

When a handful of us started promoting cable programming in the early '80s, we knew we were out to change television. But none of us imagined it would happen so quickly. Today, cable leads the way with ground-breaking original programming that viewers love.

The ratings speak for themselves. TV viewers today are watching cable networks a majority of the time, year-round. My broadcast pals used to make fun of cable’s tiny ratings, but they have new perspectives on ratings now. In fact, ratings-meister Jack Wakshlag at Turner had to lower his “what's a hit” definition to a 4 rating 18-49 (from a 6) and even with that, only found three new broadcast shows that made the list in the 2006 season (Heroes, Brothers and Sisters and 6 Degrees).

For 15 y...Read More

December 12, 2006 | Link This | Email this | Comments (1)

It’s commonly believed that younger generations lead the way in adopting new technologies and advanced services.

So many advertisers and marketers concentrate on reaching so-called Millennials (18–29 year olds) and Gen Xers (30–39 year-olds) when promoting their products and services.

But Henry Schleiff, the newly installed CEO of Hallmark Channel, has it right (“Fishing in Boomer Lake,” Voices, November 13). While it makes sense to focus on those segments of the market that are most likely to purchase your products, many marketers and advertisers are ignoring the largest and potentially the most productive consumer group in the U.S. – Baby Boomers (40–59 year-olds).

The 82 million Baby Boomers currently make up 39% of the population. In the September/October 2006 Pulse, research conducted by CT...Read More