• by Aaron Baar , November 20, 2010

Regional cable company Cox Communications is entering the wireless telecom market, looking to differentiate itself as a place that will be "unbelievably fair."

"One of the things we wanted to do was make it easy to see how -- on a price-per-minute basis -- [different plans] would stack up against each other," company representative David Grabert tells Marketing Daily. "We did quite a lot to hear what consumers thought about the wireless plans that are out there."

Among those discoveries were "pain points" such as having to buy plans with minutes people knew they weren't going to use in order to avoid overage charges. "We felt we could deliver a greater value to offer a credit for unused minutes," Grabert says.

Thus, the company's "MoneyBack Minutes" incentive, which awards up to $20 a month in credit for unused minutes, was born. The feature is being touted in the company's "unbelievably fair wireless" marketing initiative, which also includes a web site (www.unbelievablyfairwireless.com), as well as print and television advertising.

Two television ads tout the MoneyBack Minutes, which provide up to $20/month cash back for unused minutes. One television commercial uses a hidden camera to show customers being pitched a wireless service that features "vanishing minutes" that disappear when not used. An announcer points out that most wireless service is unfair, going on to explain that the Cox service is unbelievably fair. "Visit a Cox Solutions store to see how unbelievably fair wireless can be," the announcer says.

Other aspects of the company's "unbelievably fair wireless" include usage alerts that tell users when they're approaching their monthly maximum minutes and "bundle benefits," that offers bonuses to subscribers who sign up for more than two Cox services. "Our view is we can do better than what's out there in the market," he says. "In our footprint, Cox is a very well-regarded brand with a strong customer service heritage."

To that end, Cox has also redesigned its retail stores, now called "Cox Solutions Stores," in an effort to make them more user-friendly. The new stores feature a "learning lounge" where customers can be educated on all of Cox's products, from wireless services to cable and DVR products, Grabert says. "It's all about getting a customer to understand how to use and interact with our services," he says.

Cox's wireless service is currently only available in three markets, Hampton Roads, Va.; Omaha, Neb.; and Orange County, Calif. Grabert would not disclose when other markets might be added for the Atlanta-based company.