A big story of a simple man…
For over a quarter century, Sam Howe has taken calculated risks to create brand recognition and loyalty among cable consumers with much success.
As the chief marketing officer at Time Warner Cable, Howe also helped to create an environment that focuses on company-wide coordination to drive business objectives. He has pushed for consistent and targeted marketing messages that drive the bottom line and create customer loyalty.
“Sam has been instrumental in helping build Time Warner Cable into the powerhouse that it is today,” said Promax/BDA president Jonathan Block-Verk.
Howe considers himself a pragmatist first and a risk-taker second. “A so-called risk doesn’t seem so risky if it’s doable,” he said. “We tend to make things too complicated and complex. Making and building brands isn’t difficult or mysterious. It’s all in the execution.”
When Howe joined Time Warner Cable in 2003, he oversaw marketing of the company’s digital phone product, a relatively new offering for U.S. cable companies at the time. But Howe, who previously worked for Telewest, had been successfully pushing phone service to consumers in the U.K. for years.
Telewest (which has since merged with rival U.K. operator NTL to form Virgin Media) deployed the first triple play product of voice, video and high-speed data in 1995.
The competition was stiff, but there were advantages to be had. U.K. cable companies had a difficult time wresting consumers away from News Corp.’s British Sky Broadcasting, a well-entrenched satellite-TV competitor. However, telephony rival British Telecom’s reputation was tarnished with poor reliability and customer service. It wasn’t long before Telewest was outselling BT in the phone game, and the ability to bundle its other offerings with phone service gave it a competitive edge.
That experience helped Howe when Time Warner Cable hired him to market its product. Most MSOs were bundling voice with video and high-speed Internet service. But Howe knew from his U.K. experience that phone service could be sold on its own merits.
When Time Warner Cable launched digital phone service in San Antonio, Texas, in 2004, it was the first product customer-service representatives pitched to customers who called in. TWC was successful at luring thousands of phone customers and then upselling them to the core video product.
Howe’s years of marketing experience also come into play as the company battles intense competition from companies like Verizon Communications. When the telco launched FiOS TV in New York City last year, Time Warner Cable — and Howe — were ready.
