Time Warner Cable is not really a utility, but people think of it that way. It’s certainly a necessary evil for millions of people, and very rarely has competition in a market outside of satellite TV. And no question it and other cable TV providers have an image problem. One of the ways to combat that is to be constantly introducing product improvements to the marketplace. Kirk Kirkpatrick was directed the creative for many of those smaller budget, quick turnaround programs while TWC used Ogilvy & Mather for its national brand advertising (you know, the guy with the non-descript baseball hat). Among other things, he directed the new product and new product feature advertising for Time Warner Cable TV, Roadrunner High Speed Internet and Digital Phone. Kirk’s group also did the advertising and promotion for the much ballyhooed Digital Transition a few years back, when every TV station in the country was forced to upgrade from analog to digital broadcasting. Kirk found that humor and empathy went a long ways in humanizing the TWC brand and related products. More utilities and quazi-utilities should try it.
