October 2000 Committee Meeting Summary
Marketing Committee Meeting Summary
October 15 - October 17, 2000
Hilton Head Island,
South Carolina
HOST: Jane Jude, Hargray Telephone Company
ATTENDANCE: Beverly Bennett, Pat Campbell, Kathy Duggan, Kay Dunn, Rhonda Dukart, Marty Feilen, Ron Hinds, Don Jennings, Frank Buckley (guest of Don Jennings), Jane Jude, Carrie Huckeby (for Judy Kelsey), Billie Mullins, and Aaryn Slafky (staff adviser)
The Fall 2000 meeting was divided into two parts, and this is a summary of both:
1. lectures and tours
2. business meeting
Lectures and Tours:
Jane Jude opened the committee meeting with an overview of Hargray Telephone, its products, and its services.
Hans Koehler explained the structure of Hargray's employee incentives program. Hargray provides incentives for sales and referrals. Koehler also outlined Hargray's six-week new employee Boot Camp orientation program. The Boot Camp includes computer, sales, and customer service training as well as training by observation in the call center and retail operations.
Todd Pence gave an overview of Hargray's wireless operations, including its wireless Web service. Despite nine wireless competitors, Hargray has 6 percent of the area's wireless customer base. Pence discussed Hargray's prepay service offerings, including a popular $50 unlimited airtime prepay plan. The company's wireless Web offerings are done through a partnership with software vendor Phone.com and content provider Giant Bear.
Jay McDaniel offered a checklist to follow when a telco is faced with being "CLEC'ed." While Hargray does not have any direct competition yet from a CLEC, they are preparing for it. Several companies have filed for CLEC status in South Carolina and a few have asked for resale agreements with Hargray so it is only a matter of time before they come to Hargray's exchanges.
Aggrey Thurairatnam shared Hargray's bundling strategies for a variety of services, including voice, high-speed Internet, and cable TV. Later, he spoke about the pricing structures and bundled packages he has put together for Hargray's yet unlaunched competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) operation.
Following Monday afternoon's business meeting (a summary of which follows), the group took a tour of Hargray's retail operations, public relations and ad production office, and the Pritchardville and Hardeeville operations.
Derivion's Brent Bristow spoke about electronic billing and how Hargray has used Derivion's e-billing for online bill presentment and payment. He compared an estimated $1.50 per bill per month cost for traditional phone bills to 36 cents with e-billing.
Jane Jude concluded the visit with a discussion of high-speed Internet. Hargray's strategy is to deploy HFC where it has cable operations and DSL everywhere else. Hargray has signed up 500 subscribers since it launched DSL in March.
Business Meeting:
Called to order at 12:45 p.m. on October 16, 2000.
Roll call was taken, attendees are listed above.
Marty Feilen made a motion, seconded by Don Jennings, to approve the Spring 2000 Committee Meeting Minutes. The committee passed the motion.
Old Business
Committee members Don Jennings, Pat Campbell, and Ron Hinds gave a review of their 2000 Fall Conference participation. They addressed an audience of 350 on "Marketing in the New Millennium." A request was made for the Fall Conference presentation to be emailed to committee members.
The committee reviewed the 2000 TeleChoice Awards. These six people will serve on the 2001 TeleChoice Subcommittee: Rhonda Dukart, Kathy Duggan, Kay Dunn, Billie Mullins, Beverly Bennett, and Ron Hinds.
The committee discussed its 2001 Annual Meeting participation and appointed the following three people to serve on the 2001 Presentation Subcommittee for the 2001 Annual Meeting and possibly the Managers Forum in March: Marty Feilen, Rhonda Dukart, and Don Jennings. Marty suggested for the Managers Forum a panel comparing the treatment of ILEC vs. CLEC customers and case studies of customer retention/reducing churn.
The committee tabled discussion of the chat room to a future committee meeting.
New Business
The committee shared ideas for a Webcast and the Spring 2001 PRNet PR/Marketing Seminar, which will be April 23-24, 2001, in Tampa, Florida. Topics suggested were: distinctions between promoting an ILEC or a CLEC in a community; using the Internet for marketing; PRNet conference highlights; how to measure your marketing efforts. More topics may be submitted to staff adviser Aaryn Slafky (aslafky@ntca.org). No new projects were discussed.
The next committee meeting is scheduled for Sunday, April 22, 2001, at 6:00 p.m. in Tampa, Florida, in conjunction with the Spring 2001 PRNet PR/Marketing Seminar.
Committee members shared marketing ideas on the bus ride to tour Hargray facilities.
The business meeting portion of this meeting adjourned at 1:30 p.m.