Cox New Ads Promise Unbelievably Fair Wireless Plans

CHESAPEAKE, Va., Jan. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- A new, "Unbelievably Fair" wireless service is coming to the Hampton Roads region, reveals Cox's cuddly little mascots.  A new advertising campaign will begin this week in Hampton Roads featuring genuine consumer reactions to the outrageous, but all too common offers, made by incumbent wireless providers. Cox's advertising agency (Doner, Southfield, Mich.) created a faux wireless service provider, "Your Wireless," at a mall kiosk and spoke plainly about the "gotchas" included in the wireless plans to which most consumers subscribe.

"You're going to charge me for not using all of my minutes?,"  "That's pretty unfair" and "That's horribly unfair" were among the consumer reactions. The ads bring to light the unfairness of many of today's wireless plans in which consumers pay for all of the minutes in their plan, regardless of whether they actually use them.  The mall shoppers frown, gasp and give looks to kill when presented with the opportunity to buy these currently available plans.  A recent article in The New York Times titled "Is There a Method in Cellphone Madness?" addressed these same issues in its exploration of the psychology and economics behind today's wireless plans.

"Our research found that value and transparency are very important to consumers when choosing a wireless service plan, but they are not finding these qualities in the wireless plans offered today," said Gary McCollum, Cox Senior Vice President and General Manager. "Total loss of unused minutes as well as unforeseen overage charges on bills are just two examples of what our customers have told us is just unfair."

Beginning this week, Cox has also launched a new website at www.unbelievablyfair.com. Upon entering the site, consumers will learn that Cox's wireless services will arrive in March. Consumers are encouraged to register at www.unbelievablyfair.com to be among the first to learn more about Cox's wireless services and they are rewarding visiting customers with the opportunity to receive a free On DEMAND movie.

Introducing higher value alternative telecommunications services to the marketplace is a tradition at Cox. In 1997, Cox was the first cable company to begin offering traditional landline telephone services. In 1993, Cox began serving commercial customers with business-class voice and data solutions. Thanks to its pioneering spirit, Cox's residential and commercial customers were among the first in the nation to enjoy a competitive choice among providers.  

Today, Cox is the preferred residential phone company in many markets it serves.  In September, Cox ranked "Highest in Residential Telephone Customer Satisfaction in the East Region" in J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Residential Telephone Customer Satisfaction Study(SM), Cox is now the first U.S. cable company to launch fully-integrated wireless phone and mobile high speed Internet service.

About Cox Communications:

Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet, telephone and wireless services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves 6.2 million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and new media advertising. Cox is known for pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For six years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunication; for four years, Cox has ranked among DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity; and the company holds a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.com.

About Doner:

Doner, based in Southfield, Mich., is the largest independently owned advertising agency in the world, with approximately $2 billion in combined billings.  The agency has offices throughout North America, as well as in London, and does business in more than 30 countries for clients including Mazda, Amazon.com, The Coca-Cola Company, Cox, ADT, DuPont, The Coleman Company, Shell Oil and Sherwin-Williams.  A full-service, performance driven agency, Doner focuses on creating ideas that will have a demonstrable impact on its clients' businesses.

Cox Communications received the highest numerical score among telephone service providers in the West in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2005-2009 Residential Regional Telephone Customer Satisfaction Studies(SM). 2009 study based on 21,485 total responses from consumers measuring 11 providers in the West (AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, MN, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY) and measures opinions of consumers who received their local and long distance service from one provider.  Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in July 2008. Your experiences may vary.  Visit jdpower.com.

Cox Communications received the highest numerical score among telephone service providers in the East in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Residential Regional Telephone Customer Satisfaction Study(SM). Study based on 21,485 total responses from consumers measuring 9 providers in the East (CT, DE, MA, MD, MS, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, VA, DC, WV) and measures satisfaction of consumers who received their local and long distance service from one provider.  Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in January, March and June, 2009. Your experiences may vary.  Visit jdpower.com.

SOURCE Cox Communications