Stacey Higginbotham over at GigaOM has a post up today on the need for cable to focus on its core competency – video – in the wireless space.
If they can unify both the wired and wireless worlds in a way that makes it easy for consumers to manage, buy and watch content on a PC, television or cell phone, cable companies would benefit from having a differentiated service offering and tie consumers to all aspects of a cable bundle. That’s good for customer retention and just might be something for which people would pay more.
She’s right of course, but she doesn’t take the idea far enough. With control over wired and wireless networks, both cable and telco operators should start thinking about cross-platform content in an entirely new way. While it’s great to access the latest episode of Lost from anywhere, operators don’t have to limit themselves to traditional video. They can cross-promote and cross-bundle everything from Lost ringtones, to short interviews with Lost actors, to coupons for Lost gear available through an operator storefront. Planning to watch next season’s premiere of the show? Cablecos and telecos could be out there promoting it with a 5-minute recap of the important storylines available on your cell phone. I’d rather watch the actual premiere on my big-screen TV. But a recap? I’d be happy to watch that on a small screen while waiting in line for lunch.
Filed under: Advertising, Cable, DVR, Fixed-Mobile Convergence, Networks, Telecom, TV, Video, Wireless
