Qwest launches Omaha grassroots campaign

Freely admitting that it has spent too much time and effort on mass-marketing its products and service across its 14-state footprint at the expense of certain local markets, Qwest Communications today announced a marketing campaign in Omaha, Neb., where it will put employees on the front lines of its battle with Cox Cable.

Current and retired employees are being asked to volunteer to go door-to-door and ask friends and neighbors for their business. They will not be compensated for their time, but will be eligible for an incentive rewards program. The carrier has created door hangers specifically for the campaign, and will support the campaign with print and broadcast ads that highlight the price, product and service differences between Qwest and Cox. If successful in Omaha, the program will be rolled out to other markets where Qwest is facing stiff challenges

The Omaha employees responded to the campaign enthusiastically, said Annette Jacobs, executive vice president of Qwest’s consumer unit. “There has been a groundswell of people wanting to make a difference,” Jacobs said. “We let Cox have this market. Now we’re going to take it back.”

However, Jacobs admitted in an interview with Telephony last week that a fear of potential job cuts also is a motivating factor. “They’re looking at the realities of the situation,” Jacobs said.

Cox doesn’t appear to be too worried about an army of Qwest employees flooding the streets of Omaha. “I wouldn’t be relying on volunteers if I thought a situation was that out of control,” said David Pugliese, vice president of product marketing at Cox.

Pugliese added that Qwest might be making a strategic blunder as well. “Cox has a big local advantage in Omaha because we employ a lot of people there,” particularly at a local call center, Pugliese said. “Qwest has centralized its call center function. When they did that, they took a lot of jobs away from Omaha.”