Broadwing, Cincinnati, will use a 10-month, multimillion-dollar direct response marketing campaign to introduce itself to potential customers as a fast-moving company with an aggressive attitude – hence the company’s logo, a hawk.
“The campaign introduces Broadwing and its philosophy in a bold way,” said president/CEO Rick Ellenberger. “The use of predatory situations that occur in nature are something every manager can relate to.”
This is the first national campaign for Broadwing, an integrated communications provider that delivers voice, data and Internet solutions. The company was formed when Cincinnati Bell acquired IXC Communications, Austin, TX, last summer. It began the first phase of the campaign last week with a four-page spread in The Wall Street Journal touting the company’s Web site.
Other ads will appear this week in technology publications and business publications such as Business Week, Forbes and Fortune.
Tom Osha, vice president of public relations at Broadwing, said this was the earliest the company could get its campaign off the ground. At the moment, he said, their goal isn’t to push any products but to build awareness. The company will begin the direct component once they’re ready to market their products. The company’s target audience is men ages 25 to 54. “That is where the majority of IT decision makers fall,” Osha said.
Other aspects of the campaign will include online banner ads on IT, general business, sports and search engine sites. “We are looking for more than 80 million impressions with our banner ads,” Osha said.
TV ads also appeared during the AFC and NFC championship football games. Five different commercials eventually will run during NBA and NCAA basketball games.
