I.

AT&T U-verse
Preliminary Research
A. Strengths
1. Bundles
a. This information about AT&T U-verse bundles was found on their
website: https://www.att.com/shop/bundles.html
b. A bundle is signing up for two or more AT&T U-verse services to
save money. Their newest bundle is faster Internet speed plus a
year of Amazon Prime, with U-verse TV, Internet, and
SHOWTIME Unlimited.
2. Total Home DVR
c. This information about AT&T U-verse total home DVR was found
on their website under U-verse TV key features:
https://www.att.com/shop/tv/u-verse.html and at
http://www.reviews.com/tv-providers/att-u-verse/
d. Total Home DVR is being able to record up to four shows at once,
and you can play them back on any TV in your home that has a Uverse receiver.
3. Over 200 Channels
e. This information was found on their website under the U-verse key
features: https://www.att.com/shop/tv/u-verse.html
f. U-verse technology serves a board selection of HD channels with
100% digital picture and sound. DIRECTV also has a good
channel lineup.
B. Weaknesses
1. Movie Selection
a. This information was found at: http://uverse.com/uverse/movie_list
b. There are a lot of unknown movies featured on U-verse Movies
that were not featured in theaters. There also seems to be a vast
majority of horror movies in comparison to other genres.
2. Customer Service

a. This information was found on: https://forums.att.com/t5/U-verseAccount-Questions/Problems-with-ATT-service-and-CustomerService/td-p/4161126 and on http://att-u-versereviews.measuredup.com/4031

b. When you call into AT&T about an issue with your cable they hang
up on you, and when you email info@att.com they will not
respond to numerous emails.
3. Freezing Set Top Boxes (STB)
a. I found this information on: www.highspeedepxerts.com/u-verseproblems-heat/.
b. Freezing STB happens when you are watching TV and your screen
locks up or goes black. At this point you can no longer watch your
show, and sometimes the STB does not work for a few days until a
tech can get in to fix the problem.
C. Opportunities
1. Low Prices
a. This information was found at:
http://www.attsavings.com/bundles?
kbid=75059&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=gemini&utm_camp
aign=[Y!]%20Uverse%20ATT%20[Phrase]&utm_term=u-verse
and at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/24/technology/24cable.html?
_r=0
b. AT&T U-verse has many different Internet bundles with different
plans at low prices starting at $39.99/mo. They can keep creating
new bundles with new low prices to gain more customers. Also in
the New York Time article it was stated, Comcast prices have

risen from $65.00 to $75.00. AT&T U-verse has stayed at

$57.00/mo. See chart for rising cable prices:
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/05/24/business/24cable
.graphix.ready.html
2. Bundles with HBO
a. This information was found AT&T U-verses website:
https://www.att.com/shop/bundles.html
b. When you buy a bundle with U-verse you get HBO free for 3
months. This is a good opportunity because HBO has a lot of hit
shows, like Game of Thrones, and this will be an incentive for
customers to buy U-verse.
3. AT&T GigaPower U-verse
a. This information was found at: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/tgigapower-market-expansion-continues185021446.html;_ylt=A0LEVi1.HwhWe3wAy60PxQt.;_ylu=X3o
DMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDB
HNlYwNzYw-b. AT&T GigaPowers U-verse is a fiber-based Internet, video, and
voice service. It provides higher speeds of Internet to consumers
than other companies.
D. Threats
1. Netflix
a. This information was found in an online article:
http://www.thestreet.com/story/10866012/1/netflix-poses-threat-tocable-tv.html
b. Credit Suisse did a survey and found that 37% of Netflix
subscribers sub Netflix for paid television. Almost 30% of users

use Netflixs streaming service instead of cable. Netflixs low price

is a factor in these statistics also.
2. Google Fiber
a. This information was found in an online article:
http://www.minyanville.com/sectors/technology/articles/How-thethreat-of-Google-Fiber/2/20/2014/id/53824
b. Google fiber is glass fibers that transmit signals back and forth
between the Internet and electronic devices. It is 100 times faster
than the average broadband customer gets in the US, and it
includes more than 200 high-definition TV channels. You can get

II.

all this for $120 /mo.

E. Potential Issues
1. Customer Service and Satisfaction
2. Competing Cable Providers
3. Choices of Movies and TV stations
Issues Statement
A. Customer Service and Satisfaction
B. The issue with AT&T U-verse customer service and satisfaction is that
when there are problems with AT&T cable, set top boxes (STB), or
Internet connection issues it is hard and frustrating for customers to get
help and information to fix the problem.
C. The affected publics are: AT&T U-verse customers, AT&T U-verse the
company, and future U-verse customers.
D. In order to resolve this issue it should be addressed within the next 2-3
months.
E. Strengths: Bundles and DVR
Weaknesses: Customer Service and Freezing Set Top
F. AT&T U-verse has a hard time addressing it customers when it comes to
issues with their service. The three issues that customers seem to be
having the most when it comes to using U-verse is not being able to get in

touch with U-verse customer service, issues not being fixed for extended
amount of time, and paying full price for broken cable.
The main complaint is that customers cannot get in touch with Uverse when they are having a problem with their cable. This includes not
receiving a response to their emails and being hung up on when calling in
with an issue. One customer stated on their website, When the
forwarding email verification says for 4 days there is a problem with the
system try back in a few minutes and you cant get a hold of anyone to
discuss what are our options. Send email after email, chats goes nowhere
and nobody cares. Also when customers call for a U-verse tech to come
out and fix their STB it seems that a lot of the time the tech does not end
up showing up.
The next complaint is that the issue with the service prolongs
going unfixed because the customer cannot get a hold of U-verse,
therefore the customer is paying full price for a service that is broken. A
lot of customers said when techs would come to their house to fix a STB
that the tech would usually not be able to figure out what was wrong with
the box, and replace it anyways. One customer posted, Ten (count 'em,
10) modems ... turns out that only two were actually bad; the other eight
were changed because the techs couldn't figure out what was actually
wrong. Of course, every switch involved resetting the password on all
devices ... 4 TV's, three computers, 2 tablets and two phones. Every time
that the STB is changed it causes more work for the customer.
Lastly a lot of customers were overcharged for problems that
should have been fixed for free, and would get charged for ending their

services with U-verse. Also customers feel that U-verse has hidden fees,
and they advertise low prices through promotions (bundles) but that does
not seem to be the case. One customer posted, Give you a great deal then
your bill is sky high. I never had this problem with charter
communications. The way they make money is to hit you with
promotional deal. You never have a set price.
Overall it seems that U-verse is not on the same page as their
customers when it comes to what they need. U-verse customers are paying
a lot of money to get quality service, and it seems that U-verse is having
a hard time dealing with issues with cable such as finding the problem and
addressing it efficiently. Also it seems that they are not being transparent
about how much their deals will actually cost customers, and the
customers are finding that it cost more for package deals then they
intended. From the complaints it is very clear that U-verse customers feel
that the company needs to improve their services, and get everyone in the
company on the same page when it comes to addressing problems with
their cable service or they will break off their contract and commit to
III.

another company.
Public Segmentation
A. There are three affected publics from this issue. They are AT&T U-verse
customers, AT&T U-verse as a company, and future customers.
The first affected public is the customer. The customer is affected by
customer service because when they have an issue with AT&T U-verse
cable services they want and need to be able to call the company, and have
an employee come fix the problem. Also it is important that the customer

is able to get their cable, Internet, and etc. fixed so that they are not feeling
ripped off because they still have to pay the full price of their bill even if
their services are not working properly.
The second affected public is AT&T U-verse as a company. When
there is such poor customer service this reflects poorly on AT&T U-verse.
They will lose customers to competitors with better service. This issue
could affect their business, and make them look like they are trying to rip
off their consumers instead of giving them good service at a good price.
The third affected public is future customers. Future customers are
affected by this issue because if people looking for cable service to buy
and see the customer complaints about U-verse they could be deterred
from wanting to sign a contract with U-verse. Future customers could do
research, and find that other cable companies dont have the same
customer service issues with their customers.
B. I believe I can impact future customers the most by explaining all the
positive aspects that U-verse offers to its customers. Also by comparing
and contrasting U-verse to other cable companies by asking about price
and perks of different packages.
C. The goal of my survey is to figure out what possible future customers are
looking for in a cable provider, how much they are willing to pay for
different packages, and what different types of perks would entice them to
sign a contract. Lastly, what three qualities future customers are looking
for in their cable provider. Survey results:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/analyze/YLBxQvV_2B5Jm9Tq02YUWq
vk918IBELNIP4AcXbWu3u0g_3D

D. The two publics that took the survey are men and women between the
ages of 19-23. These are young adults who will soon be entering the
workforce and purchasing their own cable.
When asked what
these two publics were
looking
for in a cable
provider the top rated choices were high speed
Internet (90%),
DVR (75%), on
demand movies

(70%), and HD visual quality (65%).

From the survey it appeared that the publics were looking for the
cheapest cable. Neither of the publics was willing to pay $109.00/mo for a
cable package including: Internet, DVR, telephone lines, and 140+
channels. Comcast charges $109.00/mo for this cable package, and Uverse charges $79.99/mo. Most of the publics chose $79.99/mo (87.5%).

When asked if they used Amazon Prime, HBO, SHOWTIME, or

ESPN 75% said that they did. 85% said that they would be more likely to
sign a contract with a cable company that included one of the above perks.
U-verse provides all these perks depending on what package customers
decide is best for their needs. 97.5% of the publics said they would like to
be able to create their own cable package. U-verse allows you to create
you on package starting at $57.00/mo.
When asked if it is important that the cable provider gives access
to a large variety of movies, the opinion was almost split. 57.5% of the
publics said yes and 42.5% said no.

Lastly, when asked what

are

the top three qualities you

look for
fast,

in your cable provider most said they want a company that is

reliable, truthful, cheap, easy to

navigate, affordable, and channel availability.

E. My two public groups I will be addressing are: Women ages 19-23 and
IV.

Men ages 19-23.

Objectives
A. Increase awareness of the AT&T U-verse Student Bundle to Purdue

V.

University students, ages 19-23, by 25%.

Communication Plan
A. The AT&T U-verse Student Bundle is a package that is tailored to students
needs and wants based off the survey they took. When a student signs-up
for the bundle they will have a 3-month free trial. The student will have to
show proof that they are student, either student ID or Purdue email. The
bundle will include high speed Internet, DVR, On Demand movies,
Amazon Prime, HD visual quality, and stations including: HBO,
SHOWTIME, and ESPN. After the 3-month free trial the student will be
offered to buy the bundle for $49.99/mo.
1. AT&T U-verse booth in Purdue Memorial Mall
a. To have an AT&T U-verse booth in Purdue Memorial Mall is
beneficial to promote the campaign and create awareness of AT&T U-

verse Student Bundle that is being provided to exclusively Purdue

students. At the booth students will be able to ask AT&T sales
associates questions about the bundle, and sign-up for the 3-month
free trial.
2. Incentives for signing up for the AT&T U-verse Student Bundle
a. When students sign up for the 3-month free trial they will get an
AT&T U-verse prize. The student will have a choice of a U-verse
stress ball, silicon cardholder, pen, or coozie. This incentive will
be beneficial because it is a good way to spread the word of
AT&T U-verse presence on campus, and when other students see
their friends U-verse prize it may entice them to come over to the
booth.
3. Meetings/Table Talks with campus Fraternity and Sorority Houses
a. An AT&T U-verse Sales Associate would go to Fraternity and
Sorority houses on campus to give an information session about
the U-verse Student Bundle. At the end of the session students
would be able to sign up for a 3-month free trial. There are a lot of
students in fraternities and sororities on campus, and this would
be an opportunity to talk to a mass amount of students at once
about the bundle.
4. Advertise AT&T U-verse Student Bundle in The Exponent and The
Odyssey student newspapers
a. By having an ad in the local student newspapers will help the
campaign to create more awareness of the bundle, and direct
students to the website so they can sign-up for the 3-month free
trial.

VI.

Evaluation
A. After the campaign has ended on campus, and the 3-month free trial is up I
will evaluate the awareness of the U-verse Student Bundle by sending out
a survey to all the students who signed up for the free trial asking them if
they would like to continue using the package for $49.00/mo.

Survey Results