Dish Network ads go on the attack
By Theresa Howard, USA TODAY Mon Feb 13, 7:11 AM ET
Even a new high-definition or big screen set won't get you better TV if your TV service provider still "sucks."
That has been the in-your-face message of recent ads for the No. 2 satellite TV service, Dish Network.
In a direct shot at cable TV, the ads show TVs with cable service as giant sucking machines that inhale dinner guests, babies and purses. The hard-hitting ads attempt to drive home the idea that cable TV "sucks" - is less reliable and more expensive than satellite - and to get consumers to think of Dish Network as the alternative.
"We said cable sucks, and we're better," says Jody Martin, senior vice president, marketing. "We had a one-two punch in the ads for more awareness and a very factual direct price comparison."
Martin says the ads were not trying to push the line on good taste gratuitously: "We tried to bring the facts to life. We weren't trying to be bold for bold's sake or crude for crude's sake. ... We literally had the TVs as sucking devices. Because we had this visual device, we didn't cross the line."
The aggressive message comes as satellite is making gains on cable. A J.D. Power and Associates study last year found that Dish and the No. 1 satellite service, DirecTV, have taken market share from cable operators. In 2005, 27% of U.S. households had satellite TV services, up from 12% in 2000. Meanwhile, 60% of households had cable TV service, down from 66% in 2000.
With help from ads, Dish added a million subscribers in 2005 - as many as its total subscriber base in 1997 - to finish the fourth quarter with more than 12 million total.
The ads might work, but they weren't well-liked by consumers surveyed by Ad Track, USA TODAY's weekly poll. Of those familiar with them, 12% said they like the ads "a lot," vs. Ad Track's 21% average. And 31% "dislike" the ads, vs. the average of 13%.
Dish is rolling out new ads that might be more likable. The spots by agency Publicis West still put down - and poke fun at - cable, but drop the "sucks" image.
Those ads "were a 'Hello, we're out there,' " Martin says. "It was a wake-up call. We took an extreme approach and got a lot of play out of it. It really achieved its objective to build recall, awareness and consideration for our brand."
In the new ads, one of a group of friends reveals a major embarrassment, such as cosmetic lip surgery gone awry or waking up with a stupid tattoo. Each is consoled by the revelation that another in the group subscribes to cable TV. The theme: "Nothing's worse than paying too much for TV."
By Theresa Howard, USA TODAY Mon Feb 13, 7:11 AM ET
Even a new high-definition or big screen set won't get you better TV if your TV service provider still "sucks."
That has been the in-your-face message of recent ads for the No. 2 satellite TV service, Dish Network.
In a direct shot at cable TV, the ads show TVs with cable service as giant sucking machines that inhale dinner guests, babies and purses. The hard-hitting ads attempt to drive home the idea that cable TV "sucks" - is less reliable and more expensive than satellite - and to get consumers to think of Dish Network as the alternative.
"We said cable sucks, and we're better," says Jody Martin, senior vice president, marketing. "We had a one-two punch in the ads for more awareness and a very factual direct price comparison."
Martin says the ads were not trying to push the line on good taste gratuitously: "We tried to bring the facts to life. We weren't trying to be bold for bold's sake or crude for crude's sake. ... We literally had the TVs as sucking devices. Because we had this visual device, we didn't cross the line."
The aggressive message comes as satellite is making gains on cable. A J.D. Power and Associates study last year found that Dish and the No. 1 satellite service, DirecTV, have taken market share from cable operators. In 2005, 27% of U.S. households had satellite TV services, up from 12% in 2000. Meanwhile, 60% of households had cable TV service, down from 66% in 2000.
With help from ads, Dish added a million subscribers in 2005 - as many as its total subscriber base in 1997 - to finish the fourth quarter with more than 12 million total.
The ads might work, but they weren't well-liked by consumers surveyed by Ad Track, USA TODAY's weekly poll. Of those familiar with them, 12% said they like the ads "a lot," vs. Ad Track's 21% average. And 31% "dislike" the ads, vs. the average of 13%.
Dish is rolling out new ads that might be more likable. The spots by agency Publicis West still put down - and poke fun at - cable, but drop the "sucks" image.
Those ads "were a 'Hello, we're out there,' " Martin says. "It was a wake-up call. We took an extreme approach and got a lot of play out of it. It really achieved its objective to build recall, awareness and consideration for our brand."
In the new ads, one of a group of friends reveals a major embarrassment, such as cosmetic lip surgery gone awry or waking up with a stupid tattoo. Each is consoled by the revelation that another in the group subscribes to cable TV. The theme: "Nothing's worse than paying too much for TV."
