Comcast Wins a BUNGL for Misleading Advertising

It's way too easy to pick on Comcast's marketing department, I know, but sometimes you just have to shine a spotlight on the idiocy.  Comcast is now running ads boasting that they have the "largest fiber optic network", and that their fiber optic network serves "ALL our homes."  Give me a break!

This "We already have a fiber-optic network serving ALL our homes" spiel is SO annoying.  So Comcast runs a fiber optic cable to the node somewhere near your home.  Big whoop.  SO DOES EVERY RESIDENTIAL NETWORK IN AMERICA.

This deserves a BUNGL in the worst way.  Everybody knows that Verizon's FiOS service runs fiber optic cable all the way to your house, and Comcast's service does not, and that Verizon's fiber to the home gives each customer much more potential bandwidth than Comcast's bundle.  That's why Verizon doesn't have to compress their HD channels as much as Comcast does, and why FiOS customers usually get higher Internet bandwidth than Comcast customers.

What burns me about this ad is that it disrespects the customer.  The very existence of the ad shows that Comcast believes their customers aren't smart enough to figure out that they are engaging in a snow job.   

Bottom line: customers are mostly interested in stuff that matters to them, stuff like real available bandwidth, uncompressed HD video, and high availability phone service.  Right now Verizon's FiOS is winning on all three of these measures that matter, and Comcast's only answer is the promise of an upgrade and some lousy FUD advertising about network design.

Congratulations, Comcast.  You are the first two win two BUNGLs!  I can't think of a more deserving winner. 

 

Comments

[Sandi Mays]

I am surprised that Comcast hasn't posted a comment. On June 9th I posted a blog that compared the message on their website to the YouTube Video showing a comcast installer sleeping on the customer's couch. Comcast responded within an hour of the post. See comments at:

http://businesstoolsblog.com/2008/06/old-vs-new-marketing-comcast/ and they commented almost immediately.