Comcast’s Triple Play Promo: Wii Want Details

Is Very Little News Really Good News?

Just how did Comcast Corp.'s (CMCSA) “sign up for triple play, get a free Wii system” go? We may never know, given that the cable giant isn’t providing details.

The promo was said to be aimed at driving online, multi-player gaming when it was launched earlier this summer. And, of course, Comcast hoped it would drive triple play sales.

Comcast promoted the deal in newspaper and TV ads, and in direct mail pieces. The company also displayed the info on its Web site. But after the free Wii promo ended, Comcast had precious little to say beyond claiming the offer went well. In fact, the only other comment the company made was that the deal would not be extended beyond the Aug. 17 end date.

Why in the world not? If the promo pleased Comcast during the sleepy summer and there were no problems (such as a shortage of Wii systems), why stop?

No news often is far from good news. Comcast wouldn’t quantify the effect of the promo, and, by saying little, raised questions as to the goal of the deal in the minds of some.

One industry expert hinted that the Wii promo, given its timing, was done to take some heat off of Comcast, which was in the midst of formal investigations into its then-alleged traffic-throttling network management practices.

The FCC has since throttled Comcast itself for the behavior and is dropping the hammer on the cable colossus to changes it ways, and quickly. If Comcast wanted more Wii headlines and perhaps less focus on traffic throttling, why not issue some news on the closely watched promo?

And when was the last time a service provider or vendor DIDN’T issue news on most anything it did that wasn’t a secret to the public?

One xchange reader suggested the promo was a nonstarter. And until Comcast decides to open up about how the promo fared and say why it wasn’t extended, folks will continue thinking it was less of a marketing maneuver and more of a public relations ploy.

Talk to me, Comcast.

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