JWT appointed to develop cable campaign strategy

The Cable Communications Association is appointing J Walter Thompson to consider the feasibility and a possible creative strategy for a campaign to promote the cable industry.

McCann-Erickson, TBWA and M&C Saatchi were also invited to pitch.

Initially, JWT’s role is an advisory one, a CCA spokesman explains. “Cable is not a typical client – the CCA has no budget as such, any campaign would be jointly funded by individual cable companies,” he says.

However, the CCA has been working towards developing a cable industry campaign for some months and agency sources indicate the eventual value of the account could be between 10m and 15m.

The UK cable industry has long been criticised for poor marketing and the CCA is considering ways to restructure and reposition itself for an industry marketing role more akin to the Radio Advisory Bureau.

The 1-millionth UK cable household was connected this week. An estimated 6.6 million households have now been passed for cable and a further 3 million will have been passed by the end of next year.