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Time Warner builds awareness by providing free Wi-Fi to U.S. Open attendees

Cable telecommunications company Time Warner will be providing 235 access points of free Wi-Fi Internet service for attendees at the United States Open Tennis Championships in New York, building awareness of the company and serving as its largest public venue installation to date.

In addition to Wi-Fi, Time Warner is inviting attendees into its studios for additional engagements, expanding the marketing opportunity to build the brand?s overall presence. Providing WiFi access at an event of such a large scale should help attendees get more enjoyment from the experience and garner appreciation for the company if it executes the effort flawlessly. 

?US Open attendees will be able to access unlimited free Wi-Fi throughout the tournament and save on their mobile data charges,? said Evelyn Galarza,? manager of public relations at Time Warner Cable, New York.

Easy access
Sports and live events are increasingly seen and shared by smartphone users on social media sites. Furthermore, attendees want to continuously check the agenda and current scores, and are most frequently doing this on their mobile phones.

Consumers also want to share their experience with their followers and update their status and upload photos and videos in real time. However, limited Internet access sometimes prevents live updates and consumers often become frustrated. 

At crowded events, network service becomes jammed and sometimes users cannot even access the Internet. 

Free Wi-Fi service is sure to please U.S. Open attendees and enable them to connect and share as often as possible. 

Attendees can join one of two channels, USOpen2014 or TWC Wi-Fi, and access the service throughout all of the U.S. Open?s key public areas, including Arthur Ashe Stadium, East Gate, Food Village, Octagon, South Plaza and the Chase Indoor Tennis Center.

Time Warner?s contribution provides immense advertising for the brand.

The cable company is also inviting attendees to visit the Studios location, where visitors will have access to charging stations and a control room with all televised match courts. In addition, there is an interactive area that features an umpire chair photo and video experience.

Spreading mobile awareness
In 2011, Time Warner Cable introduced an application for Android tablets to address the growing number of customers who owned one of these devices.

The free TWC TV app for Android tablets gave customers the ability to program their DVR, add favorite channels and use their Android tablet as a remote control. However, the Android app did not offer live television at the time, a feature that was found on the iPad app (see story).

Also in 2011, ESPN teamed up with Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks and Verizon FiOS TV on a mobile television initiative to increase the number of touch points between cable subscribers and the sports media giant.

Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks and Verizon FiOS TV subscribers who are sports fans could access ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com via the WatchESPN application for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch (see story). 

Due to the helpfulness and ease that public Wi-Fi stations can provide, Time Warner is positively responding to this need, and attendees of the U.S. Open are likely to be grateful.

?We?re all increasingly reliant on WiFi and our phones, especially during sporting events such as the US Open,? Ms. Galarza said.

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon, editorial assistant for Mobile Marketer, New York