Cox’s brand purpose is to help people have more meaningful connections. But for too many of their customers, Cox is just the regional cable and internet provider that they’re stuck with – a utility bill at best – not a brand that shares their values.

To achieve continued success, in a landscape with ever-increasing competition from other telecommunication providers, we had to change that.

The objective: To strengthen Cox's relationship with its customers by improving overall brand sentiment and trust in a highly commoditized and negatively perceived space.

The challenge: Show people that Cox is not just a number you call when internet connection is down, but a brand you can count on when human connection is down.

The brief: Create a bold, real-world solution that brings Cox’s brand purpose to life by providing real, human connection wherever it’s needed most.

Studies show that when inmates maintain bonds with loved ones, it reduces the odds of them returning to prison after release. Yet the average inmate receives only two visits while incarcerated. This is due in large part to very limited visiting hours, and the current video call system which has high fees that are putting families into debt for a service that rarely works. The situation is forcing already struggling loved ones to choose between going into debt or losing their relationships, driving the already isolated inmates into further isolation.

To tackle this problem, we created “Visiting Hours,” a pilot program that reimagines visitation for inmates. In partnership with the Fairfax County Detention Center located in Virgina, we instituted a new system consisting of private video booths equipped with Cox high speed internet, and new rules that ensure inmates can speak to loved ones every single day, for free.

We used cultural and audience insights to identify a relevant connection problem, demonstrated how Cox could use technology to solve it, and then shared the solution with consumers to drive positive brand perception.

With prison reform being a pressing topic in the U.S, there was an opportunity for Cox to address the issue of limited connection for inmates. Studies have shown that maintaining strong family ties while in prison positively correlated with parole success - reducing the odds of former inmates returning to jail by 26%. Yet, inmates on average receive only two visits while incarcerated. Through our research with prisons, we discovered there is a need for reliable, affordable, high quality video to maintain quality relationships.

By leveraging technology to provide consistent, reliable, private, and free visitation, Cox is showing what human connection can do for inmates and their families, when they are in, and after they get out.

We created a pilot program that reimagined visitation in the American prison system. Working with and in Fairfax County Detention Center, we installed private video booths equipped with high speed internet and instituted new rules that ensure inmates can speak to loved ones every single day, for free. The program is just a couple of months into a year-long trial at the facility, but with over 400 prisons within the Cox footprint, it has the potential to help tens of thousands of inmates stay connected during incarceration, and then to stay out of prison once they get out. In two films, we document the program through the lens of three inmates who are experiencing it, and we watch as connection takes them from loneliness and despair to real hope, and even tears of joy, as they reconnect with their loved ones. The films live on organic social channels.

‘Visiting hours’ achieved the highest Breakthrough and Brand Appeal scores with +24 points above average Cox norm, and has delivered 90+% positive brand sentiment compared to just 8% industry-wide. Fairfax County is also very positive about the first few months of the program already seeing a change in the inmates, making the prison safer and healthier for everyone.