Think You’ll Never Double Your ARPU in Two Months? We Did It With Arlo Secure

At Jade, we’re always seeking new ways to deliver greater value to our subscribers while ensuring we stand out in our extremely competitive southern Colorado broadband market. But success is not about speeds and fees. Like the world’s best retail brands, we’re focused on providing a holistic brand experience that enriches and improves our subscribers’ everyday lives. Our recent introduction of Jade Security, our Wi-Fi-enabled home security service, is an excellent example.  
 

We’ve been providing Jade Internet managed Wi-Fi services, based on the end-to-end Calix Revenue EDGE, since 2019. Our subscribers absolutely LOVE it—it’s the reason we’ve been voted Alamosa County’s best internet for three years (and counting). We tailored our packages to suit our subscribers’ lifestyles—from heavy-duty streamers to basic web surfers. We also include the Jade Wi-Fi App and ProtectIQ™ home network security with every package. Subscribers can customize their experience even further, with optional add-ons like ExperienceIQ™ for enhanced parental controls and bandwidth management. 
 

We were thrilled when Calix came out with the Arlo Secure connected security camera solution as the latest addition to EDGE Suites. We knew our subscribers would be clamoring for exactly this kind of functionality. Even better, we knew it was a service they would value highly and be willing to pay a premium for. Just another example of how Calix helps us monetize the network we’ve invested in so heavily.  

We Used Data To Launch a Targeted Marketing Campaign, and 90 Percent of Subscribers Upgraded 

We launched Jade Security with a subset of our subscriber base around the Black Friday shopping weekend in late November 2021. We used a multi-channel marketing campaign that included email, push notifications in our app, and direct mail. Using the data in Calix Engagement Cloud, we identified subscribers who would have the greatest interest in the new service. With that strategy, we achieved a 32 percent email open rate and a 5 percent click-through rate. We received our first order within 10 minutes of sending our first order email. 
 

Fast forward 60 days. In total, we upsold three percent of our targeted subscribers on the new offering. Even more impressive, 90 percent of those subscribers upgraded to our premier “Whole Home Haven” plan. What’s more, for subscribers who added this service, we DOUBLED our monthly average revenue per user (ARPU) in just two months. We did this by selling sticky services and increasing the value of the Jade brand in our subscribers’ minds.  

We’re now getting ready to make Jade Security available to all our subscribers. I know many Calix BSP customers are excited about the Arlo Secure offering. With that in mind, here are a few things we learned along the way.  

1. Don’t lead with the technology—show how it will improve subscribers’ lives. In everything we do, we stick to the goal: Make buying technology fun. We stand by the belief that technology, including Arlo’s object detection and smart AI, should be engaging, not scary. So, we help our customers understand how our cameras will enable them to capture the “magic moments” in their lives or make their neighborhoods safer. Put yourself in your subscribers’ shoes and use aspirational messaging and design that will resonate and drive the response you want.  
   
   
2. Make it easy for your subscribers at every step of the journey. Yes, some subscribers may want the DIY experience. But the vast majority are happy to have us do the research, provide the solution, install everything, manage it for them, and include it all in an easy-to-understand monthly bill. They appreciate that we simplify plan selection and ensure their cameras are placed optimally in their homes. As we say in our marketing copy, “Elevate your security without lifting a finger.” We’re making it that easy for our subscribers—they don’t need to do a single thing.  
   
   
3. Create a holistic brand experience for your subscribers. We don’t see Jade Security as a standalone product; it’s part of a holistic brand experience. It aligns with our core values of making our community a better place to live, prioritizing privacy as an essential human right, and making the internet fun. Consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand they’re familiar with and trust. It’s important to ensure that you have a strong brand proposition and relationship with your subscribers. Avoid the utility mindset.  
    

We’re just getting started. In fact, we’re already thinking about the next steps for Jade Security. We see incredible cross-sell opportunities with EDGE Suites like ExperienceIQ. And we’re eager to see how we can further add on and “accessorize” the service. The possibilities are endless!