In a recent Print to Pixel podcast episode, Postalytics CEO Dennis Kelly spoke with Jarie Bolander of Decision Counsel, a go-to-market strategist who’s helping broadband service providers (BSPs) rethink growth in an increasingly competitive industry.
As Executive Strategist and General Manager of Subscriber, a division of Decision Counsel, Jarie Bolander brings a unique mix of engineering discipline and marketing creativity — and his insights reveal how BSPs can thrive when they blend automation, authenticity, and storytelling.
How Jarie Bolander of Decision Counsel Made the Leap from Engineering to Marketing
Bolander began his career designing semiconductor chips and RFID systems before life took an unexpected turn. When his late wife — a PR and marketing entrepreneur — became ill, he stepped in to run her firm. What began as a necessity became a calling.
“Marketing is about convincing people to care about what you’ve built,” said Jarie Bolander of Decision Counsel. “The challenge isn’t making the product anymore — it’s making people care.”
His engineering mindset led him to treat marketing like an experiment: define the problem, test hypotheses, and optimize outcomes. That same approach now underpins his work at Decision Counsel, where he helps broadband companies align data, storytelling, and technology into cohesive growth engines.
The Broadband Reality Check: Easy Growth Is Over
According to Jarie Bolander of Decision Counsel, the broadband industry is entering a new phase. The days of “build it and they will come” are gone.
“Markets are becoming more competitive — even at the local level,” Bolander explained. “Ten years ago, you were the only provider in your town. Now you might have five competitors fighting for the same households.”
For BSPs, that means the old playbook of selling “speeds and feeds” is obsolete. Customers no longer buy megabits — they buy outcomes. They care about seamless video calls with family, reliable connections for remote work, and service from providers they trust.
“People want value,” Bolander said. “If you’re not telling a better story, someone else will.”
From Addresses to Audiences: Personalization and Automation Take Center Stage
Dennis Kelly noted that many broadband marketers still treat prospects as addresses, not people. Campaigns built on generic data fail to connect with the unique lifestyles of local households.
That’s where the combination of Calix Engagement Cloud and Postalytics Direct Mail Automation becomes powerful. Together, they allow marketers to use real audience data to trigger personalized, automated direct mail campaigns that align perfectly with digital touchpoints.
“It’s not hard anymore to personalize,” said Jarie. “Broadband providers have a natural advantage — they’re part of the community. Authenticity is their brand.”
By integrating tools like Postalytics, BSPs can now automate campaigns that target families upgrading their plans, retirees moving into service areas, or new homeowners searching for local providers — all with measurable tracking and ROI.
Brand Building Is Back — and It’s Local
One of Bolander’s most resonant messages was that brand is back. For years, marketers obsessed over performance metrics, but brand — especially for community-driven broadband providers — is the real differentiator.
“When people want internet, you should be top of mind.” “That’s classic brand building. It’s not about a Super Bowl ad — it’s about consistent, omnichannel communication that builds trust.”
Dennis Kelly echoed this, noting that direct mail is one of the most effective — yet underused — ways to build top-of-mind awareness. With inboxes overflowing, the mailbox has become premium marketing real estate.
“People might get eight things in their mailbox a day,” Kelly said. “They get eight emails in the first ten minutes. Physical mail cuts through the noise — it’s remembered.”
Direct Mail’s Renaissance: Where Data Meets the Mailbox
The rise of automation tools like Postalytics has completely changed how broadband providers can use direct mail.
Rather than a static, manual process, it’s now a data-driven, trackable, and scalable channel that complements digital outreach.
Because total mail volume has declined, every postcard or letter now gets more attention. And with Postalytics’ integration into Calix Engagement Cloud, BSPs can connect audience segments directly to campaigns that support pre-construction, new-build, and activation phases.
Bolander summed it up perfectly:
“If your system doesn’t connect to others, that’s the kiss of death. Partnerships like Calix and Postalytics show what happens when platforms build on each other — it drives real growth.”
Collaboration: The Future of BSP Marketing
Throughout the conversation, Jarie Bolander of Decision Counsel returned to one core idea — collaboration. BSPs, agencies, and technology partners need to share playbooks, data, and best practices to move the industry forward.
“The industry has under-invested in marketing,” Bolander said. “It’s easy to justify laying fiber. It’s harder to justify marketing spend because ROI feels like magic. We need shared benchmarks and transparency.”
He envisions an ecosystem where providers can measure performance consistently, learn from each other’s successes, and build community-wide standards for broadband marketing effectiveness.
That’s where partnerships among Decision Counsel, Calix, and Postalytics can make the biggest difference — aligning data, messaging, and automation for sustainable growth.
The Takeaway from Jarie Bolander of Decision Counsel: New Game, New Rules
As the industry prepares for Calix ConneXions 2025 in Las Vegas, Bolander’s advice to broadband marketers is simple but powerful:
“Growth isn’t going to come from laying more fiber. It’s going to come from better marketing.”
To thrive in the “new game,” BSPs must:
- Invest in brand and storytelling, not just bandwidth.
- Use automation to scale personalization through platforms like Calix and Postalytics.
- Engage authentically with local communities through omnichannel outreach.
- Collaborate across the ecosystem to share insights and raise industry standards.
In short, the most successful broadband providers will act less like utilities and more like modern marketers — data-driven, customer-centric, and relentlessly authentic.
“You’re not alone,” said Jarie Bolander of Decision Counsel. “The easy growth is over — but the opportunity is just beginning.”
Watch and Learn
Catch the full episode of Print to Pixel featuring Jarie Bolander of Decision Counsel and Dennis Kelly of Postalytics — available now on:
Apple Podcasts Building a Brand in a Competit… – Print to Pixel – Apple Podcasts
YouTube https://youtu.be/L2jBi1Skuog
To see how Postalytics helps broadband marketers automate direct mail within the Calix Engagement Cloud, visit Calix Direct Mail Integration – Broadband Direct Mail Made Easy
About the Author
Dennis Kelly
Dennis Kelly is CEO and co-founder of Postalytics, the leading direct mail automation platform for marketers to build, deploy and manage direct mail marketing campaigns. Postalytics is Dennis’ 6th startup. He has been involved in starting and growing early-stage technology ventures for over 30 years and has held senior management roles at a diverse set of large technology firms including Computer Associates, Palm Inc. and Achieve Healthcare Information Systems.