What Comcast Really Needs From NBC Universal

[Commentary] Brian Roberts, chairman/chief executive officer of Comcast says he doesn't want to "Comcast-ize" the company. We have been hearing this for months -- that Comcast isn't savvy about how NBCU makes TV, movies, or other content. Roberts suggests NBCU will be left to its own devices, which should also help toward getting a nice favorable decision from Federal regulators. But there is one area he hinted could make a bridge: entertainment marketing.

Roberts said, "We have to learn from the content industry how to market even better than we do today." This should please the likes of NBCU Chief Marketing Officer John Miller, and Adam Stotsky, president of entertainment marketing for NBC. Roberts is so right. For the most part, the cable industry has given marketing short shrift. Instead, the business has relied on consumers discovering the value of what cable operators bring to the party.

If NBC can help make a still-stodgy brand like Comcast a cool thing with its video services -- like what Apple has become, or perhaps even what marketing muscle NBC executives have given to Hulu.com -- that will go a long way in making the merger not only a business success, but also a brand that consumers actually root for.