The Clock Model
I’m not sure who is actually credited for the Clock Model Framework, but I attribute my awareness to Scott Galloway (Prof G) and his online Section business classes. It’s a competitive approach to differentiate your property by focusing on three integral touchpoint opportunities with your customers: Pre-purchase, purchase and post-purchase.
Pre-purchase
Are you currently, or have you recently, written big checks for something your IT team calls a martech stack? Well, it’s payback time as all those high priced marketing tools come together to establish a relationship with customers by creating a connection to your casino before they even step foot in the door. You used to spend most of your advertising budget on the big three: print, broadcast and outdoor. If you still do, you may want to reconsider. The bulk of your traditional advertising budget should be targeting social media, streaming services, websites and apps, as that’s where a majority of your loyal and future players are hanging out. It’s hard to scroll through your phone these days without seeing a clever casino message, all designed to establish a desirable brand with a touch of FOMO. If you’re seeing competitor digital messages, but none of your own, that’s a red flag.
Purchase
The time of purchase begins as the customer approaches your casino. It’s exciting for them as they are anxious to explore, have fun, see a show, eat and get in action. It’s exciting for you as well, as all your pre-purchase work to create a brand is put into play, creating a memorable experience for your guests. An experience that brings joy, builds loyalty and ensures your guests have no regrets driving 30 minutes past a competitor to play at your casino.
Casino guests present multiple challenges. They’ve told us time and time again, geography matters. Where can they be in action the quickest? Plus, we are going to disappoint over 70% of them during their visit, departing with fewer dollars then they came in with. They don’t leave with any tangible product. Perhaps an occassional continuity gift, but mainly just a memory of the visit.
Can solid service overcome geography? Surveys do tell us a commitment to a total guest experience during purchase can influence driveway decisions and shift loyalty. This comprehensive guest experience should include personalization, automation and immersive experiences including AI/AR/VR. Guest service can be a big differentiator, rising above geography, bricks and mortar, and aggressive competitor reinvestment.
Post-Purchase
Guest play at your casino generates a chain of post-purchase activity including surveys, analytics and CRM communication. One could argue this makes more sense in pre-purchase, however most database marketing reinvestment strategies are currently based on guest purchase behavior.
One needs not to look past your own mailbox to see this is where casinos currently spend most time and energy. Seems to make sense. Sixty-five to 75% of your revenue comes from your known customers. But should there be a realignment of focus within your casinos framework? There is no single answer for how you distribute time and resources against the Clock Model.
To help figure that out, Prof G recommends a simple approach:
- Put your customer at center
- Look at the experience holistically around the brand
- Look at your competitors
- Determine the opportunity
It’s not likely you can fully commit to all three facets of the Clock Model, so figuring out what’s best for your team will result in greater market share and a better bottom line.
