Feeling overwhelmed? In casino marketing we are in a perpetual state of flux. I’ve found that the best way to thrive in this environment has been to rely on my solid casino marketing foundation. As an avid but average golfer, I have learned that the only way to conquer the golf course is through coaching, discipline, and constant practice.
Today’s casino marketing departments encompass not only casino marketing, but also, advertising, social media, corporate partnerships, entertainment, hospitality and more. In this article, I want to reach folks that will benefit from simple information that they can either use to compare what they do as it relates to casino-specific marketing efforts or put basics in place and be positioned for more success and growth.
What is Casino Marketing?
Casino marketing encompasses a combination of communication and execution for a set of product offerings to specific player or customer groups. What are these product offerings you ask?
The Players Club:
The players club is “mission control” for enrollment, offers, promotions and events. While we want all casino players to receive the best gaming experience we can provide, our club members receive additional benefits and rewards when they are enrolled in our players club and allow us to track their play.
What are the perks and rewards we provide?
Promotions:
A promotion is a celebration or event for player or customer groups designed to modify player behavior and answer the question of “What’s in it right now for me?” Promotions are designed to increase enrollments, drive high volumes of play on desired days and times and to bring in players we haven’t seen for a while who have fallen out of our direct marketing programs. Promotion participants can be channeled into new enrollment and declining direct marketing initiatives.
Direct Marketing:
Direct Marketing is targeted communication delivered through individual personal communication channels developed to trigger a sense of urgency and a high perception of individual rewards. The beauty of direct marketing is that we can personalize the offer to the exact player based on their most frequent or most infrequent play within shorter review windows and with shorter redemption deadlines.
Player Development:
Player development is a level of concierge service provided to the most valuable players by a team of motivated and focused individuals. Player development is where the “keys to the kingdom” may be found for the most sought-after players through their hosts. These are business relationships on a more one-to-one basis where we can have the “when you reach this hurdle, we can give you this” conversations. We typically have special events, promotions, and direct marketing for these players on a much higher level.
These are the primary things in casino marketing that we control, however, there are things we may not be able to control such as game offerings and outcomes, property offerings and availability, competitor threats and market stability. Beside the primaries above, there are quite a few things we can influence and will contribute to the success of our organization.
We can influence the success of casino promotions and events.
By bringing new and innovative promotions to the market, making participation simple and achievable, and taking ownership of what works best for our players and our organization, we’ll see more involvement.
We can influence the energy on the floor.
If we can celebrate something, we should celebrate it! Our players and team members like to feel the fun and like to be part of the action. Go the extra mile as often as you can so your players talk about the “vibe” at your property.
We can influence effectiveness and consistency.
What I mean by this is using research, compliance, and preparation. Exceed deadlines when you can, ask for insight from operations experts when you can, and when you find what works, find out why and do that again and often.
We can influence trust and confidence with our peers and our players.
If we’ve put in the work, it will show with our players and our team members, and they will jump on our bandwagons more quickly every time. This goes a long way in gaming and cannot be understated. Last minute, changes and cancellations must be the exceptions and not the expectations.
We can influence residual effects.
I talk about this a lot. When our house is in order and our team is thriving, it gets noticed and acknowledged. When we are a “go-to” resource for forecasting, reporting, and strategizing, we become a multi-use tool that is invaluable.
Here’s five “buck stops here” phrases that work for me as a casino marketer and avid golfer looking for the perfect season:
- Be objective, realistic, and open to feedback.
- There’s no such thing as over-communicating.
- Follow up and follow through.
- Be accountable.
- Give credit where credit is due.
Remember back when I talked about how I conquer the golf course through coaching, discipline, and constant practice? The same applies to casino marketing!
Whether you’re in need of a full 360 Marketing and Financial Review, want to know what new marketing technology and strategies will be worth the investment, or if the “fun” has gotten old and stale, bet Raving knows how to help!
