Marketing, as a whole, is all about letting people know what you have, what you’re offering, and how you’ll better someone’s life once they bite on whatever hook you’re dangling. Marketing as it relates to the casino industry can be viewed similarly with a heavy sprinkle of razzle dazzle.
When thinking about what incentive and accompanying campaign to launch next, casino marketers are looking for ways to highlight an element of escapism, luxury, and happiness. If you boil it down further, casino marketing is about the idea of possibility and the chance to make something truly magical happen. That magic can take the form of a number of marketing related activations outside of the obvious gaming components including entertainment events and VIP experiences for qualified players.
Before we jump into some examples of the tools casino marketers deploy to capture guest attention, we’d be remiss if we didn’t touch on players cards. You’ve heard it time and time before, and I will say it again, player’s cards do not affect game play. Putting the plastic card in the machine does not signal the game to avoid paylines or bonus features.
Instead, the players card helps the casino team, including people like hosts, know a little more about their players. Signing up for a player’s card adds you to the large funnel of casino marketing that can lead to a variety of perks dependent on your play and specific distance from your hometown to the casino. Eventually, after a handful of visits, the activity logged will help you earn comps and receive personalized offers (more on this below) for things you’ll actually use.
While the type of marketing each casino will deploy is entirely dependent on their specific situation, there are a few standard practices you’ve probably found in your mailbox (both digital and physical):
Email marking is a great option to reach people at a relatively low cost. Operators can utilize email marketing in one of two ways- super targeted sublists or mass email marketing (emailing everyone that has a player’s card).
The targeted lists can be used to talk to a certain subset of a player. For example, if the casino is offering a table games promotion that day, an email can be sent to table games players without crowding the inbox of slot lovers. Inversely, email marketing is a crucial component to most marketing team’s mass communication strategy. In this scenario, a good example would be the launch of a new eatery at the location.
Text Message
A quick ping to a person’s phone is a quick way to earn instant attention and be front of find. Text messages can be used to highlight a number of things including events, the announcement of a ticketed show, or special menus for an upcoming holiday.
Geofence Automations
Casino marketers have the option to draw invisible fences around not only their property, but that of their competitors or other high foot traffic locations. These geofences are activated once someone with a phone crosses that invisible line. Their cell phone starts to send info and receive info. Within a few days, that information can be used to serve that person ads on websites, applications, etc.
Automated Surveys
Ever wonder why you get served a survey request a few hours after leaving the casino? Someone in the marketing department set that up (I have made many) in order to get close to real time feedback on your visit. Marketing is as much about making sure someone will come back for a repeat visit as it is about making sure someone visits in the first place. Casino marketers are always looking to learn more about a guest’s experience, gleaning what went well and what could be improved upon for future visits.
Social Media
One of the first examples people think of when they hear “marketing” is now social media. Social media is an incredibly useful tool that can be used to show off the personality of a property in a fun and engaging way. If casino marketers are using this tool correctly, they are leaning into an authentic way to showcase what their property has to offer. Unlike commercials, these aren’t over produced spots but instead do best when they are perceived as organic and a true representation of the property.
Commercials
Commercials can still be an asset to casino marketers looking to cast a wide net. When talking about standard commercials, like the ones you see on traditional TV, these are purchased based on location and network. If an operator is looking to target a specific area of a town, they could consider looking at the demographic information available and purchase within the time slot for that area that makes the most sense.
OTT Videos
A more recent development for commercials is the arrival of “Over The Top” advertising or “OTT.” OTT is the term used when talking about commercials that are placed on streaming services. These placements allow for more targeted pitches based on additional information including a person’s natural affinities.
Digital Ads
Whether on Facebook or taking a look at your local news online, chances are you have noticed the ads that line the sides of the pages and sometimes appear smack in the center of what you are looking at. These digital ads are a more targeted way, similarly to OTT, for marketers to reach people based on their specific likes and behaviors.
Yes, we live in a digital age, but there is still a place for print media! While marketers do have to be more selective about physical placements, many will still choose to place ads in either their local papers or an established magazine. Because these ads can’t be more targeted than the broad demographic the publication serves, print ads are often more broad focusing on large scale announcements or act as brand reinforcement.
Event and Promotion Activations
One of the main goals of casino marketers is to get people through the doors. One of the best ways to do that is by holding a special event activation. This can take the form of a gift giveaway or special drawing. This is why you will most often see casinos host drawings on Friday or Saturday evenings – the casinos are competing against each other for the best promotion to lure you in.
Influencer and Creator Partnerships
Borrowed interest is a great way to introduce new players to your brand. One of the ways casino markets can expand their fan base is by partnering with a creator that has an established group of followers. By inviting a creator to property to share their experience, the marketer is really inviting hundreds, maybe thousands, of people to take a look. Creators can hold virtual events and live streams or they can host in-person events like slot tournaments. You can read a more detailed explanation of this here.
Offers
If a player is given something for “free,” their chances of stopping by for a few spins or hands is greatly increased. With this in mind, casino operators will authorize a certain level of perks to players that have demonstrated their interest in playing at the property. Like email marketing, casino offers can be extremely broad and applied to every active player or they can be crafted towards a player’s specific level of play and interests within the property.
Hosts
While most of us are friendly with our hosts, it is important to know that their job function was designed by casino operators to keep players engaged and happy. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t continue to be friendly. I always advocate to take care of the team that takes care of you. It is just a reminder to keep in the back of your mind when debating if you should ask your host for something. Unless you are abusing the system, the worst thing a host can say is “no.” Hosts, and the casino they work for, want to keep you engaged at the property.
