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Follow Sgt. Pepper’s Lead. The Road to Fab Marketing.

Follow Sgt. Pepper's Lead

It was (over) 20 years ago today, I started working alongside the world’s biggest Beatles fan this side of Liverpool. Although the title is self-proclaimed, it isn’t too far off the mark. I mean, he still refuses to accept that the Nehru jacket he dons just isn’t the fashion statement it once was.

Now, this guy knows everything there is to know about the Fab Four; so much so, he has curated a Beatles museum for many years. His most recent addition to the collection is the newly released Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band deluxe box set — commemorating the 50th anniversary of this iconic album. That’s dedication for you.

As if the album itself wasn’t amazing enough, this exciting product was packed with extra goodies, including alternative takes, mixes and studio chatter between the guys themselves and legendary producer George Martin. Make no mistake, this box set was as much eye-candy as it was candy for the ears, thanks to its iconic album art and quality packaging.

It was fascinating to hear John, Paul, George and Ringo collaborating in the studio, and a little surprising to discover just how technical their process was. The guys were coaching each other — bouncing ideas around to create something that was a reflection of all five people involved.

There were also photos in the box set that told the story of the famous album cover photo shoot. And if that wasn’t mind-blowing enough, there were notes taken by the Fab Four throughout the recording, along with photos of the guys recording those incredible songs. This wasn’t just a fancy collector’s item; this was a chronicle of an artistic process for what many believe to be the greatest album ever recorded.

As I looked through the poignant memorabilia before me, I realized that creating such a masterpiece required 50 percent inspiration and 50 percent perspiration — a slightly different ratio to the one offered by Thomas Edison.

Make Your Marketing Campaign Your Casino's Sgt. Pepper's

All that hard work, thought and collaboration created something that’s as relevant today as it was 50 years ago. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only does it resonate with today’s youth, but many of the songs have been reworked and reimagined. Like a finely-tuned, well-researched casino marketing campaign, this incredible album can form the basis of new and exciting projects for years to come.

If you know your audience like the Beatles did in 1967, you can create a marketing campaign that truly resonates. And unlike superficial, quick-win marketing campaigns that many businesses rely upon, your campaign content can be utilized time and time again. Yes, there’ll be a lot of hard work, but remember: you’re creating a strategy that could still benefit your casino business for years. After all, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is still inspiring many of today’s recording artists.

Creating discounts and disposable campaigns might attract low-level casino players, but they will rarely stand the test of time. Just a handful of albums from the 1960s strike a chord with Millennials. Why is this? Well, it’s partly about setting aside sufficient time and effort to create something great and not taking the copycat route just because a certain genre is popular at the moment. How many times have you seen casinos imitate exactly what their competitor did in a promotion or giveaway? Chasing short-term volume rarely leads to long-term profitability, and it certainly won’t distinguish you as an icon amongst the very best.

The Fab Four spent countless hours in Abbey Road Studios collaborating, writing, rewriting, testing, recording and asking for feedback. They were striving for perfection; they wanted to create something they knew would touch the hearts of their loyal fans. Put this same amount of effort and heart into your core casino marketing campaigns, and you’ll have the opportunity to attract not only your loyal customers but new segments who recognize you have a unique appeal.

Once you’ve created your marketing masterpiece, your future efforts at growing your casino business can evolve from it. “With a Little Help from My Friends” was track two on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, yet Joe Cocker was able to take that work and make it something completely different. This same principle can be applied to your casino marketing efforts. Your hard work has set the foundation of your own timeless classic— tweaking, reworking and gradual improvements will achieve solid results since you started with a sound strategy.

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