MRI Casino Marketing Blog
Promotions Woven Into The Fabric Of Our Brands

Too many casino promotions disappear into the background, using a cookie cutter approach that is 99% identical to the events from competing casinos. Granted, new ideas aren’t always easy to come by, but talented marketing teams will find a way with enough imagination and inspiration.

In fact, finding bright, engaging themes and ideas for promotions makes me recall 1980-something when Philadelphia radio had a juggernaut of a morning show and personality. John DeBella was the ringleader for WMMR’s Morning Zoo. He and his squad created segments and promotions that became so popular, they stopped being a mere FM rock radio event and literally started weaving themselves into the fabric of the neighborhood.

The show content most popular was “Hawaiian Shirt Gonzo Fridays.” It had grade school students through to the 9-to-5 workforce donning floral patterned shirts each week. Even my parochial high school would allow the fashion under our blazers. People knew Hawaiian shirts meant WMMR. This local phenomenon engaged the audience, became a communal routine, set listener expectations and anticipation. We not only looked forward to listening to the Zookeeper and his team, but we also became part of it. Yes, promotions can be that powerful when marketing teams dare to think differently.

Best Practices for Your Promotion

A successful promotion doesn’t require reinventing the marketing wheel. To that point, your casino might do well to repeat a promotion regularly. It’s a great way to build anticipation with your audience and really allow the promotion to grow deep roots. Does McDonald's rename their Shamrock Shake every St. Patrick’s Day? Nope. But that’s part of its charm. Customers know that those shakes are only available once per year and anticipate its arrival every March. Casinos can do the very same thing with their promotions, using an event that might evolve over time but always invoke something special within the audience.

Try to develop a promotion unique to your property like a name and game you can 'own' in your marketplace, making it synonymous with your brand, so customers and non-customers alike think of your casino when simply hearing that name spoken. If your competitor tries to replicate it, the audience will instantly know where they aped the concept from -- you. Likewise, even if it’s an old idea, do it bigger and better to make it new, fresh, and entirely your own.

No matter what your team comes up with, always strive to make it an event, something extraordinary. Signature promotions are a great differentiator in this world of uniformity, where uncreative marketers copy what’s working down the block instead of reinventing something big. Be the innovator, not the imitator, making sure you follow the same brand fundamentals for your promotion as your other marketing endeavors. It should always make sense to your brand and, of course, appeal to your best customer segment.

In addition to great graphics, maybe even create a catchy jingle for your promotion. Anything that makes your event stick out from the crowd and memorable to your audience will help create value for the event. Live streaming is another trend that can be a powerful tool to add impact, elevating your efforts to emphasize their uniqueness. After the promotion runs its course, post pictures to Instagram and splash the highlights across your social media channels. Thankfully, none of these techniques are especially expensive or even complicated but can go a long way in creating a buzz around your promotion, something that money can’t always buy.

So on that note, get those creative juices flowing because your audience is waiting for something special.