MRI Casino Marketing Blog
Strategic Brainstorming

What is Casino Marketing Strategy?

Two brains (or three or four or five) are better than one. 

Thinking partners are not a nice-to-have, they are a necessity as we become entrenched in our role at casinos. Day-in and day-out of running a casino marketing department is no easy feat, and very often does not leave a lot of space for brainstorming and re-imagining casino marketing programs and services. 

In other words, our daily responsibilities can leave no room for strategy.  

What is strategy? Strategy in its simplest form is a plan of action. Action keeps things alive and motivating for your customers when executed properly. Strategy requires ideas to put into action and Marketing Results takes the role of strategic partner to our clients very seriously. 

The Life Stages of the Casino Player

Marketing Results strategic approach is rooted in the life stages of the casino player. Defining and developing a marketing solution for each stage is the goal for comprehending the whole market. Each stage contributes to long and short term profits. Once this has been established, it serves as the framework from which you plan your monthly casino marketing promotions. 

How Marketing Results Approaches Strategy

Research first. Types of research and data analysis give us insights into what is working, what has worked in the past and what is working in the marketplace - by your competitors. 

Research does not have to be elaborate. It can be done quickly and efficiently to give you the insights you need to get strategizing. Below are a few research approaches you should consider: 

1.     Competitive research of what other properties are promoting. When was the last time you had your competition competitively-shopped? When have you looked to understand hotel, free play and other incentives by competitors’ club-levels?

2.     Analogous research is looking outside of your category for inspiration. When was the last time you looked at the consumer retail space to see what they are doing? How about what the video game industry is doing? What can you glean and apply to your strategic casino marketing plans?

3.     Consumer research can be simple, too. How about player intercepts on your player floor? Have a conversation! What do they like? What do they dislike? What do they wish there was more of in the casino experience you offer?

4.     Internal stakeholder research is connecting with those in and outside of your department to get their perspective on how a current program is working or what success looks like for them in finance or hotel? Knowing the end result can help you devise your plan in reverse. Start with the outcome, and make the strategic casino marketing plan to deliver.

Then, it’s time to start brainstorming. Marketing Results is approached often to help with the brainstorming of: 

1.     Monthly promotions ideas 

2.     Improving programs incrementally through small changes that can make a big impact

3.     Digitizing the casino experience and bringing fun to email communications

4.     Structuring of database offers for the best reinvestment

5.     Strategies to transition direct mail to digital and create cost efficiencies, shrink timelines and increase engagement

6.     Player Development goals and how to measure those goals

7.     Identifying powerful data and insights to measure and build your customer base

8.     Identifying the right messaging for multi-channel marketing and graphic designs  

Strategy is a word that can be applied to almost everything, especially in the business world and especially in marketing to casino players. And strategy work should never stop. Marketing Results serves as a strategic partner to our casino marketing clients, bringing our historical knowledge and on-the-pulse knowledge of what it takes to deliver results today and into the future.