MRI Casino Marketing Blog
Winning with Technology: Part 1

Part 1: Behavior based marketing is here to stay…

The early adopters will dance on the graves of those who wait.

This is the first in a 4-part series on today’s technology and how it can be used to your best advantage for the gaming industry. With the breakneck pace of technology impacting almost every area of our personal and professional lives, it is wise to take a look at the advantages that it brings to the gaming industry in particular. We start with a look at Customer Relationship Management, or CRM, a management tool that, it could be argued, is to old-school marketing what the computer is to the typewriter. These days, you really can’t effectively compete without it.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is actually a couple of things and this can be confusing…

The term CRM usually refers to the software, data and technology a company uses to streamline and expand its marketing efforts and customer relationships, with the goal of dramatically boosting sales growth.

Additionally, CRM is the service and service cycles your operation provides to make the experience at your casino more enjoyable than at the competitors’ casino.  Often these services are discovered through CRM technology but delivered by people.

An example of CRM as a service:

In the early 90’s Casinos in the Northeast developed a system of valet parking that was ahead of the industry.  They combined technology to make valet parking a painless experience by eliminating lines and providing waiting customers a steady stream of information about the precise location of their car.  You could watch your car being delivered. 

This cycle of service was replicated by local competitors out of necessity but wasn’t adopted in regional or national markets outside of the Connecticut market.

CRM software consolidates customer information and documents into a single database so you can more easily access and manage it. It automates a number of critical workflow processes and also tracks customer performance, activities, and interactions.

With easy access to the ever-increasing data from retail, F&B, lodging and other business units of your organization, you can reap valuable insights about your customers. These insights include gaming behavior profiles, visitation trends, and activities that can drive smart marketing campaigns.  

More than that, CRM has brought reporting into the 21^st century. It can get you virtually instantaneous insights about your customers, help you dramatically improve direct marketing efficacy, and give you the data to spot trends and opportunities that elevate your bottom line and put you ahead of the competition.  

When CRM’s powerful capabilities are expanded and paired with real-time marketing through mobile technology, your player relationship extension will show dramatic improvement. Learn more about that in Part 2 of this series.

So how can CRM help you in the casino business?

Let’s start by talking about player development. With the best CRM software in place, your casino hosts can access player profiles in an instant, organize communication initiatives swiftly, and identify player touch points for greatest effect. Hosts have their finger literally on the pulse of your most profitable players, and understand what they can do to keep those players happy and coming back for more. Hosts also have easy, desktop or mobile tools to re-engage inactive customers, along with the support they need to build relationships with new guests.

When it comes to campaign management, a state-of-the-art CRM tool will allow you to formulate and initiate new campaigns, right from your desktop, on your own schedule, any time you want.

As a sophisticated market analysis tool, CRM pinpoints the strengths and weaknesses of your marketing efforts, helps you with quality control and makes you a more effective player in the marketplace.

Advanced Intelligence Marketing (AIM®) is the CRM solution for casinos from Marketing Results, Inc.— a leading expert in casino-industry online marketing, market research, player development, reporting, and advertising, for many years. Integrating 20+ years of research, the AIM solution is a sophisticated, integrated, yet easy-to-use product that boosts a casino’s ability to improve customer loyalty, reduce costs, expand market share, and increase profits.

Explore the benefits of CRM for your casino with AIM today.

Look for the next post in this series: Part 2: What’s App? Media channels you can’t live without!