MRI Casino Marketing Blog
Transmedia Set to Transform Casino Marketing

Whether it's the casino industry or any other type of business, today's marketers are dealing with more options and distribution channels than ever before. Past channels like direct mail, radio and print advertising are now joined by email, social media, video – and that's just the start. If your casino business isn't making the most of these available channels, you're likely missing out on connecting with potential customers.

Cross-Platform Innovation and The New Transmedia

Enter transmedia. Transmedia marketing involves offering content that promotes a brand via multiple platforms that include the latest digital technologies.
To be fair, the "new" buzzword transmedia isn't really new; advertising campaigns have always had to be effective on a cross-platform level. Newsletters and sales letters must be direct and personal; billboards and direct mail aim for maximum punch and impact, and radio commercials use audio to paint an attractive proposition in the listener's mind.

A Multitude of Marketing Options

The new channels available to marketers are not only evolving the idea of cross-platform campaigns; they also allow for a more dynamic expansion of creativity through the current exploding multimedia practices and technologies. A challenge comes in where some of these channels overlap; a sales letter or email newsletter can be a vital part of a marketing campaign, and in some cases can easily stand on its own. But how might video and social media enhance its effect? How can you make the most of your available distribution channels without being redundant and displease the audience?

While transmedia itself isn't new, the way it has evolved in the last decade is. It has been influencing books, movies, television and just about every form of media on a larger and larger scale. Its influence has expanded to the point that if you look closely, you'll likely see a listing for some type of "transmedia producer" in the credits for most movies. The growth and proliferation of the Internet has sparked an additional vast array of digital considerations for marketers.

Making Transmedia Work for You

As a busy casino owner, you're probably already starting to get the picture of how transmedia can help you and your business. Your campaigns must draw in your ideal gamblers, get them engaged with your brand, and keep them coming back for more.

Through integrated transmedia services, you can connect with your audience in multiple mediums and channels through a fluid, ongoing narrative. Your website along with Facebook®, Twitter®, email, YouTube® and other key platforms will be utilized in optimal ways. Your campaign will be expertly threaded across all platforms using a compelling narrative. Putting this into practice, you'll see how elegantly the different channels can interact with one another. Transmedia is vastly different than simply setting up a slew of social media accounts; with transmedia, the key difference is a dynamic, ongoing dialog and storyline that links everything together in an irresistible way.

Transmedia Case Studies

A TV show on the AMC network called "The Walking Dead" illustrates the point. This show about zombies is wildly popular now, but less than five years ago few knew of it. It actually began as a comic book, which led to "webisodes" -- short videos available only via the internet. The webisodes offered additional insights into the world and lore of the comic book, and the combination eventually spawned the current television show. These days, webisodes and other media continue to augment and promote the TV series, and there is now an interactive website and mobile apps. One mobile promotion around Valentine's Day offered a way for users to "zombify" themselves using the apps. (What better way to say "I love you"?) The point is that all of these mediums dovetailed with one another to create a highly successful transmedia campaign.

While the above story is a masterful example, the truth is that transmedia is largely untapped in most industries. Casinos, for example, haven't really touched it yet; none of the live shows make use of it. Digital marketing is likely to change all of that very soon. Imagine the attention when viewers are able to choose the ending of a live show on the night they go see it!

A recent article by Christine Weitbrecht explored the highly successful "Hunger Games: Catching Fire" Transmedia campaign. Granted, the big movie studios have a lot of resources at their fingertips; however, interactive and effective transmedia need not cost a fortune. A targeted suite of ideas can draw a lot of interest. A simple scavenger hunt or treasure map with a compelling storyline can get the buzz started. Consumers are far more likely to participate in something that is interactive versus just hearing about it in a static way.

The Internet and social media were the first steps; now it's time to bring it all together. Are you ready for transmedia to transform your casino marketing?