Inside Asian Gaming

inside asian gaming January 2016 38 CASINO MARKETING Casinos are in the business of creating unforgettable experiences. Our patrons are whisked into a world where anything can happen, where time stops, chandeliers and cocktail glasses sparkle, and the outside world melts away. Getting a better response from a casino offer O ur industry is incredibly good at getting people in the door. And yet … we’re always wondering if we could do better. Why don’t we have a larger share of wallet? Why don’t more restaurant guests convert to loyal players or vice versa? How do we get more of an edge on the competition? I’ve spent years helping casino marketing teams use technology to craft more effective incentives for guests. Over that time I’ve seen a lot of reasons why marketing offers underperform — below are my observations about the three biggest reasons why incentives fail. Mistake #1 The offer isn’t what the customer wants. Deciphering what your players want is no easy task. Netflix and Amazon, with their sophisticated recommendation engines, have mastered the art of delivering personalized web experiences tailored to the specific needs and habits of each individual customer, and casinos (like just about every other business) are trying to duplicate their success. Unfortunately, a huge number of casino executives tell me that they have a treasure trove of data but aren’t doing a good job of analyzing it. As one skilled marketer told me recently, “We’re still pretty darn far from unlocking those magic insights that everyone keeps promising us.” Casino marketers, of course, are not alone. Analytics is a weakness in many digital marketing programs. In one recent study, 37 percent of companies reported that they desperately needed marketers with better data chops. Good data analytics tools aren’t Aron Ezra is the CEO of OfferCraft, a behavior modification technology firm. For more information on how to use games off the gaming floor, or to schedule a demo, visit www.offercraft.com. By Aron Ezra