Taking Casinos by Storm in 2010
Revelation
I had a revelation that I thought my readers would want to hear. As the newest part of the mobileStorm team, I need to know what it is that I am selling. Up until recently, company efforts centered a ton of focus around the SMS platform. I think that is due to the overwhelming response by marketers to step into text messaging in 2010. In 3, 5 or even 10 years, SMS could die and another channel will take its place as the primary channel for mobile devices. I think we are just misnaming what it is that marketers are trying to grasp. It is something with longevity and based on a relationship between man and his ability to interface with the rest of the world from anywhere. The “cell phone” represents a gateway to what all of us crave…interaction with other people, access to knowledge, entertainment, help, etc.
A Pair of Golden Handcuffs
There is a relationship between this device and the person using it. The vast majority of us cannot live without our cell phones and that addiction is very deep with those of us that have smart phones. Focusing on this relationship between a device that provides this gateway and the individual is what was just recently discussed at a panel discussion on social media at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E.) Troy Simpson, Director of Innovation for Barona Casino spoke on this very subject and called this relationship “a pair of golden handcuffs”. He said more money will be spent on harnessing the power of this relationship between people and their “devices”.
With all this said, I will be out there positioning mobileStorm as the partner that can help casinos and other relevant companies master all of the facets of the this relationship and provide a way for them to intervene and participate in a meaningful way. This presentation of mobileStorm’s role with respect to clients reaching their customers provides a “timeless” ability in specializing in connectivity with each client's respective target audience in a truly one-to-one way. For now we are focusing on SMS as the application by which mobileStorm can be a valued partner. With this thought process, voicemail and email become very relevant channels in this mastery. As more services and platforms are created and others go away, we will always be the experts in managing the relationship between people and their devices.
Palms Players Club SMS Campaign
Over 7 days mobileStorm teamed up with the Palms Casino Resort to demonstrate a wholeistic understanding of a relationship between a casino gamer and their mobile device. We demonstrated a campaign that uses the mobileStorm's SMS platform to manage this relationship in a beneficial way to a casino. This “test” was intended to drive players club sign-ups. The campaign ran live at G2E from November 13 thru November 20. Casino professionals from all over the US got to watch it unfold. The campaign featured the following elements at the Palms:
- Free Standing Posters
- Slot Bank End Caps
- Elevator Posters
- Television Screens near Club Palms and the Front Desk
The campaign was also implemented on 7 bus stop shelters at key locations on the Strip provided by Outdoor Promotions with two (2) :15 video animations running on 70” plasmas within 10 minutes of video content for maximum frequency. The centerpiece of the campaign was a 3D Screen provided by Magnetic 3D which had a special lens on a 42” plasma that merges 10 moving images simultaneously to create and unbelievable 3D effect without the need for special glasses. The 3D screens were placed in front of the valet entrance at the Palms to engage people walking into the property. Inserts (4” X 5”) were placed in cars at valet as well to catch those leaving the property.
The offer was high-value; a New Year's Eve weekend with Maroon 5. Once people have opted in to win the New Year's Eve package, they received a series of offers until they headed to Club Palms to sign up and redeem. The text offers deployed were progressively better and better over 72 hours. The strategy mimicked the excitement and anticipation of "Deal or No Deal". The offers were very aggressive in terms of attracting players and were tracked using unique keywords for each medium utilized in the campaign. The campaign ran from the Thursday prior to G2E (11/12) until the folloiwng Thursday (11/19) to give the test weekend traffic numbers.
mobileStorm managed the entire campaign including the production of animation through strategic partners (mobileStorm, Outdoor Promotions/Posterscope USA, Environmental Ink, etc.). All of this was FREE for this test except for the printing which Environmental Ink helped to control costs for those relevant items listed above. A cost per acquisition model will be derived from this campaign.
We are experts at delivering messaging to mobile devices and providers of the tools and knowledge to do so. This ideology gives mobileStorm “lasting power” and will position us to lead the industry well past the existence of SMS. If you would like to hear about the results or learn about an upcoming test campaign with an "unannounced" casino partner on the Las Vegas Strip, please feel free to shoot me an email....darren@mobilestorm.com or check out mobileStorm's Digital Marketing Blog.
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