MARKETING: New tributaries for the revenue stream
by Dennis Conrad
October 21, 2012
I
think we all know that smoking, drinking and gambling tend to go hand in hand
with casinos; even if anti-smokers, teetotalers, and anti-gaming zealots would
disagree.
Then there are a number of other offerings that have
thrived in casinos, like the true pig-out buffet, video poker bars, Krispy
Kreme Doughnut franchises, free pulls on Megabucks, and entertainment lounges
and showrooms.
However, there is another category—things that have been
successful elsewhere that, I believe, would work well in a casino environment.
I call this category Casino Offers in Waiting, although I suppose some of these
ideas may have already been tried in casinos and no one has told me about it
yet.
So without further ado, here is my latest Casino Offers
in Waiting list of old and new offbeat attractions/revenue sources for casinos:
• Strip Clubs—Ladies,
don’t get mad at me about this one (I didn’t say the dancers couldn’t include
men). And I’m not implying this is meant for every casino. I’m just sayin’…
• Buffalo
Wild Wings Franchise—Fun place,
chicken wings are popular, and I think these restaurant-goers would have a
propensity to gamble. And it would be a great venue to watch sporting events.
• Street
Corner Tacos for a Buck Apiece—Serve ‘em
on the casino floor, put a kiosk in the fast food court, or drive business to
an out of the way bar. Just make sure they are authentic and inexpensive. They
will get eaten in prodigious quantities.
• Massage
Chairs—Hey, they
get used in airports, don’t they? Plus, it might make for a time-extending stay
in a VIP slot room.
• Offbeat
Impersonators—I think we
know that “tribute shows” for Elvis, Fleetwood Mac, Johnny Cash and Michael
Jackson will draw crowds. But what about the new or the offbeat? Is there a
Lady Gaga tribute? Or a Stephen Colbert imitator? I know there is a pretty damn
good Obama look-alike working casinos.
• Sales of
Used Dice and Cards from Table Games—Why
wouldn’t you?
• A Gift
Wrap Service During The Holidays—Charge for
it or use it promotionally. And your gift shop would be a good location for it.
• Sales of
Paintings, Portraits and Sculptures from Local Artists—Of course,
it goes without saying that these items should be displayed tastefully
throughout the casino property.
• Fortune
Teller Sessions—These can
be four-walled agreements for unutilized space in some dark corner of the
casino.
• Weddings
in Closed Table Game Areas—Some of
these pits are only open during evenings or weekends. Get a wedding stage set,
a minister, some cake and champagne and start booking appointments!
• Oxygen
Bars—These
would work well as standalones (especially near a casino nightclub), or as part
of the experience at a blackjack table or one of those banks of “community”
slot machines, where players share in certain slot bonuses.
• Photo
Areas—I’m
thinking of those “old time photo” places, where subjects dress up in 1800’s
costumes. But maybe in this case, photos can be taken in dealer, security
officer, cocktail server, and a variety of other casino-specific uniforms.
• Back of
the House Tours—Regulatory
agencies might get worked up about these, but tours of count rooms,
surveillance areas, back of house food prep areas (“look how we serve 5,000
buffet meals a day!”), and other fascinating casino areas hold great interest
for guests.
• Good Luck
Charm Sales—Who
wouldn’t want to have a four-leaf clover, rabbit’s foot, miniature horseshoe
lapel pin, or other such luck symbol before going into battle with the gods of
chance?
• Calendar
Sales—These can
be made of photos of casino property landmarks, department employees, tribal
history icons, even best customers. A charity angle would probably work well
here.
• Caps,
T-Shirts, Mugs, Bumper Stickers with the Casino’s Logo—Feel free
to augment this stuff with any other cool logoed items that players “just gotta
have.” Not only will you make these customers happy, you also get free
promotion for your casino every time they wear or use them.
Casinos are interesting environments. If you think of
them as just tables and slot machines, you may miss some excellent
opportunities to drive additional revenue with promotional-style products and
services. Be observant and willing to experiment with fun ideas or concepts you
think will work in your environment.
I’ll leave you with one more idea—how about offering
low-priced casino scents? You could call it Scents for Cents.
In my mind, that
would make a lot of sense.
Dennis Conrad
Dennis Conrad is the president and chief Relationship Officer of Raving Consulting Company, a full service marketing company specializing in assisting gaming organizations. He can be reached at (775) 329-7864. Visit Raving’s Web site at www.ravingconsulting.com.
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