tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62914188208025614032024-03-28T05:22:05.382-04:00Casino MarketeerNews, information and trends pertaining to the world of interactive marketing and its application to the casino industry.Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.comBlogger265125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-21577237467090947282010-08-17T06:06:00.001-04:002010-08-17T06:06:00.170-04:00Playdom and Harrah's Interactive Entertainment Team to Launch the Official World Series of Poker® Game on Facebook and Other Social NetworksJuly 29, 2010: summarized from MarketWire -- With the 2010 World Series of Poker down to the Main Event November Nine, and with record breaking participation in this, its 41st year, the world's most popular poker brand is launching an exciting social network poker application.<br /><br />The competition is just heating up on Facebook with the launch of WSOP poker. Poker players across the globe will be able to engage in the WSOP experience all year long.<br /><br />Harrah's Interactive Entertainment, Inc. (HIE) has entered into an agreement with privately-held Playdom, Inc., a Mountain View, California-based social games company, with more than 46 million active monthly users across their network of games.<br /><br />Playdom will re-launch its existing online poker game, Poker Palace, by re-branding the Facebook game with the "World Series of Poker" brand and will work with the HIE team to create one of the most fun and social poker games available on social networks.<br /><br />"We are very excited to bring the thrill and excitement of the World Series of Poker to the social gaming space with Playdom," said WSOP Vice President Craig Abrahams. "We will immediately start to work on enhancing the game, bringing unique WSOP promotions and sweepstakes into the offering and ensuring that the battle for WSOP virtual championship bracelets can become a Facebook-friendly endeavor."<br /><br />The WSOP-branded poker game launches globally this week and can be found initially by visiting http://www.facebook.com/WSOP, with added social networks like MySpace and others following soon.<br /><br />"There is only one brand in poker that stands out and that is the World Series of Poker," said Sean Phinney, Vice President of Business Development for Playdom. "We think big brands will win on social networks and we are excited to start working together to create a unique and fun social gaming experience."<br /><br />Game enthusiasts will be able to choose from a variety of different poker offerings at WSOP on Facebook including single table play money, virtual cash games and single-table tournaments featuring both full-table and short-handed play. All poker play will feature play money only. Among the offerings coming soon include the battle for virtual WSOP bracelets, as well as opportunities to enter sweepstakes that award prizes including trips to Las Vegas and seats to live WSOP events.<br /><br />The game is expected to evolve over time, adding regular updates and enhancements. In addition, a variety of other social gaming platforms will be offered to play the game globally.<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://bit.ly/94Aryt">http://bit.ly/94Aryt</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com240tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-88131732255790463182010-08-17T06:05:00.000-04:002010-08-17T06:05:00.153-04:00Ontario Set to Bet on Legalized Online GamblingAugust 7, 2010: summarized from Toronto Star -- Ontario is poised to roll the dice on Internet gambling as British Columbia, the United States and other jurisdictions clear the decks for legalized online gaming.<br /><br />“At this point it’s something we can’t ignore,” a government official told the Star Friday. “It’s something that we’re exploring.”<br /><br />While it’s not clear how soon Ontarians could be playing Texas Hold ‘Em poker, roulette or baccarat on their computer keyboards through a provincially run website, the government is clearly warming to the idea. Some experts estimate online gambling is growing at a rate of 20 per cent annually.<br /><br />The policy signal comes just months after Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation chairman Paul Godfrey, on his first day on the job in February, said it’s time the province took a look at online gambling.<br /><br />“Money is going out of this province to other provinces as well as offshore sites,” warned Godfrey, who was brought in by Premier Dalton McGuinty’s government to put the scandal-plagued lottery corporation on a solid footing.<br /><br />At the time, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said it was too early to say whether Internet gambling was in the cards for Ontario – which is fighting a $19.7-billion deficit this year as the Liberal government approaches a re-election fight in October 2011.<br /><br />But the tide on Internet gambling appears to be turning around the world, with governments softening their views on outright bans in favour of regulating and profiting from gambling that is already taking place under their noses.<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://bit.ly/csVXL9">http://bit.ly/csVXL9</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com180tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-7945661283502152092010-08-17T06:04:00.000-04:002010-08-17T06:04:00.040-04:00What Americans Do Online: Social Media and Games Dominate ActivityAugust 2, 2010: summarized from NielsenWire -- Americans spend nearly a quarter of their time online on social networking sites and blogs, up from 15.8 percent just a year ago (43 percent increase) according to new research released today from The Nielsen Company. The research revealed that Americans spend a third their online time (36 percent) communicating and networking across social networks, blogs, personal email and instant messaging.<br /><br />“Despite the almost unlimited nature of what you can do on the web, 40 percent of U.S. online time is spent on just three activities – social networking, playing games and emailing leaving a whole lot of other sectors fighting for a declining share of the online pie,” said Nielsen analyst Dave Martin.<br /><br />- Online games overtook personal email to become the second most heavily used activity behind social networks – accounting for 10 percent of all U.S. Internet time. Email dropped from 11.5 percent of time to 8.3 percent.<br />- Of the most heavily-used sectors, videos/movies was the only other to experience a significant growth in share of U.S. activity online. Its share of activity grew relatively by 12 percent from 3.5 to 3.9 percent. June 2010 was a major milestone for U.S. online video as the number of videos streamed passed the 10 billion mark. The average American consumer streaming online video spent 3 hours 15 minutes doing so during the month.<br />- Despite some predictions otherwise, the rise of social networking hasn’t pushed email and instant messaging into obscurity just yet. Although both saw double-digit declines in share of time, email remains as the third heaviest activity online (8.3 percent share of time) while instant messaging is fifth, accounting for four percent of Americans online time.<br />- Although the major portals also experienced a double digit decline in share, they remained as the fourth heaviest activity, accounting for 4.4 percent of U.S. time online.<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://bit.ly/9lkqH9">http://bit.ly/9lkqH9</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com73tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-48299254567299783842010-08-17T06:03:00.001-04:002010-08-17T06:03:00.153-04:00On the Web's Cutting Edge, Anonymity in Name OnlyAugust 4, 2010: summarized from Wall Street Journal -- You may not know a company called [x+1] Inc., but it may well know a lot about you. From a single click on a web site, [x+1] correctly identified Carrie Isaac as a young Colorado Springs parent who lives on about $50,000 a year, shops at Wal-Mart and rents kids' videos. The company deduced that Paul Boulifard, a Nashville architect, is childless, likes to travel and buys used cars. And [x+1] determined that Thomas Burney, a Colorado building contractor, is a skier with a college degree and looks like he has good credit.<br /><br />The company didn't get every detail correct. But its ability to make snap assessments of individuals is accurate enough that Capital One Financial Corp. uses [x+1]'s calculations to instantly decide which credit cards to show first-time visitors to its website.<br /><br />In short: Websites are gaining the ability to decide whether or not you'd be a good customer, before you tell them a single thing about yourself.<br /><br />The technology reaches beyond the personalization familiar on sites like Amazon.com, which uses its own in-house data on its customers to show them new items they might like.<br /><br />By contrast, firms like [x+1] tap into vast databases of people's online behavior—mainly gathered surreptitiously by tracking technologies that have become ubiquitous on websites across the Internet. They don't have people's names, but cross-reference that data with records of home ownership, family income, marital status and favorite restaurants, among other things. Then, using statistical analysis, they start to make assumptions about the proclivities of individual Web surfers.<br /><br />"We never don't know anything about someone," says John Nardone, [x+1]'s chief executive.<br /><br />Capital One says it doesn't use the full array of [x+1]'s targeting technology, and it doesn't prevent people from applying for any card they want. "While we suggest products that we believe will be of interest to our visitors, we do not limit their ability to easily explore all products available," spokeswoman Pam Girardo says.<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://bit.ly/c794vB">http://bit.ly/c794vB</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com151tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-30231213691413883932010-08-17T06:02:00.000-04:002010-08-17T06:02:00.150-04:00Zynga Pulls FarmVille Off MSN GamesAugust 10, 2010: summarized from Inside Social Games -- Zynga has removed its hit game FarmVille from MSN Games, one of the bigger game portals around, we’ve learned. Zynga first added FarmVille to MSN in February.<br /><br />This is not the first time that Zynga has pulled a game from a platform. The company did the same with the social network Tagged, canceling a much-discussed partnership.<br /><br />The departure from MSN looks much more notable, in the grand scheme. MSN itself claims to have about half a billion monthly users worldwide between Games and Messenger — equal to what Facebook claims for itself.<br /><br />One of the big stories in social gaming right now is that developers are interested in moving beyond Facebook, keeping a line back to the social network’s graph with Connect. With partnerships like FarmVille on MSN, Zynga has been a leader in that move.<br /><br />But it appears that Zynga didn’t find the traffic MSN produced meaningful enough to continue running FarmVille on the Microsoft platform. Since MSN is traditionally one of the biggest gaming sites on the web, Zynga’s departure suggests the traffic other social developers are hoping to find off of Facebook may be more difficult to find than expected.<br /><br />A lackluster performance for FarmVille on MSN may also serve to explain why Zynga appears to be putting much of its energy into mobile apps, and international markets like Japan and China. There’s still hope for the US market, though, at least judging by Google’s investment of up to $200 million in Zynga and plans for a new social effort.<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://bit.ly/bGmqw1">http://bit.ly/bGmqw1</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com333tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-12896704972910693012010-08-17T06:00:00.000-04:002010-08-17T06:00:06.096-04:00Scientific Games Acquires GameLogic Software and Related AssetsAugust 5, 2010: summarized from PRNewswire-FirstCall -- Scientific Games Corporation has acquired substantially all the assets of GameLogic Inc., a provider of interactive marketing services for the U.S. regulated gaming industry, including GameLogic's software for internet-based loyalty programs for lottery players as well as an extensive suite of interactive games and other related intellectual property. Scientific Games has also hired several key members from the GameLogic development and marketing teams. Scientific Games intends to integrate the GameLogic assets with its existing Properties Plus™ business.<br /><br />GameLogic, based in Waltham, Massachusetts, was founded in 2002 and developed a number of web-based loyalty programs for the casino industry before recently expanding its offerings to serve the needs of lotteries. GameLogic has a library of over 90 interactive games available for entertainment purposes or to award prizes, along with a complete lottery players club website and back-end infrastructure.<br /><br />Scientific Games has been a leader in providing internet services to the lottery industry since 2001 when it offered the first second chance promotion entry website. Scientific Games has developed over 200 websites for lotteries over the years and has provided players clubs/loyalty services to several lotteries, including lotteries in Arkansas, Michigan, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Tennessee.<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://bit.ly/aaiwD0">http://bit.ly/aaiwD0</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com619tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-49413263337472124552010-08-03T06:07:00.000-04:002010-08-03T06:07:00.585-04:00Report on the Frank Bill AmendmentsGamblingCompliance has issued an Exclusive Report on the Frank Bill Amendments following the House Financial Services Committee’s approval of Rep. Barney Frank's bill to regulate online gambling in the United States.<br /><br />This Report contains key analysis from our US journalists and lawyers based in our Washington D.C office. It also provides a summarized table which lays out the core elements of the approved Amendments with voting patterns, and focuses on the potential impacts upon the following sectors:<br /><br />Tribal Gaming, State Lotteries, Payment Processing, Sports Betting, Off-Shore Gaming Interests, State Opt-Out Periods, Consumer Protection and Advertising Regulations.<br /><br />Download report at: <a href="http://scr.bi/9VWRNX">http://scr.bi/9VWRNX</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com172tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-58792954310485059102010-08-03T06:06:00.000-04:002010-08-03T06:06:00.515-04:002010 Annual Game SurveyNewly released survey revealing that online versions of First-Person Shooter Games have dropped in popularity, while traditional Board and Puzzle Games continue to remain strong. The survey revealed some interesting findings, confirming some of what you may believe and likely breaking down misconceptions about gamers. Among the highlights of the 2010 survey, Blockdot found:<br /><br />- Most dramatic shift in gaming preferences since 2008: First-Person Shooter Games, once very strong with males, are now losing appeal. 20% decline in positive intent to play and 70% increase in negative intent.<br /><br />- Puzzle Games remain extremely popular with female players. Action-Puzzle Games is a growing genre for both males and females.<br /><br />- Traditional Board Games remain one of the most popular gaming genres, with 88% of females and 80% of males indicating a positive intent to play these games<br /><br />- Most desired new trend of games is the ability to earn trophies and achievements.<br /><br />- 49% of participants have a webcam, but only 17% use it.<br /><br />- Very few participants have used their webcam for Augmented Reality games — while a quarter of participants don’t know what Augmented Reality is.<br /><br />- Despite the growing attention focused on multi-player games, most people still prefer single-player game play.<br /><br />Download report from: <a href="http://scr.bi/dqyQif">http://scr.bi/dqyQif</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-19259121708340598012010-08-03T06:05:00.000-04:002010-08-03T06:05:00.228-04:00Amazon Says E-Book Sales Outpace Hardcovers<em>Editor’s Note: Another great example of the rapidly changing way consumers are interacting with media.</em><br /><br />Amazon.com Inc. said it reached a milestone, selling more e-books than hardbacks over the past three months.<br /><br />But publishers said it is still too early to gauge for the entire industry whether the growth of e-books is cannibalizing sales of paperback books, a huge and crucial market.<br /><br />In a statement Monday, Amazon's chief executive, Jeff Bezos, also countered the perception that sales of the company's Kindle e-reading device had suffered due to competition from other devices, such as Apple Inc.'s iPad.<br /><br />Borders Launches eBook Store, BlackBerry and Android Apps. Access thousands of business sources not available on the free web. Learn More .He said the growth rate of Kindle device sales had "reached a tipping point," having tripled since the company lowered its price to $189 from $259 last month, following a similar move by competitor Barnes & Noble Inc. to cut the price on its Nook e-reader.<br /><br />Amazon said Kindle device sales accelerated each month in the second quarter—both on a sequential month-over-month basis and on a year-over-year basis. But the statistics that Amazon shared were all relative—it didn't share actual sales figures. The company has never said how many Kindle devices or e-books it has sold.<br /><br />Barnes & Noble, the nation's largest bookstore chain retailer, also has "seen a big uptick" since it cut the price of its Nook e-reader, a spokeswoman said.<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://bit.ly/9VfyDK">http://bit.ly/9VfyDK</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-88379935857673359042010-08-03T06:04:00.000-04:002010-08-03T06:04:00.107-04:00Customer Loyalty Called a Must-Win for CasinosJuly 28, 2010: summarized from Las Vegas Sun -- The increasing popularity of gambling and casinos as mainstream entertainment is a double-edged sword for casino operators that must compete with properties offering the same games and similar entertainment options.<br /><br />This makes casinos more dependent on marketing — and the battle for customer loyalty all-important.<br /><br />Harrah’s Entertainment founder Bill Harrah took this to heart more than 30 years ago with the introduction of Premium Points — a predecessor of the company’s Total Rewards loyalty club that distributed paper tickets to customers who won slot jackpots, redeemable for products such as TVs and golf clubs.<br /><br />Customers hoarded these tickets, the low-tech equivalent of last century’s S&H Green Stamps, saving up for bigger-ticket items and returning to Harrah’s to accumulate points playing mechanical slots, former Harrah’s CEO Phil Satre recalled at a recent conference.<br /><br />Satre, who lives in Reno, retired in 2004 but is still in demand for his business insights. He serves on numerous corporate boards and made a rare appearance in Las Vegas last week.<br /><br />Satre imparted some marketing lessons to casino operators at the sixth annual Casino Marketing Conference at Paris Las Vegas.<br /><br />“Change creates an opportunity to learn,” he said. “It’s in these times of great change that those who capitalize on it create inordinate wealth.”<br /><br />Satre joined Harrah’s in 1980 when the company had only two casinos. When Nevada’s casino industry viewed the fledgling business of riverboat and Indian casinos with trepidation, Satre saw opportunity. Under his tenure, the company grew exponentially, transforming from a small, regional casino operator to a nationwide casino chain.<br /><br />If Harrah’s hadn’t taken advantage of the spread of casino gambling, others would have — and did, he said.<br /><br />Much of the company’s growth can be traced to Total Rewards, a 12-year-old loyalty program that has boosted profit at Harrah’s casinos relative to competitors lacking a comparable program. Believing that the company’s future lay in its marketing strategy, Satre hired a Harvard University marketing professor, Gary Loveman, as the company’s chief operating officer, setting up an epic battle between Loveman, now Harrah’s CEO, and his team of marketing technicians and old-line casino operators.<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://bit.ly/9alAK3">http://bit.ly/9alAK3</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-11430752472268171482010-08-03T06:03:00.000-04:002010-08-03T06:03:00.091-04:00Europe Unleashes Online Gambling to Fill Coffers<em>Editor’s Note: Can the United States be very far behind?<br /></em><br />July 27, 2010: summarized from the New York Times -- PARIS — Across Europe, cash-strapped governments looking for ways to reduce yawning budget gaps are embracing online gambling, a source of revenue they once viewed with wary skepticism.<br /><br />While U.S. opposition to Internet betting has centered on concerns about gambling addiction, European politicians previously objected for a different reason: liberalizing the practice, they feared, would undermine state-sponsored lottery monopolies and gambling operators.<br /><br />But more and more gamblers are spurning land-based casinos anyway, and logging on to Internet poker and sports betting sites — many of them based in places that are out of reach of tax collectors. As public finances worsen, governments are trying to bring this once-shadowy business into the mainstream of Europe’s digital economy, where it can be regulated and taxed.<br /><br />“What’s happened is a realization that you can’t uninvent the Internet,” said David Trunkfield, a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. “People are gaming online. You either try to regulate and tax it, or people are going to go to the offshore operators, where you don’t get any revenue.”<br /><br />France, which only four years ago jailed the top executives of an Austrian Internet gambling company, Bwin, when they visited France, last month permitted private companies like Bwin to start taking bets online, in competition with publicly owned gambling sites. Denmark approved legislation in June authorizing a similar shift. Greece plans within weeks to introduce a bill legalizing online gambling, which is currently banned.<br /><br />Others considering liberalization include Switzerland, Spain and Germany. They are all following Britain, which in 2005 became the first big country in Europe to confer respectability on the business, and Italy, which has been phasing in legalized Internet betting over the past three years.<br /><br />Meanwhile, lawmakers in several U.S. states, including New Jersey, California and Florida, have independently floated proposals for legalizing some kinds of online gambling, taking advantage of what supporters call a loophole in the 2006 federal law, potentially permitting such activity as long as it does not cross state borders. So far, however, no U.S. states have actually gone as far as British Columbia, in Canada, which has legalized some kinds of online gambling.<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://nyti.ms/9a8qqt">http://nyti.ms/9a8qqt</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-61943122798931105142010-08-03T06:02:00.000-04:002010-08-03T06:02:00.767-04:00Google Develops a Facebook RivalGoogle Inc. is in talks with several makers of popular online games as it seeks to develop a broader social-networking service that could compete with Facebook Inc., according to people familiar with the matter.<br /><br />Google has been in discussions with top developers to offer their games on a new service it is building, these people said. Those developers include Playdom Inc., Electronic Arts Inc.'s Playfish and Zynga Game Network Inc.—a company in which Google recently took a financial stake, these people said.<br /><br />It is unclear when Google may launch the new gaming offering and the plans aren't finalized, but people briefed on the matter said the games would be part of broader social-networking initiative that is under development by the Mountain View, Calif., company.<br /><br />In an interview this week, Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt declined to confirm the development of a social-networking service that would incorporate social games, rumored to be called "Google Me." When asked if Google's service might resemble Facebook's, Mr. Schmidt said "the world doesn't need a copy of the same thing."<br /><br />Google's push into social games represents the latest attempt by the Web-search leader to capture users and advertising dollars that are increasingly flowing to social networking, an area dominated by Facebook, Twitter Inc. and others.<br /><br />For social-game developers, a successful Google offering would mean they wouldn't be so heavily dependent on Facebook, where the vast majority of users access the games. Consumers' appetite for social games is booming— Zynga's "Farmville" game has more than 60 million active monthly users—and that is attracting bigger players looking to tap new sources of growth. On Tuesday, Walt Disney Co. acquired Playdom for $563.2 million plus up to $200 million more if performance targets are reached.<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://bit.ly/9WyKOp">http://bit.ly/9WyKOp</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-1643361389817305352010-07-20T06:05:00.000-04:002010-07-20T06:05:00.083-04:005 Social Media Trends to Watch Right NowJuly 6, 2010: summarized from Mashable.com -- With social media itself an exponentially growing trend that’s here to stay, many companies both small and large are keeping tabs on new social technologies as they emerge. With new sites, services, apps and practices that help businesses connect more directly with customers coming online at a rapid pace, it’s often helpful to zoom out a bit and keep an eye on upcoming trends on the cusp or just over the horizon.<br /><br />Whether or not particular individual services succeed, the following trends are likely to stick around in the near-term future. Some may not be immediately relevant to your company or industry, but being aware of oncoming movements in the social media landscape can help keep you and your business out ahead of the curve when a new trend holds promise for your organization’s growth.<br /><br />1. Location, Location, Location<br />From Foursquare to Gowalla - it’s all the rage: sharing where you are, where you’re going, where you’ve been – and being able to tell it to your friends…mobilecasting? Competition amongst mobile brands vying for "location mindshare" is heating up. "Checking in" has become second nature, and part of the parlance. Twitter now enables local information to be attached to tweets. Google Latitude lets you update your location automatically in conjunction with privacy settings. Facebook will soon follow suit. And as a marketing opportunity, geolocation is good news for brands of all sizes.<br /><br />2. Group Buying<br />Top two sites, Groupon and Living Social, have helped spur consumers to band together to leverage bigger deals and deeper discounts in specific cities. Depending on the number of users who sign on for that day’s deals, everybody can benefit from the offer. But if too few sign up, nobody gets the deal. The local factor plays a key role here and daily deals are an alternate way to reach new customers. Social media as economic leverage?<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://bit.ly/cdGICF">http://bit.ly/cdGICF</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-55942336850347969682010-07-20T06:04:00.000-04:002010-07-20T06:04:00.867-04:00Participation Marketing - Playing Your PartWhen you hear the term "participation marketing," what comes to mind? Do you associate it with engagement marketing, direct marketing, or even permission marketing? Do you immediately think of social media, or campaign customization? In fact, participation marketing is all of these things and more. It's about encouraging Internet users to participate in your digital campaigns. But it's just as much about your brand participating in the online experience.<br /><br />Now more than ever participation marketing is expected; Internet users anticipate the opportunity to interact with brands online. As you saw last week, those marketing in association with the World Cup have been focusing on interactivity, inviting users to customize and personalize online media in support of their preferred team.<br /><br />Participation marketing is essential at times like this. We're in the midst of an international obsession that resonates so strongly with consumers that they want nothing more than to be a part of it. Brands that can offer them the chance to feel included will succeed in attracting their attention. Even if the chance to participate seems relatively inconsequential (creating a virtual team jersey for example, or painting one's face on a Facebook profile picture), this simple, but meaningful act gives consumers the chance to be a part of a cultural trend.<br /><br />That isn't to say participation marketing must be limited to major cultural events. Digital marketers are eternally finding good excuses to incite participation in their everyday campaigns. Regardless of their campaign objective, most marketers value the importance of creating positive product associations, increasing brand familiarity, and encouraging a level of interaction that will boost affinity and recall. Participation marketing is ideally suited to accomplish all of these things, because it's primarily about two things: engagement and customization.<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://bit.ly/aBPwDK">http://bit.ly/aBPwDK</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-64384669113965046182010-07-20T06:03:00.000-04:002010-07-20T06:03:00.799-04:00Online Gambling Is Illegal, But Betting Sites’ Logos Often In Nevada CasinosJuly 13, 2010: summarized from Las Vegas Sun -- Black-market online gambling companies have a considerable presence on the stage that is Las Vegas.<br /><br />Those who watched the start of the World Series of Poker main event at the Rio this month were just as likely to see logos for online gambling companies as they were to see the tournament’s ubiquitous poker chip icon.<br /><br />Internet casinos pay tournament winners, celebrity players and other high-profile gamblers to wear their logos, and wannabes wind up wearing a lot of the same logos.<br /><br />Despite the federal government’s long-standing position that online gambling is illegal, such brand advertising has moved into the mainstream, with logos appearing on the shorts of mixed martial arts fighters, the green felt of gaming tables and advertising banners adorning Las Vegas casinos.<br /><br />Lately, some area casinos have entered into sponsorship deals with online gambling sites and the celebrity poker players hired to promote them.<br /><br />Now, the Nevada Gaming Control Board is taking a closer look at many of those arrangements.<br /><br />One primary target of the Control Board’s recent attention is the Venetian, which hosted a traveling poker tournament in February sponsored by PokerStars.net.<br /><br />Years ago, gambling companies created separate, free-play tutorial websites ending in “.net” — thinking they would be protected from federal government prosecution. American broadcasters and Nevada gaming regulators have historically accepted this form of advertising because these Web portals don’t offer real-money gambling. And yet, while ads for these .net Internet poker sites continue to be broadcast on American TV, the Control Board, upon further investigation of such sites, has more recently concluded that there’s little difference between .com and .net sites because they are owned by some of the same corporate entities and individuals.<br /><br />Control Board member Randall Sayre takes a dim view of .net sites.<br /><br />“We are concerned that Nevada licensees are associating with companies that are ... purposefully violating the law,” by continuing to accept wagers from Americans even as they advertise .net sites in this country, Sayre says.<br /><br />Whether a casino company is violating state law by affiliating with a .net site would depend on how the relationship is structured, he adds.<br /><br />Sayre clarified the Control Board’s position on Internet gambling relationships in May when he responded to a query from a casino company (which the board will not name) and distributed his written response to the Nevada casino industry.<br /><br />The Venetian then dissolved its sponsorship arrangement with PokerStars and its North American Poker Tour.<br /><br />“We don’t have any current relationships with any of the online companies. Obviously, we’re going to follow” the Control Board’s lead, Venetian spokesman Ron Reese says.<br /><br />Sayre won’t comment on the Venetian deal or discuss any other specific casinos and their advertising or marketing arrangements, though he said some casinos are in the process of dismantling or changing contract terms.<br /><br />His letter urges the industry to be cautious. The Justice Department “has shown no indication of relaxing its position and interpretation that Internet gambling in any form is illegal in the United States,” the letter notes.<br /><br />The ubiquity of online gambling brands in Las Vegas remains a murky subject, in part because of the Control Board’s unwillingness to comment on specific casinos or deals that cross the line in favor of pursuing private discussions with casino companies. The May letter notes that the board is “assessing these relationships on a case-by-case basis ...”<br /><br />The federal government has taken the lead on Internet gambling by charging online gambling operators with money laundering and mail fraud, among other infractions. Internet gambling is, after all, an interstate, even global, enterprise. Nevada regulators, lacking the resources, jurisdiction or will to prosecute offshore gambling companies — have taken a backseat role. Still, the Control Board has a requirement to ensure that Nevada casinos aren’t doing business with illegal entities, Sayre says.<br /><br />Nevada’s two largest casino companies, Harrah’s Entertainment and MGM Resorts International, have been careful in recent years not to enter into direct deals with Internet gambling companies that accept bets from Americans, even as they urge lawmakers to legalize Internet gambling so they can capitalize on demand and diversify their bricks-and-mortar casino empires.<br /><br />Read more at: http://bit.ly/dnsXSaCasino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-41197354222630198082010-07-20T06:02:00.001-04:002010-07-20T06:02:00.718-04:00How Social Media Drives New Business: Six Case StudiesJuly 17, 2010: summarized from TechCrunch -- Businesses both big and small are flocking to social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Foursquare. The fact is that a presence on these platforms not only allows companies to engage in conversations with consumers, but also serves as an outlet to drive sales through deals and coupons.<br /><br />And while major brands like Starbucks, Virgin, and Levi’s have been participating in the social web for some time now, the rate of adoption among small businesses is increasing too. According to a recent University of Maryland study, social media adoption by small businesses has doubled from 12% to 24% in the last year. But as these businesses look to Facebook and Twitter to connect with customers, many are finding that some strategies work and some do not produce results. We’ll be exploring these questions at a panel on Social Media and Businesses at our Social Currency CrunchUp on July 30. We’ve found some local and national businesses using social media effectively, ranging from Levi’s to a creme brulee cart, whose case studies are below. Some of these businesses will be sharing their experiences at the CrunchUp.<br /><br /><em>Levi’s</em>: Now more than ever, retail brands are engaging consumers on social networks to offer deals, allow users to socialize around purchases, and more. Levi’s Jeans was one of the brands that was first to use Facebook as a tool for sales and marketing initiatives and has launched a number of compelling campaigns using Facebook.<br /><br />As one of Facebook’s initial partners using the social network’s new Like functionality, Levi’s allows Facebook users to like products on Levi’s online store and its Facebook page (which has nearly 500,000 likes) and share their favorite items with their friends. Within the first week, Levi’s got more than 4,000 likes, says Inside Facebook.<br /><br />The jeans giant also promoted a major campaign in conjunction with SXSW this year, partnering with music publication The Fader to promote a music event at the festival. The company worked with brand marketing platform Involver to incorporate music and video into their page, with the hopes of driving music fans to buy jeans from the Levi’s brand. Most recently, Levi’s has begun to promote retail offerings with geo-targeted event advertisements on Facebook.<br /><br />In terms of Twitter, Levi’s recently enlisted a “Levi’s Guy,” 23-year-old USC graduate Gareth, to engage consumers on the microblogging platform. He has over 6,000 followers and is responsible for responding to and engaging in conversations about the Levi’s brand on Twitter. The company is currently in the process of trying to find a Levi’s Girl, which will serve as a female foil to Gareth.<br /><br />Levi’s director of digital marketing, Megan O’Connor, told us that the engagement with both Twitter and Facebook is about creating and informing brand ambassadors that will help drive sales through their own actions and word of mouth.<br /><br /><em>Starbucks</em>: Most experts will agree that Starbucks has one of the best social media strategies out there. Now that it is giving away free WiFi, it is even more of a magnet for roving laptop warriors. And with 10 million Facebook fans, Starbucks is now close to surpassing the Facebook fan base of Lady Gaga. The company has held a number of promotions on its page to drive engagement. For example, Starbucks held a promotion for free pastries on its Facebook page, allowing customers to access a coupon that would give them a free pastry with a purchase of a coffee drink. Advertising on the social network has also helped to drive traffic to Starbucks’ page.<br /><br />In terms of Twitter, Starbucks has also been incredibly active on the microblogging network, amassing nearly one million followers. Not only does the company’s Twitter stream serve as an engagement tool with customers who are talking about the brand on Twitter, but it is also used as a way to spread news from Starbucks. Starbucks has also participated in Twitter’s promoted Tweets program, which allows advertisers to buy sponsored links on Twitter.<br /><br />The combination of geolocation and social networks is also a huge avenue for Starbucks and the company was one of the first major brands to broker a deal with popular location-based social network Foursquare. In March, Starbucks started offering Foursquare mayors of retail stores special ‘Barista’ badges that would come with discounts on drinks and food. Starbucks also partnered recently with mobile social network Brightkite to give members special discounts on drinks.<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://tcrn.ch/aiFrLY">http://tcrn.ch/aiFrLY</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-34769755791514018572010-07-06T06:05:00.000-04:002010-07-06T06:05:00.657-04:00Game-Based Marketing Author Shares Insights On Scoring Loyalty Points With FunwareIn an era where the Internet reigns supreme and social interactions account for a large portion of consumers’ online activity, the ever-present question is how to integrate these trends into marketing. Videogame innovator and entrepreneur Game Zichermann explores the concept of “Funware,” a new model for incorporating and leveraging games and game mechanics to reach today’s customers, in his book “Game-Based Marketing: Inspire Customer Loyalty Through Rewards, Challenges and Contests.”<br /><br />Retail TouchPoints had the chance to catch up with Zichermann to learn more about what motivates consumers best, content that sticks and how the lessons from Facebook’s Farmville game can be leveraged in retail.<br /><br />Retail TouchPoints: Although the Internet has been established as a place to harvest buzz and social interactions, a marketing model that actually leads to reliable revenue is not in plain sight. What are your thoughts on this? How does game-based marketing integrate?<br /><br />Gabe Zichermann: While Google has been a major force in driving the discoverability of brands and retailers online, the massive concentration of pay-per-click advertising in their channel plus the ease of browsing online have eroded e-retail brand relationships substantially. “Game-Based Marketing” is the first book to really look at how brands can engage with consumers using the tricks and techniques of videogames. Competitive, leading edge companies like Foursquare, Chase and the US Army cut through the clutter and create lasting, durable loyalty through game mechanics like points, badges, levels, challenges and rewards.<br /><br />RTP: A key component to the book is the concept of “Funware.” Can you give our readers a flavor for what this is and how retailers can leverage it to their advantage?<br /><br />Zichermann: “Funware” is the use of game mechanics in non-game contexts, and really springs from the notion that any consumer experience can be made more fun, and through fun, more engaging. One of the simplest “big picture” ideas for retailers is to leverage the lessons of Farmville and refocus loyalty rewards away from discounts and merchandise to “soft” or virtual goods. Example after example shows that consumers are equally motivated by status as they are by cash or prizes, which means that retailers can offer cheaper rewards (virtual branded merchandise, early access to new products/services) in lieu of costly rewards. Such a switch will actually improve retention and sociability (especially among younger demographics) while vastly reducing loyalty program costs.<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://bit.ly/dkp2Uo">http://bit.ly/dkp2Uo</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-87082258247866669482010-07-06T06:04:00.001-04:002010-07-06T06:04:00.293-04:00Internet Gambling Firms Await U.S. Repeal<em>Nearly four years after the U.S. outlawed online gambling, devastating British providers like PartyGaming, tax-hungry lawmakers could soon reverse the ban.</em><br /><br />May 20, 2010: summarized from Bloomberg Businessweek -- London's online gambling giants, led by PartyGaming (PYGMF) and 888.com (EIHDF), are eyeing a return to the vast and lucrative market that dramatically shut the door on them three and a half years ago: the US.<br /><br />When American lawmakers banned internet gambling in 2006, they cratered the share prices of companies which had built almost their whole businesses on offering online poker, casinos and sports betting to US customers from their offshore hubs, all funded from equity fundraisings on the London Stock Exchange.<br /><br />But now there is optimism that the ban might be reversed. The reason? The same cocktail that brought Prohibition to an end during the Great Depression, a realization that the ban is not working mixed with the lure of tax revenues from a legalized industry.<br /><br />PartyGaming is in negotiations with bricks-and-mortar casino operators in the US about possible joint ventures, should the laws be relaxed at a federal level or by individual states, and 888.com, too, is "staying close" to the American casino chain Harrah's Entertainment, with which it already has a tie-up in the UK. Other online sites, too, are ready to jump in with partnership deals or under their own brands, should the law change.<br /><br />It was for this reason that executives across the industry were yesterday glued to a webcast of a sparsely attended hearing in the bowels of Congress, in front of the Senate's Ways and Means Committee. The event gave a hearing to the two lawmakers who are pushing for a reversal of the ban, testing the waters to see if there might be political momentum behind their idea.<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://bit.ly/91yStL">http://bit.ly/91yStL</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-27196349072935280782010-07-06T06:03:00.000-04:002010-07-06T06:03:00.210-04:00Research Report: Blurring the Landscape: How TV is Merging Digital and Traditional MediaThere is a lot of debate right now about how online video and television can work together. The possibilities of digital TV and its place and time-shifting capabilities mean that the line between digital and traditional is increasingly blurred. Online video goes well beyond simply repurposing television content – with opportunities that extend the reach of TV, encourage interactivity and engagement. For agencies and brands, there is a clear need to know how these two platforms – TV and online video – work together; publishers can also benefit from a solid understanding of the interplay between premium-content online video and TV.<br /><br />Download report at: <a href="http://scr.bi/bQJaEU">http://scr.bi/bQJaEU</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-69868125561102796262010-07-06T06:02:00.000-04:002010-07-06T06:02:00.947-04:00Research Report: The Future of Social RelationsThe social benefits of internet use will far outweigh the negatives over the next decade, according to experts who responded to a survey about the future of the internet. They say this is because email, social networks, and other online tools offer ‘low‐friction’ opportunities to create, enhance, and rediscover social ties that make a difference in people’s lives. The internet lowers traditional communications constraints of cost, geography, and time; and it supports the type of open information sharing that brings people together.<br /><br />Download report at: <a href="http://scr.bi/9m4937">http://scr.bi/9m4937</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-84283412798238996322010-06-08T06:06:00.000-04:002010-06-08T06:06:00.050-04:00WMS Survey Shows Shifts in Gambler Preferences, Part 4: Online Casual Gaming and Social MediaJune 1, 2010: summarized from Casino Enterprise Management: -- The 2010 WMS Active Gambler Profile provides an in-depth view of the trends and preferences of today’s active gamblers. Through this report, we learn more about the five forces that are reshaping consumer behavior and the gaming industry in North America. These mega-forces are the economy, changing demography, technology, social media, and values and lifestyles.<br /><br />As we’ve seen, the evolution of technology continues to be a major force reshaping contemporary life and leisure time. The impact of technology is being accelerated by two factors: access to the Internet and mobility.<br /><br />Consider these stats: In 1996, just slightly more than one in 10 (11 percent) households in America had Internet access at home. Fully seven in 10 (70 percent) of U.S. and Canadian households do today. The other major driver in the evolution of Internet usage is mobility. One statistic takes even seasoned telecom analysts by surprise: There are three times more wireless subscribers worldwide than landline customers! This suggests, the next horizon line for the impact of the Internet on life and leisure time will be through mobile access and usage.<br /><br />WMS remains driven to lead the industry into the future by leveraging technological innovations to create new and exciting gaming experiences. For this reason, this month’s column examines a force that is closely tied to evolving technology: the remarkable transformation of media consumption—including the dramatic growth of online casual gaming and social media—and its impact on casino operators and the gaming industry.<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://bit.ly/b0w5Sy">http://bit.ly/b0w5Sy</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-89572176276618464082010-06-08T06:05:00.000-04:002010-06-08T06:05:00.771-04:00The State of Online VideoJune 3, 2010: summarized from Pew Internet & American Life Project -- Seven in ten adult internet users (69%) have used the internet to watch or download video. That represents 52% of all adults in the United States.<br /><br />Driven by the popularity of online video among 18-29 year-olds, there have been dramatic increases since 2007 in the number of American adults watching:<br /><br />- Comedy or humorous videos, rising in viewership from 31% of adult internet users in 2007 to 50% of adult internet users in the current survey<br /><br />- Educational videos, rising in viewership from 22% to 38% of adult internet users<br /><br />- Movies or TV show videos, rising in viewership from 16% to 32% of adult internet users<br /><br />- Political videos, rising in viewership from 15% to 30% of adult internet users<br /><br />On the other side of the camera, video creation has now become a notable feature of online life. One in seven adult internet users (14%) have uploaded a video to the internet, almost double the 8% who were uploading video in 2007. Home video is far and away the most popular content posted online, shared by 62% of video uploaders. And uploaders are just as likely to share video on social networking sites like Facebook (52% do this) as they are on more specialized video-sharing sites like YouTube (49% do this).<br /><br />Yet, while video-sharing is growing in popularity, adult internet users have mixed feelings about how broadly they want to share their own creations. While 31% of uploaders say they “always” place restrictions on who can access their videos, 50% say they “never” restrict access. The remaining 19% fall somewhere in the middle. And while there is almost universal appreciation for the ease with which video-sharing sites allow uploaders to share video with family and friends, a considerable number (35%) also feel they should be more careful about what they post.<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://bit.ly/9ntnlL">http://bit.ly/9ntnlL</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-62421894971016826232010-06-08T06:04:00.000-04:002010-06-08T06:04:00.359-04:00Online Media Tracking Methodology for Social MediaMay 25, 2010: summarized from ClickZ -- Many marketers still think they can't track social media marketing ROI (define). They say it's so new and hard to define that the old metrics and tracking technologies just can't be applied. This widespread perception is reflected by comments in major publications (I have taken out their real names, but I assure you the quotes are real and recent):<br /><br />"The problem with trying to determine ROI for social media is you are trying to put numeric quantities around human interactions and conversations, which are not quantifiable...What you're trying to do is assign multiple choice scoring to an essay question. It's not possible." -Principal, social media marketing agency<br /><br />[Figuring out the ROI of social media] "is the million dollar question." -Director of corporate branding, major retailer<br /><br />However, as a person coming from the online media world, I never accepted that. When it comes to online, everything can and should be tracked.<br /><br />You can track social media ROI just like online media and search, and even layer on a few extras!<br /><br />The difference is that, unlike paid search, online media, and other online marketing tactics, the social channel can take more time to mature and the results can take longer to be realized.<br /><br />For many of the metrics, there is no need to reinvent the wheel - one can look at the same performance indicators in use for online today such as clicks, cost per click, leads, cost per lead, and even revenue.<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://bit.ly/9EfDYq">http://bit.ly/9EfDYq</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-55549031654341462162010-06-08T06:03:00.000-04:002010-06-08T06:03:00.309-04:00Are You Engaging or Interrupting?Remember back when a marketer's primary goal was to catch the attention of consumers in any possible way? The content of the ad, brochure or sign seemed to take a backseat to the need for catching a consumer's attention for just a split second. The methods used to grab attention became more and more extreme as shock advertising, sexual innuendos and outrageous imagery took center stage in marketing.<br /><br />However, with the growth of social media, marketers have learned that simply interrupting the online conversation doesn't always lead to sales, nor does it lead to positive word-of-mouth marketing. Now the goal of marketing is engagement. Consumers want to know, what are you going to tell them after you interrupt them?<br /><br />Marketers have discovered that there is tremendous value in building brands and relationships through long-term social media strategy vs. short-term direct-marketing tactics on social websites.<br /><br />Does that mean there is no place for interruption marketing on the social web? No. Carefully executed direct-marketing tactics that truly add value to the user experience online can be very successful.<br /><br />For example, Dell's @delloutlet Twitter stream is very popular and features a great deal of tweets announcing discounts and special offers. However, the people who follow the @delloutlet stream know what kind of content they're going to get before they choose to follow it. Because of their expectations from the brand, they don't turn away from the direct-marketing messages they find there. They actively choose to follow that Twitter stream because they want to be interrupted with the valuable offers communicated there.<br /><br />Interruption and engagement marketing can coexist online, but it takes research and planning to achieve success.<br /><br />You need to understand who your customers and target audiences are, and what they want from your brand and your business. Then you can create the kind of content and conversations your target audiences want and need on the social web destinations where they already spend time.<br /><br />Lastly, create niche content on your own branded online destinations that directly meets the wants and needs of the target audiences, and invite them to spend time on those destinations to access more valuable content.<br /><br />The key is to surround consumers with branded online experiences and let them select how they want to interact with your brand. By cross-promoting your efforts and executing a fully integrated marketing plan, consumers are able to connect with you and experience your brand in the ways they choose. In other words, they feel empowered and in control of their relationships and interactions with businesses and brands. Don't aspire to just interrupt them unless they have already demonstrated their willingness to listen beyond the interruption. Instead, engage and add value to boost your long-term social media marketing success.<br /><br />Make your marketing messages last beyond an interruption by starting every online marketing brainstorming session with this question: Once we interrupt the audience and get their attention, what are we going to tell them to keep them engaged?<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://bit.ly/9VsJ2X">http://bit.ly/9VsJ2X</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6291418820802561403.post-85731705456374518232010-06-08T06:02:00.000-04:002010-06-08T06:02:00.733-04:00Executives Outline Future of Server-Based GamingMay 26, 2010: summarized from Las Vegas Sun -- Server-based gaming has been the most talked about technology among gaming manufacturers in recent years, but the technology will be a gradual change for both customers and operators, slot tech executives said Tuesday at the Gaming Tech Summit at Green Valley Ranch.<br /><br />Server-based gaming allows casinos to have slots connected through a network. It lets operators change themes, promotions, the amount that can be wagered and the hold at a touch of a few keystrokes.<br /><br />CityCenter’s Aria paved the way for deploying server-based gaming in newly built casinos. Almost half of the Aria casino floor is server-based, totaling about 900 games from manufacturers International Game Technology and WMS Gaming. The floor will have 100 percent server-based gaming by the summer as more manufacturers receive regulatory approval on their games.<br /><br />While executives say Aria represents the future of server-based gaming, it isn’t realistic for all operators. Wiring an existing casino floor to accommodate the technology is an expensive proposition for casinos hard-pressed for cash in today’s economy.<br /><br />“It comes down to us being flexible manufacturers. Let’s build it on your terms,” said Mark Pace, WMS vice president of network gaming.<br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://bit.ly/93rJM2">http://bit.ly/93rJM2</a>Casino Marketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15095100370721306184noreply@blogger.com7