In October of 2009 we mentioned a great example of mobile as part of a casino’s customer engagement strategy. Good case studies are easy to remember, so I was not surprised to see this article today on MobileMarketer.com about where this business is evolving its approach to mobile.
I thought this was worth highlighting to show that mobile is not an “all or nothing” proposition, but that a phased approach to engaging customers in the mobile channel often makes the most sense.
Within the casino itself, mobile gaming is being introduced via proprietary mobile devices from a firm called eDeck. These will provide on the go access to a variety of traditional games such that patrons can enjoy gambling wherever they may be within the property. It’s an example of “micro mobile marketing,” in that customers are confined to a particular space that lends itself to mobile enablement in this fashion. The upside for the casino will surely be more revenue while offering another channel of interaction with its customers. Those two objectives are common among leading mobile marketers, whether their customers are more or less confined to a particular space or not.
While the article does not say so, this statement suggests the casino’s prior efforts around SMS text messaging programs to create an opt-in database of mobile subscribers will be used to help promote the new offering:
“Hard Rock will target its existing database and create eDeck awareness throughout the property.”
Other casinos will probably follow suit, or perhaps develop smartphone applications offering a similar experience in order to reach a greater number of potential customers than with a limited number of proprietary devices.
