Marketing costs down, results up
Station Casinos of Nevada conducted a thorough study of customer behavior and spending habits using information compiled under the Boarding Pass loyalty program. The data enabled the firm to analyze customer habits over 500 different sources, including gaming, accommodation and restaurants, according to Forbes.??
The 18-month project enabled Station to improve the results of its marketing efforts at casinos including the Red Rock Resort, the Green Valley Ranch Resort, and 17 other venues.
“We wanted to find out more about our guests’ habits for each of our casinos, and to better see what they like doing,” said Karen O’Dell , IT project director at Station Casinos. She added that the operator was interested in knowing how consumer habits had changed in the aftermath of the Great Recession. “People’s habits changed,” she said. “We really needed to see what the new habits were.”
With information gleaned from the study, Station now can match marketing campaigns to actual customer behavior. The results have been gratifying, with Station Casinos cutting nearly 8 percent of its monthly marketing budget so far. The effectiveness of its promotions is also up, resulting in a 4 percent increase in slot revenue and a 14 percent improvement in guest retention.
According to a study by GLS Research, though gambling is down in Las Vegas, visitation is high, and tourists are increasingly spending on food, nightclubs and shows.
