The casino industry is one of the most lucrative and glamorous industries in the world. While many people associate casinos with gambling, some casinos offer non-gambling attractions such as restaurants, hotels, event spaces, and entertainment venues. To reach the right audience, casinos must create the perfect blend of fun and sophistication to keep customers coming back for more.
From the dazzling lights and joyful sounds of slot machines to the waft of scented oils that help players relax, casinos strive to create a manufactured blissful experience for their guests. They also spend a large amount of time and money on security to ensure that their customers are safe and secure while they gamble.
While these strategies have been successful for many casinos, they must adapt their marketing tactics to attract Millennial and Gen Z patrons. These audiences are less likely to trust traditional advertising methods, and instead rely on recommendations from friends and other consumers. To boost customer confidence, casinos should highlight positive reviews and testimonials on their website and social media pages. In addition, they should consider partnering with e-sports teams and events to expand their audience reach.
In the early 1990s, Martin Scorsese was still riding the wave of success from his mob drama Goodfellas. His next project was to adapt a fact-based book about organized crime in Las Vegas, and it seemed like the perfect vehicle for his most charismatic stars, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. Despite some bravura set pieces and an unapologetic celebration of violent criminality, Casino is ultimately more rueful than celebratory. It is a portrait of a city that seems lost in its own ambitions.
As with all Scorsese films, the violence in Casino is shocking and at times gratuitous. The torture of a thug with a vice, the attempted murder of De Niro’s character by car bomb, and the death by overdose of Pesci’s character are all disturbing. But the point is not to shock for its own sake; it is to illustrate how real-life casino moguls use violence and corruption to gain an unfair advantage.
Marketers have long focused on demographics to understand their target audience’s motivations and pain points. For example, a group of women at a casino may be a certain age range or income bracket, but they could be there to celebrate a bachelorette party, a business meeting, or a family reunion. By using a “jobs to be done” framework, marketers can better understand their target audience’s true motivations and what they need from the casino experience. For example, a group of women on a business trip may need an easy and flexible work environment with fast Wi-Fi, convenient food options, and places to charge their devices. By focusing on these needs, marketers can build trust and loyalty with their audience. This type of targeted marketing is more effective than relying on demographics alone.