The Importance of Sensory Marketing in the Casino
BY NATHAN GREEN
At New Level Radio, we consider ourselves “music experts.” For the last 13 years we’ve helped businesses all over the U.S. enhance the guest experience by implementing targeted and
strategic messaging programs that have proven ROI.
But there is much more that can be done to entice your customers to stay longer and spend more by utilizing sensory marketing. In other words, in addition to what we hear, there are four other senses that can be tickled.
Casinos, in particular, have a built-in advantage in that guests entering the property are already seeking out a good time. The atmosphere is inherently stimulating and guests’ senses are already being enlivened as soon as they walk through the door, thanks to flashing lights, the sound of chips hitting the table, the distinctive scent of a casino and slot machines chirping.
A successful sensory marketing and branding strategy will elicit a guest’s beliefs, feelings, thoughts, and memories and quickly create a lasting brand image in that customer's mind. This can be accomplished by triggering all five senses.
SIGHT
The eyes contain two-thirds of all the sensory cells in a person's body, so sight is the most prominent of all human senses. When people “hear” information, they're likely to remember only 10% of the details three days later. But if relevant “visuals” are paired with that same information, people retain 65% of the information three days later, according to a Brains Rule study.
With that said, it’s pretty clear that utilizing a tool such as video messaging can play a key role in creating that “best-night-of-my-life” atmosphere. Video walls are affordable and can brighten up the casino floor and differentiate space. The correct visuals in prime locations will make the entire ambience and surroundings more memorable while delivering a “location-based experience.”
SOUND
Once a sound wave reaches your ear, your brain recognizes it in 0.05 seconds. That’s 10 times faster than a blink of an eye!
So, it’s only natural that the first thing that registers with a customer when he or she walks into your casino is sound. Not what they see. Not what they smell. It’s what they hear that travels fastest to their brain.
A targeted music and messaging program unique to a casino’s layout and customer demographic will help keep the customer on property longer, increase spend, allow the atmosphere to match the casino’s brand, and even boost employee productivity.
TASTE
The sensorial strategy of taste is difficult to master in casinos, but taste-buds can most certainly be stimulated by recall for anyone who has had a previous experience with a casino’s restaurant or a specific beverage, which can encourage sales and create an enjoyable experience.
SMELL
Smell is 10,000 times more sensitive than taste because it taps directly into our memory.
In 1995, Dr. Alan R. Hirsch conducted an experiment with scented and unscented slot machine areas in a Las Vegas casino, and found that the amount gambled in the scented area increased by more than 45%.
A unique smell or odor can very quickly and easily stir emotion and create feelings of nostalgia. Every casino has a certain smell, and the nose will prompt the brain to think about a previous big win at a certain table game or slot machine, or harken back to a memorable event, encounter or evening at that property.
FEEL
Touch is a powerful sense, and casinos can capitalize on it in many ways, and not just with poker chips or slot machines.
For instance, an interactive concierge is not only trackable, but it allows guests to control their visit with a simple touch, and engages them as they look for their favorite restaurant or receive directions to a certain place in the property.
Many casinos are also now utilizing virtual concierge programs, which put the property brand directly on a guest mobile device and, in turn, stimulates the sense of “touch.”
If you’re looking to create the optimal atmosphere at your business, New Level Radio will develop a 100% customized and curated in-house strategy that’s unique to your property.
About Nathan Green
Under the guidance and vision of Nathan Green and his partner Sam Ambrose, New Level Radio launched in 2007, creating a new niche in the radio and music industry. Today, the Denver-based company delivers customizable radio networks for hundreds of businesses all over the U.S., particularly the casino industry. When he's not on an airplane or creating a new playlist for a property, Nathan is typically at home in Denver with his wife and kids, working on new ventures, running a road race, or listening to music with the volume turned up to 10.
