Windfall is an enormous new undertaking that has, without hyperbole, affected every aspect of how Red Wind does business. Windfall is powered by the EPICENTRAL Print System, manufactured by TransAct Technologies, Inc., which Red Wind is the first casino in the entire nation to utilize. The system is installed onto all of the casino’s 975 slot machines. Players are randomly selected and provided with personalized rewards that print directly from the slot machine. Red Wind is then able to market directly to their players, providing the casino with a competitive edge in the market and fostering greater customer loyalty.

KK BOLD has been working with Nisqually Red Wind Casino for months in anticipation of Windfall’s launch in the last few weeks. As part of the enormous marketing promotion, we have produced four individual TV spots, four radio spots, print advertisements, billboards, on-site signage, digital signage, direct mailers and e-mailers to spread the word. The EPICENTRAL Print System is a contractual exclusive to Red Wind, so central to Windfall’s marketing has been hyping that it can only be found at Nisqually Red Wind Casino. Also, because of the enormous scope of Windfall’s effect on Red Wind’s business model, their monthly newsletter, the Breeze, had to be redesigned to reflect the changes Windfall would bring about. Essentially, an enormous amount of work has gone into the marketing of Windfall, and the results are starting to come to bloom.

Nisqually Red Wind Casino general manager Quinton Boshoff says that the program has been in effect for several weeks, and the first reviews from customers are “overwhelmingly positive.” He adds that both visitors and the casino are seeing immediate results. “For Nisqually Red Wind Casino, it is all about providing our players with the greatest value,” adds Boshoff. “Whether you are a regular player or a first-time guest, you will have a unique, personalized experience.”

The launch of Windfall has firmly positioned Nisqually Red Wind Casino as a national leader in the Indian gaming industry in implementing the latest innovations in communicating with patrons, incentivizing additional play and driving traffic to other parts of the casino property. KK BOLD is extremely proud to have assisted Nisqually Red Wind Casino in this extraordinary promotional launch, and we both look forward to seeing just how much more benefits there are still to be gained from this Windfall.

Visitors to the new GPIGA website will discover a newly redesigned format, with bright colors and easier navigation. Information about the association and forms for upcoming events are all easily accessible. The website features links to the GPIGA Facebook page and YouTube channel. In the coming weeks, the GPIGA will be adding more pictures and updated information to the site.

Beyond the website, KK BOLD will be providing our casino marketing expertise to marketing-related workshops at the Great Plains, Midwest, Rocky Mountain Annual Conference & Tradeshow, to be held at the same time as GPIGA’s Annual Conference and Tradeshow on May 21 to 23 at Mystic Lake Casino in Minnesota. This conference is considered to be the largest Indian Gaming tradeshow in the region.

“We are very excited about our new website and our partnership with KK BOLD,” says GPIGA Executive Director J. Kurt Luger. “The team at KK BOLD has been very professional and we look forward to sharing their work with our membership. A new website is a great way to kick off the New Year.”

At long last, Minnesota Twins broadcaster and former player Bert Blyleven was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame this year. If you are not familiar with him, Bert enjoyed a more-than-two-decade-long major league pitching career, posting 287 wins, 3,700 strikeouts and 60 shutouts. These are impressive stats, and, one would think, sufficient to guarantee a no-brainier Hall of Fame selection.

Bert, however, had to wait through 14 long years of eligibility. A 75 percent affirmative vote from the baseball writers association is required to gain entry. Year after year, Bert came up short, finally squeaking by in 2011 with 79.7 percent of the writers voting that he did belong. On the other hand, another player, in his first year of eligibility, was elected with a 90 percent vote total.

Why did Bert have to wait so long? I believe Bert could have used some large doses of PR advice during his time in the wilderness. Advice like, “Don’t whine incessantly on air and in the press every year you don’t make it, Bert”. Advice like, “ Your hell-raising, mooning, prankster reputation and the way you continue to talk about past exploits does not impress a stodgy, bound-by-tradition group like the baseball writers association.

Bert was know as the “hotfoot” king during his playing days, among other things, including his propensity to “break wind” in public at almost any time. He was once photographed wearing a T-shirt proclaiming his love of flatulence. In recent years, his broadcast partner at times comments on the quality of the air supply they share in the broadcast booth. I would expect a PR professional would have advised Bert to “give that a rest” while trying to help him with his Hall of Fame entrance difficulties.

Then there was the infamous 2006 on-air incident: It seems Bert thought he was taping a TV promo and dropped some inappropriate epitaphs on what was live television. This gaffe resulted in a seven game broadcast suspension and likely a few more years of Hall of Fame purgatory. I can hear a PR practitioner uttering, under his/her breath, “Can you say damage control or crisis management?” Bert, of course, did apologize, but then attributed the length of his suspension to “the FCC and that Janet Jackson thing at the Super Bowl.”

As one PR person told me long ago, “No matter what you do, sometimes you just can’t save someone from themselves.” I’ve had occasion to also use that quote over the years during some exasperating experiences. Anyway, I’m glad you finally made it in Bert. Too bad you had to wait so long.

Wayne Kranzler is the CEO of KK BOLD. He currently has no T-shirts proclaiming his love of flatulence.

Wait, how is this new, you ask. People have been running ads during sitcom reruns for years. Yes, they have. But I didn’t say “advertisements during.” I said “advertisements inside.” As in, they are actually literally inserting advertisements inside of the sitcom itself. A picture may help.

If you look carefully in the helpfully circled background, you might notice something peculiar about the back of that magazine. Despite being from an episode of How I Met Your Mother that originally aired in 2007, that magazine has an advertisement for the movie Zookeeper starring America’s greatest funny man Kevin James on its back. What witchcraft is this? Did some time traveller travel backwards through time and leave that magazine in Robin Scherbatsky’s apartment? Oh, the conspiracy goes much deeper than that. For you see…

In the original episode, Robin didn’t even have a magazine rack back there! They rearranged the entire apartment’s layout! The fiends!

Digitally inserting advertisements into reruns of old shows isn’t actually a new practice. This has actually been occurring for many years now, it’s just that no one noticed because that’s the whole point. It’s called “virtual advertising,” the “insertion of virtual signs, banners, logos and the placement of virtual products into TV shows.” The purpose of virtual advertising is to subliminally insert the idea of the product into your head while you’re watching television. It’s advertising that doesn’t let you know that you’re being advertised to. Is it effective? Yeah, kind of. Is it ethical? Depends on your definition of ethical, I suppose.

So why are marketers resorting to practices like virtual marketing, when they seem to be borderline skeezy? Simple, really. With the proliferation of DVRs, people just don’t watch ads on TV anymore. Since you can easily fast forward through the advertisements, there’s no point in sitting through them any longer. Which means if marketers want to get viewers to see their products, they have to get them into the programs themselves. This is accomplished by sponsorships of sporting events, product placement within programs, and even through means like virtual advertising. Going forward, it may not even be necessary to have commercial breaks in the future. You’ll get to watch your program for the entire thirty or sixty minutes it’s on, but that entire time you’re watching, your mind will be literally bombarded with brand names and products for the duration. There will be no escaping the advertising, because the advertising will be the entirety of the program. Fun, right?

The good news is that at least ten years in the future, when you finish watching your latest episode of NCIS: The Next Generation on your iChipInsideYourHead and you suddenly have a profound and unexplainable desire to go see Zookeeper 4: Even More Farting Talking Animals, at least you didn’t have to sit through clips of the movie before seeing it. Which is a kind of victory, I guess.

Erik Hagen is a copywriter and social media writer for KK BOLD. You should go buy Crest toothpaste.

Ask any random person you run into at a casino what reason they had for coming out that day and you’ll get any number of answers, but the two answers you’ll get most often are to have a good time and to win some money. There’s a perfectly good reason for that: That’s what casinos are for. A weekend trip to the casino is designed to help you put your worries behind you and have some fun in an exciting environment with a chance to walk out a little richer than when you came in. So why do so many casino marketing programs gloss over that broad appeal of a trip to the casino in favor of pushing the same tired and overused giveaway-of-the-month promotions instead?

Month after month, casinos trot out the same bland promotions to draw customers in. Truck giveaways. Boat giveaways. Cash giveaways. Truck, boat and cash giveaways. Giveaways are favored by casino marketers because they’re easy to advertise, and they promise the allure of winning BIG. Everybody dreams of driving home from the casino in a brand new car. It’s a great lure. But ask yourself this: How many of your customers on any given weekend came to your casino specifically because of the promotion you’re having? Do you think it’s a majority? Probably not. Most likely, your big splashy promotion was something they participated in because they were already there. It may be the cherry on top of the sundae, but it’s not the sundae itself.

As a customer, which of the following sound the most appealing to you – a jackpot on a slot machine, a great run on the blackjack table, receiving exceptional customer service, having a good, affordable meal with friends, sleeping overnight in a clean and comfortable room, or having a possible chance of winning a big prize? The casinos people come back to are the ones that can offer those first five options every single time they visit. Can you remember any one time you ever chose to stay in a glamorous Vegas hotel because of the prize drawing you could register for at the lobby? Why should a visit to the casino be any different?

Yes, timely, exciting, well-executed promotions can be very effective for generating traffic, boosting buzz and increasing revenue. Nobody can dispute that. But the key is in keeping your promotions fresh and relevant in the minds of your consumers. It’s very easy to fall into a routine with your promotions. Don’t. Don’t repeat the same giveaways month after month, year after year. And always remember that if this month’s promotion isn’t exciting enough to move your customers to action, it’s the unique appeal that your casino provides that none of your other competitors can offer that’ll bring ‘em out anyway.

We believe at KK BOLD that fortune really does favor those who think boldly. And part of bold thinking is keeping your ideas fresh. If your competitors are too reliant on the repetitive marketing of their promotion of the month, then take advantage of their laziness and offer your customers something they won’t – Something they’ve never seen before on top of an exciting night at the casino, every time they come, guaranteed. If your marketing is boring, then so is your casino, and nobody goes to a casino to be bored. Don’t be afraid to let your marketing come at your customers in directions that others don’t. We can help you rethink your approach with your marketing plan. If you’d like to discuss ideas like this one, call LaRoy Kingsley or Stephanie Shoenrock at 888.255.9950.

I just returned from Phoenix where Stephanie Schoenrock, Bree Smith and I attended the NIGA (National Indian Gaming Association) annual convention. The convention combines a trade show with training and seminars and annual elections for the head positions of the association’s leadership. The number of attendees seemed to be down a little, but considering the economy in certain parts of the country, that seemed to be expected.

This year we took part in the exhibition side of the convention for the first time and had a booth at the trade show. Stephanie and Bree also attended several informative training seminars and came away impressed with the quality of information presented. As was to be expected, we met many people, made a few good contacts and did our best to introduce KK BOLD to a wide range of individuals and businesses. The response we received was very positive. We discussed social media, online marketing and data analysis at every turn. Conversations about heavy competition, ailing economies and government turmoil however were common and profitability concerns and maturing markets seemed to loom larger in people’s minds than I’ve seen in many years.

On the flip side though, the one thing that seems to ring clear about difficult times is they tend to make people and business smarter and more innovative. It forces them to deeply evaluate procedures and programs. It makes them put more value on dynamic, forward thinking individuals and it puts a premium on vendors and suppliers who can help take them to the next level. There is no place for wasted talents, over inflated budgets and marketing that misses the mark. The successful properties are hiring the best talent they can find. They are demanding solutions that produce results and they are hungry to know what the market demands are now and what they will be tomorrow.

For me personally, the most impressive part of the convention was far and away the level of talent of the people I met. From marketing directors to slot managers to data engineers, it is clear that Indian Gaming is attracting and retaining some of the best and brightest. People who are pushing the industry forward with their expectations and raising the bar on quality standards to levels this business has not seen before. KK BOLD has been directly involved in Indian Gaming since 1993 and it is an industry  we love and because of the people I left the convention feeling really good about where Indian Gaming is headed and proud to be a part of it.

One last note…the people in the convention business in Phoenix do a great job. From restaurants to hotels (we stayed at the downtown Sheraton) to the convention center itself, we had nothing but positive experiences. Thank you.

LaRoy Kingsley is the President of KK BOLD. He neglected to bring back any souvenirs.

In the unending quest for new business, casino marketing managers know that social media is steadily outpacing traditional media as one of the primary ways to reach prospects. That’s where younger potential customers are turning and your current guests are getting their information.

Social media puts control in the prospect’s hands and allows him to talk back. Yes, even word of mouth has gone digital. No other communications medium in history has encompassed the advantages of all the others: the ability to spend time with it, like print. The color and motion of TV. The soundscapes of radio. The targeting of direct mail. The boldness and economy of collateral.

Social media has it all. And it offers you and your casino a choice. Ignore it at your peril. Or embrace it and learn how to leverage it.

KK BOLD bills itself as a brand-building agency designed for a digital world. We’ll show you how to simplify your social-media campaign with the tools you must use to promote yourself now. We’ll also show you how to moderate feedback and monitor all your messages across multiple platforms at a glance.

We’ll do your banners, blasts, news feeds, status updates, tweets, blog, videos and more. We do it for several successful gaming venues. We can do it for you, too.

Next Steps

If you haven’t seen our work yet, by all means, go to our portfolio and see it now. If you’d like to discuss a new initiative or project with KK BOLD, please call LaRoy Kingsley or Stephanie Schoenrock at 888.255.9950.

KK BOLD’s media department may shock a few casino marketers by telling them what they don’t need in their media mix. You may not need television, and we’ll tell you so. If direct mail is your best bet, we’ll have the research to back up that claim.

We size up your competition, your geographic area, your target audience and their habits, plus about a billion other things, and come up with a customized media plan that not only maximizes your reach and frequency, it may actually (horrors!) save you money with its efficiency.

If a casino owner frets that he never sees his ads anywhere, there is but one logical question to ask: Do you want KK BOLD to place your ads where you’ll see them, or do you want us to place your ads where your customers will see them?

It all comes down to reach vs. targeting. We’ll work with you to determine which approach is better, and which media best serve your needs. The answer may surprise you, but your spreadsheets will look better in the long run.

Next Steps

If you haven’t seen our work yet, by all means, go to our portfolio and see it now. If you’d like to discuss a new initiative or project with KK BOLD, please call LaRoy Kingsley or Stephanie Schoenrock at 888.255.9950.

Since a casino’s database can be sliced, diced, shuffled, intertwined, rearranged and  bollixed any number of ways, it makes sense to partner with someone who knows their way around such volatile stuff. That partner should be KK BOLD.

We’ve done so much direct-mail promotion for so many casinos, we’ve practically tattooed ourselves with bar codes. We know how to talk to the various tiers in your database, and what offers will drive them back to your establishment. We deal in cash backs, free plays and points on a daily basis, always finding creative new ways to make your offer sparkle just a little bit more than theirs.

We work with you, your department, and your database to keep those always-changing numbers changing for the better. And we’re looking beyond direct mail as the medium of choice for getting your message out.

As digital marketing continues to assert itself with targeted e-mail messages to customers of all demographics, we’ve just begun to harness all available venues of online marketing, creating messages that reach your prospects faster. Someday soon, you’ll make offers customized not by tier but by personal habits. We can spot the difference between a real player and a wannabe. And we can help you develop offers for both.

Next Steps

If you haven’t seen our work yet, by all means, go to our portfolio and see it now. If you’d like to discuss a new initiative or project with KK BOLD, please call LaRoy Kingsley or Stephanie Schoenrock at 888.255.9950.

You market two things when you market a casino. First, you market the facility itself. The rooms, the dining, the experience. That sort of thing.

And then there’s the marketing of the promotions. The incentives and rewards that nudge your audience into action.

Why a two-pronged approach? Because every casino needs three more things:

1. New customers.
2. Retention of existing customers.
3. Customers at other casinos switching to yours.

So you have to appeal to the folks who already like you. And to the younger folks who will be your steady cash flow tomorrow.

And you’ve got to compete for these people. You’re up against lotteries, movies, home video, bowling, bars, the Internet and even (!) reading.

You can’t do it with short-term thinking alone. You need marketing that does more than get you noticed. It must get results.

That’s where KK BOLD comes in. Results for our gaming clients is a matter of record. Hey, if it didn’t, we wouldn’t be here.

Whatever your message, whatever the medium, we’ve got the chops to not only make folks sit up and take notice, but to like what they notice.

Next Steps

If you haven’t seen our work yet, by all means, go to our portfolio and see it now. If you’d like to discuss a new initiative or project with KK BOLD, please call LaRoy Kingsley or Stephanie Schoenrock at 888.255.9950.