[00:00:00] Blair: MarTech from a casino, uh, marketing perspective, which is, a very unique industry. It is, 24 7, 365 nonstop. people are the driver of our business in our revenue. [00:00:11] MarTech, compliments that, and in the future will enhance that. [00:00:14] we're in the middle of this massive MarTech transformation and really excited about, what that, is gonna do for our team, and our guests in the future. [00:00:22] ​ [00:00:49] In This Episode --- [00:00:49] Phil: What's up everyone? Today we have the pleasure of chatting with Blair Bendell, senior Vice President of Marketing at Foxwoods Resort Casino. And this episode Blair takes us deep inside the world of casino and [00:01:00] hospitality marketing and the tech that brings it to life. We cover the evolution of casino MarTech, Foxwoods MarTech, and customer data migration to MO engage lessons from implementing a new MarTech platform. [00:01:12] Customer loyalty and personalization in casino marketing and why AI will not fix casino marketing overnight. All that and a bunch more stuff after a super quick word from two of our awesome partners. [00:01:23] ​ [00:03:19] Phil: Blair, thank you so much for your time today. Really excited to chat. [00:03:21] Blair: I'm also excited to chat. You. Um, I don't know if anyone I work with would think I'd be on, um, humans of MarTech, but, uh, here we are, so we'll, we'll see how this goes today, but I'm really happy to be here and, uh, thank you, uh, for, for having me. [00:03:36] Darrell: appreciate your time. Let's jump right into it. So, uh, [00:03:39] 1. Evolution of Casino Martech --- [00:03:39] Darrell: Blair, you've witnessed the hospitality and gaming gaming industry evolve from coin operated slot machines to ticket systems and now to AI driven personalization. How have you seen marketing technology and casino. Uh, evolve over the last two decades and what excites you, what concerns you, like, tell us a little bit about what you think about what's coming for this next phase of evolution. [00:04:02] Blair: Yeah, so I, I generally think, you know, technological, technological innovation, um, has been somewhat behind in the gaming and hospitality industry, uh, due to others, and it's mostly the nature of our. Our business, how we make our revenue. Most, the vast majority of our revenue is on property, um, in person. So, you know, our goals and, and kind of how we accomplish those, uh, go a little different. [00:04:23] So I think what we'll talk a lot about today is how the, the technology compliments, um, that business model and those goals. But there's been so much innovation in the, in the gaming industry. I mean, if you look at a slot machine now, now they're 12 feet tall and they have giant curved touch screens. Um. [00:04:40] Even bingo players, they play bingo on tablets now. So like, it, it is, there's, there's a lot of innovation, but it's all centered around that customer and that on property experience. But, you know, really, um, you know, I think where the biggest opportunity and what is exciting about it is how MarTech and, and AI compliment that experience and [00:05:00] really kind of build a, a more, uh, kind of universal experience around how we communicate with our guests, how we capture preferences. [00:05:07] Um. And, um, and, you know, it's, it's gonna be, um, like I said, I think we're a little bit behind in, in how that, just because of the nature of our industry. But, um, you know, I think there's, there's currently in, in the future a lot of, um, uh, a lot in the works, a lot of opportunity to help, um, you know, build out what that framework is. [00:05:29] You know, the concern I have is, um, is with, uh, more technology. Comes more opportunity. And I think, um, you know, people assume that makes everything easier and, and, and it doesn't. 'cause at the end of the day we, we have to have some people to help drive that process, whether it's our team, um, and we have to have obviously the guest and, and loyalty to do that. [00:05:53] So, you know, a big part of my, my job recently is, is, you know, how do we progress as far as [00:06:00] MarTech goes? Um, and then how do we have the team in place to ensure that they're comfortable with, with where we're going? And that that roadmap. [00:06:10] Phil: Very cool. Yeah. [00:06:11] 2. Customer Loyalty & Personalization --- [00:06:11] Phil: So you actually predicted the, this idea of customized customer comms. Is gonna become this expectation in the hospitality. And, and you kind of touched on this idea that, uh, the industry is a bit slower to adapt when it comes to MarTech and some of these tactics. What does customized communication look like for a casino resort? [00:06:29] And how are you working towards this idea of like one-to-one experiences for guests at the scale that you're working on? [00:06:36] Blair: Yeah. So I'll kind of start to like where we're at today. Um, and, and I think the challenges today is, is we put, uh, guests or groups of guests in large, large buckets. Um. You know, it's generally based on, um, you know, an RFM um, model. And that the, with having that large, um, [00:07:00] those large groups of guests, the, the variations within that is significant. [00:07:04] Right? And, and, but the way we communicate to that is, is somewhat the same. Um, and again, I think that's fairly standard of this industry, although I think we're are certainly migrating to a more one-to-one communication, but. But I, I see us going that way and that's, you know, that's kind of why I'm here today is, is to talk to you about that. [00:07:21] Is that, um, I think it is, is becoming more of an expectation to round out that on property experience to where the pre-booking, post-booking, all the communications in between are not just a noise and are more meaningful. Um, as an example, like, um, you know, we send out offers to hundreds of shows a year, right? [00:07:45] We see how offers to guests that don't like that entertainer never have gone to a show like that and are not going to go to this one. But it doesn't stop us. Um, where I see us going as a very specific, specific [00:08:00] example is, you're a fan, you're a fan of John Legend. We know that 'cause you've gone to a show here at Foxwoods before. [00:08:06] You like to go to the spa, enjoy yourself. Uh uh, you like to go to the steakhouse for dinner, maybe play a lot of slots over a holiday weekend. Um, and then. I want our messaging to reflect that. And it's, it's challenging to do that without the right platform because every one of those variables that you add into that, that you want to execute on or communicate to that very specific guest, um, creates a infinite amount of, um, output. [00:08:36] Um, and with sensitive guest data, with offer types, with, um, with that. So I see that that's where we're going to get to. Um, but we got some work to do to get there. [00:08:49] Darrell: Yeah, I mean, I love. I love the really data-driven approach to personalizing communication. And um, I think it's just that delicate balance, you know, of [00:09:00] these people may not like a certain entertainer or maybe they, you know, they haven't been to the spa before and, um, but that doesn't mean they never will. [00:09:09] So that's, that's kind of interesting. And, uh, I think it's, it's that balance of staying top of mind, um, while also not spamming. I don't know if that's you, you think about that too, Blair. [00:09:20] Blair: I do. We send a lot of emails, a lot. [00:09:23] Darrell: yeah, yeah, I'm sure. But you know, I mean, I think as long as you monitor the unsubscribe rates, you know, it, it's, it's, uh, you can kind of like walk that delicate balance. [00:09:33] Um, but yeah, speaking of like email and messaging, uh, [00:09:36] 3. Using the Right Marketing Channel for the Right Goal in Hospitality --- [00:09:36] Darrell: with guests interacting through different channels, like onsite visits, mobile apps, website, social media, um, like how do you think about all of these different channels like working together? Do you rely heavily on one versus the other? Um, is there a certain time you use one channel over the other? [00:09:53] How do you ensure a consistent personalized message whether a guest is on property, on the phone, or online? [00:09:59] Blair: [00:10:00] It's a, it's a great question and, um, I think it's one of the biggest challenges that we have, uh, in our industry and why we're, we're going kind of this, this next phase. Um, it's not an easy thing to do. Um, and, and, and part of the reason is, is all those different mechanisms, um. Previously for us, were done in different systems, um, um, and executed in different ways. [00:10:23] That makes it even a little more challenging. Um, and that's why we're, you know, we're trying to progress, uh, past that. But, um, you know, I think, uh, you know, the first is, is customer focus first, right? So down to the customer level, how do you prefer to, to, to get your message? I know me personally, I am a lot better with email than I am with, with SMS or push. [00:10:46] To me, if, if something pops up on my phone, if I don't respond right away, um, then it, it can get lost to me. And, and, and I don't have that, um, mentality to go back and check my SMS as I do with email [00:11:00] where I can organize it. And that's just the way my brain works and that's the way I think a lot of our guests, um, enjoy that. [00:11:06] But, um, but we haven't necessarily, it's been more of, uh, the way that we select that channel. To get back to your, kind of, your question is. It's really what we're trying to accomplish, right? So we wanna get, you know, a few tickets sold or a few hotel rooms sold for this weekend. Uh, and, and today is, is Thursday. [00:11:25] Well, the quickest way for us to execute on that would be a push, right? But that's gonna be a different audience because not all guests have our apps, so you're not gonna get a full audience. Um, you know, I never like to do it, you know, kind of blanket through all because I think that can be a little overwhelming and impersonal as well. [00:11:42] So. It's somewhat driven by what you're trying to accomplish. Um, you know, with, we are more, uh, granular with variable data with our email. Um, so we focus on that when we're trying to get more specific offers to guests. So I think previously we've been, um, [00:12:00] we've been, um, it's, it's more that what the message is and, and what the timeliness of that is driving the medium versus, I wanna get to a point on what is the most effective way to get that message to that guest. [00:12:12] Um, based on what, on how they consume information. Like my example with me, I'm better with email, so I, I prefer to get mine email, but I'm, I'm not like every guest. And, and to me that's gonna be, that's kind of part of the, the, um, uh, customization journey. It's not just, um, the creative of the message or the offer in the message, but it's also, um, what mechanism that message is coming through. [00:12:38] 4. Foxwood’s Martech and Customer Data Migration to MoEngage --- [00:12:38] Phil: Talk to us earlier about like selecting the right tooling to bring all of this to life, like figuring out the right channels to use. How many. Touch points should we be using? Thinking about loyalty, bringing people back, um, like you noted this importance of the right data and the right automation platform paired with the strategy. [00:12:59] Talk to us about like [00:13:00] that criteria for evaluating MarTech or even the AI solutions for Foxwoods. Like how do you ensure new tools are actually complimenting your business rather than overcomplicating things? Talk to us about that. [00:13:14] Blair: It's, uh, the, the point of overcomplicating is one of my biggest concerns because, you know, with the advance of MarTech, um, and how it supports our business comes, I feel like sometimes my brain spinning like, we can do this or we can do that, we can do this, but. Is that gonna be, is that gonna be support our goal, even though we can do it and can we do it well, I mean, not just because we're able to do it with a new tool doesn't necessarily mean it's the, it's the right thing to do at the time. [00:13:41] But, um, but you know, I think, um, having a, a more centralized, um, way to do that. In the past, um, we've, we've executed different campaigns outta different systems and, uh, the, the data flow back [00:14:00] into those is, is also separate. So we, we do manage, um, or we do view, um, email open rates and click rates and, and responses based on those. [00:14:09] And we do the same separately with SSMS and, and, and push as well. But, um, but I don't think that's the best way to evaluate, uh, the success of it because there are different systems. Frankly they have different metrics and, and I, I just read the other day where now social media is overtaking some of those other channels as one of the most popular ways to de deliver, um, deliver message to guests. [00:14:33] So, um, so it's really, it's consolidating the data from different, um, uh, from different sources into one, uh, to ensure that you are getting the most effective communication. 'cause when you do that separately. Um, it could look effective, but it doesn't necessarily mean down to the guest level that is the most effective view, um, because, uh, one works [00:15:00] and, and honestly, there's different expectations, uh, through different mediums as well. [00:15:04] Phil: Yeah, definitely agree. [00:15:05] 4.2 Picking MoEngage --- [00:15:05] Phil: So there was like this big switch that happened, uh, within your company recently on, on the MarTech side, right? Like, uh. We know that Fox was recently made a major strategy shift in the messaging, and you chose Moen engage as the partner to be that customer engagement platform side of things for, for the company. [00:15:24] Can you walk us through that decision? Uh, Darryl and I have been part of a lot of migrations and, and implementations. Um, maybe chat about like, uh, the decision itself, but like how did this support this like omnichannel strategy that we've kind of been chatting about? [00:15:40] Blair: I'll tell you it is. Um, it was not an easy decision. It's something that I think, um, is one of our biggest opportunities, um, from. You know, all the customization that we've just talked about. But also, you know, I have a, I have a small but mighty, [00:16:00] um, uh, database team that it is their job to work in this platform every day, all day. [00:16:07] Um, and if, if we were to introduce something, and the other part is we have an IT team with all kinds of different systems in house. So whether it's our gaming system that captures all our gaming data, our hotel system. Our food and beverage system. I mean, we have so, so much data that we can aggregate, um, that we needed a partner that could, um, uh, one, ingest all that, um, and, and, and put it into a form to where we can make sense from our, from what our team can execute on, right? [00:16:41] Because if, if we have all this data, um, and we can't execute on it, then, then it's gonna be, uh, certainly counterproductive to, to state the obvious. So. You know, going through the process was a typical RFP process. Um, uh, we came from a place where we were running, uh, depending on what the, uh, the output was, we were running in [00:17:00] different systems, um, which means you have different, um, uh, data evaluation and, um, and I'm, I'm a big believer that, um, and we have to progress and it's, it's a little, um, uh. [00:17:15] It's a little nerve wracking because, um, you know, not only do we have to onboard, um, migrate over to a new platform onboard our data, um, but we also have to run this, this giant business, uh, every day. Um, so, um, you know, that that can be a challenge because, um, you know, it's, it's a, a significant, um, significant change. But it's not something that marketing us can control. It's, you know, we have to get our IT team engaged and they've been fantastic. And, and how do, what is the best way to organize and, and get the data into the MO engage platform? MO Engage has been tireless and, and learning to understand our data structure and our, and our [00:18:00] operations to be able to, um, to understand how they can support us in our output. [00:18:04] So we're just in the infancy of this. Still in the onboarding phase because, you know, I think the other thing is you gotta have realistic expectations. I, myself, um, you know, I think, um, we can, um, we can, uh, think that something is going to happen in, in three months. And, and the reality is when you're talking about the, the complex data, um, that you have, not just in ours, but many, I mean. [00:18:31] I'm just trying to, my best to take a very, um, uh, patient approach, um, with the reality. And is that we do have a small team. Um, we do have multiple departments involved in including a new vendor, um, that's learning our business model. And, and I am very bullish on the long game, um, less concerned about, um, you know, this specific campaign is, is up and running on in this way. [00:18:59] Um, you know. [00:19:00] Three to four months into this, this onboarding process. So, um, so, you know, going through it, you know, mo engage, um, uh, they were very, uh, one, they, you know, they have a, a great platform. Um, they have a, they have a great, um, uh, customer base of, of, of dynamic offers and, and, and, and having all that data in one place and executing all that out of one platform. [00:19:28] And that's kind of the first step. And then, you know, we said, what if we need this? And they said, you know, if we don't have this today, we will work with you to make that happen in the future. Um, and, and that's, that's how we onboarded with them. And, you know, it's a process, but, uh, um, excited about the long-term partnership. [00:19:49] Darrell: I love that. Yeah. It's like a, it's like a sh it's like a, you know, getting everybody on a big, you know, cruise liner, you know, aligned, you know what I mean? But like, once, once you have everything set and ready to go, [00:20:00] um, you know, you can, you can go for a long time and, and fast. So, so I, it's definitely like that. [00:20:06] Did you, what I, [00:20:07] 4.3 Why change? --- [00:20:07] Darrell: I'm curious what was like the impetus of the, you know, like, did, did you have a lot of pain points, um, prior to. Choosing Moen engage, like what? What kind of things do you feel that you were like falling behind on? Was there anything in particular. [00:20:21] Blair: Yeah, I mean, I would say some pain points. Um, it, it was a combination of some pain points and, um, not being able to see the end game where we were currently at. Like our team became, um, uh, proficient in executing in the plat, the multiple platforms that we had. Um, but what that, it takes, it takes a lot of work to do that. [00:20:53] Um, it takes a lot of, um, uh, from our data team to our brand team with a [00:21:00] creative aspect of it, to the, um, to the proofing of that. You know, it's just, it takes a lot of time to execute and, and. And, um, I'd never take that for granted. 'cause I've been in this industry a long time, and I, I, many, many years ago, many years ago, I did a database. [00:21:15] But, um, and, and to me to take all that in, but also to look at the future in that, to be able to progress, we have to cut down on that time it takes to execute. Right? So we, my, my what I. Talk with, with my team about is, is, you know, we only have so much time in, in the day. And, and the more time we talk about strategy, um, I think the better off we can be. [00:21:42] Um, but the reality is, is we have to run this, this business, uh, on a daily, daily basis, uh, which also takes a lot of time. So anyways, that we can find, uh, efficiencies, uh, for our team on the execution standpoint. Um, and that was, that was kind of the, the, to, to get to where [00:22:00] we need to be. Is, um, making this more efficient and more effective for our team to free up time to be able to focus more on strategy and how do we accomplish our goals. [00:22:11] Um, and it, it's certainly not an easy thing. Um, but, um, you know, I, I see us getting there and, and I see, um, this kind of automation and, and putting campaigns and these, these journeys that, that guests go on. Um. When we get to a point where these are stood up, then I see that kind of next phase is, is one, how do we get more, um, more granular with our data, more strategic with our data. [00:22:38] Um, that's, that's the, the next step. And that's, I, that's where we have to be. I, I just think that's becoming more of a next expectation. [00:22:46] 5. Implementing a New Platform --- [00:22:46] Phil: What would you say bla are like the top lessons that you have from the process of going through the implementation, like the lessons you learn, getting buy-in from a bunch of different people, like I'm sure there's folks listening right now that want to move [00:23:00] to something else or want to go through that transformation internally. [00:23:04] They're just like not sure where to start. Like a lot of people are comfortable with the current status quo. Talk to us about that. Like what are some of the lessons, what are some of the tips you have for folks that like are about to undertake that journey or want to at some point? [00:23:16] Blair: That was on my mind through this entire, and actually still on my mind through this process. But, uh, I, you have to be realistic. What with what your team can execute. Um, I will tell you being, um, pitched in a lot of platforms through the years, um, um, you know, there, I'm sure a lot of 'em are, are great, but the reality is, is what, what can you execute on? [00:23:38] And, and what are your goals? You know, what, what are you trying to accomplish? Because not, I don't know necessarily think all of them will make sense. Um, and then being patient, um, understanding, um, what your capabilities are today, what, you know, what that roadmap map is in three, six, uh, in, in 12 months. [00:24:00] Um, and, and working through that and realizing that there's going to be challenges along the way when you're talking about, uh, onboarding, um, complex data sets into a new platform. [00:24:11] Um, and then, um. Know the change for the team and, and how they, uh, how they execute, right? So I know that my team will be as efficient if, if not more in mo engage at, at some point as they were in the previous systems. Um, and I believe that will free up that time in the future. But it really comes down to being patient, um, being realistic with what your short and long-term goals are. [00:24:38] Um, and, and open, uh, dialogue with the, the vendor of the platform on, on that. Um, and I, we felt comfortable through the, through the process with them. Um, and, uh, and I think long term, uh, we'll be in a very, very good place. [00:24:58] Phil: Very cool. [00:24:58] 6. Building Structure for 24/7/365 Casino Marketing --- [00:24:58] Phil: We were excited to chat with you, Blair. 'cause like the, the casino industry, the hospitality world. Uh, I don't know about you Darryl, but like that's super foreign to me and like, I've never even come close to, to one of those industries. So one of the things that kind of. I found really interesting is this idea of like 24 7, 365 angle to, to the industry. [00:25:18] Like casino marketing, is this like never sleep? Operation metrics are tracked like hourly, daily, weekly. There's not like a a five to like nine to five, and it's only like during like business hours, like how do you manage. Marketing operations in this 24 7, always on environment. What tips do you have for like keeping a team energized and data savvy when results are like constantly measured in, in real time? [00:25:44] What are your thoughts there? [00:25:46] Blair: Yeah, it can be, uh, can be a little overwhelming, uh, at times. But, um, you know, I think having. A good, and it's not for everybody, honestly. I mean, it's, um, we, we have metrics, [00:26:00] six of se like we get ev we get hourly updates. Um, you can look and, and see what's good, you know, every day. I mean, it's, it's, um, you know, you feel like you're evaluated on success and failure, which, which can be exhausting at times. [00:26:13] But man, this is the life we chose is one of my first boss in the industry industry, said. Um, but it, it really is, it, it's, it's having an understanding of, um, you know, with that, like, I think we're, we're somewhat critical of that. Like the reality is, is we're not, we're not successful based on one day or, or one month or, you know, at, at the end of the day. [00:26:38] Um, you just, you have to have the right team. You have to have an understanding of, of what, what the goals are and. Um, and buy-in. Um, you know, we not in marketing, not only are we, you know, um, are focused on, um, you know, B2C, um, marketing communications, but also we support every internal [00:27:00] department, uh, within the property, right? [00:27:02] So, um, we're not just successful if we're, um, you know. Driving a bunch of revenue, setting out, you know, very clear, uh, customer communications. We also have to make sure every department within, within our property is, has the support they need from a brand perspective, um, from, uh, uh, creative to, um, to operations to all that. [00:27:25] So, um, you know, having the right team that under that it, it's able to, um, to work within different, um, um. All those different disciplines. Um, you know, I've, I've said for a long time, like casino marketing is like, um, jack of all trade, master of, of none. Um, you know, just in my disciplines I have, um, very different, um, personality types and very different like from database, which is very, um. [00:27:56] Granular and, and strategic and [00:28:00] analytical to a brand which is very creative and, and, uh, it's just, it's so different and everything in between. I got entertainment while we're, you know, we're doing that or we have player development, which is relationship building and it's just, um, it's having the right team in place and understanding how that collective goal works. [00:28:21] I think helps get you through that kind of, that, um, that evaluation that's too small. That's, it's not the most important, right? I spent a lot of my time, you know, kind of trying to weave and tell that story, uh, to them and, and to others. Um, so, um, you know, some of it comes with experience, um, and then. Then some of it just comes with, um, really, really good communication. [00:28:46] It's not easy to, with how many different parts departments we have to, to balance all that, but I have a great team that that does that on a daily basis and they have a lot of experience in doing that. But it's, I'll tell you, it's not for everybody, but you know, I get [00:29:00] to work on some of the most fun stuff, um, that you can, and, and it's, um, it's amazing sometimes how it all comes together with, with having so much input. [00:29:11] And, uh, and, and work from so many different teams to, for a collective goal. It's, it's really, really cool. [00:29:16] ​ [00:31:20] 6.1 Key things to track --- [00:31:20] Darrell: I haven't worked in casino marketing. I have worked with, with marketing that touches a lot of, a lot of, uh, consumers. And, uh, I feel like there's kind of like this, this rhythm that you kind of develop. Like there's this sort of framework of, hey, this is the marketing engine that's going and, you know, there's little checkpoints that you can kind of see if you're like on and off track. [00:31:41] And then there's some experiments that you can do. And I, I think that, um, like does that kind of resonate with you? Like even though like there's so much going on, it's kind of like you have this sort of like. Key things that you wanna make sure that are on track? [00:31:53] Blair: Yeah, Darrell, you know what? That is exactly how it is. Like we have, I would call like our baseline, like, [00:32:00] um, uh, basic timelines that we, we, we have to hit to, to allow for the time for, to test those other projects or those other initiatives. Absolutely. Um, because. The other thing is with, with a business like this where things pop up, um, any time of the day, um, you, you almost have to have that, I shouldn't say you almost, you have to have that because you have to allow for time to deal with the stuff that, that comes up because it will, and you have to allow for the time to be innovative. [00:32:30] Right. And that takes more work. The reality is, is like some of those things that you mentioned, um, it's. There's a lot of work that go, go into it, but it's like clockwork. 'cause we have that set. We know what the dates that we have to hit, we know the timelines that we have to hit to process all the data, to get the proof of proofing, to get it out. [00:32:46] Um, we know that, but there's a hundred things that come up, up in between that. And so you have to balance those. And so it's, it's definitely, um, um, a lot of multitasking. But it's also in [00:33:00] a, I would say in a, in an organized way where you have. Um, the things that you have to hit and then everything else is kind of, um, kind of falls in, um, with that. [00:33:10] So you have to be, you know, a little shifty at that. [00:33:13] Darrell: Yeah. Love it. Love it. [00:33:15] 7. Fail Fast, Learn Faster --- [00:33:15] Darrell: Why don't we, uh, get into, you know, talking about like learning and like experimentation. Um, so you've said that the gaming industry has a high risk, uh, high risk. Tolerance and that failing fast and learning is key. Can you share an example of like an experiment or something that you tested it out that maybe didn't go like you thought it would, um, you know, did, what'd you learn? [00:33:37] Like what happened and how does it inform, like how you think of your strategy now? [00:33:43] Blair: I mean, I, I, um, sometimes I think that the casino industry, I, I call it like a, um, a large, uh, small business. Um, and you know, kind of with that and then, you know, the hours of operation, all that, like you have to learn really fast. [00:34:00] Um, and you have to move on because we're not gonna shut down. Um, we're not going to stop what we're doing. [00:34:07] Um, we can't kind of. Pause and evaluate all the time within reason. I mean, obviously marketing programs you can, but like the business is gonna run it, it's gotta, gotta gotta go. So, um, so I think, you know, with all that in mind, um, you know, we have some of the more, we are incredibly, have incredibly resourceful people in this industry. [00:34:30] Very knowledgeable, very analytical, um, and. Um, and there's also a lot of volatility, seasonality, um, you know, it's nonstop. Um, there's an expect expectation, um, to evolve quickly to business trends, whether that's next week, next month, next year. Um, and you know, it's fascinating that, um, that one, that it, it, it can all work that way, but also, two, you [00:35:00] have to progress. [00:35:00] That's kind of where the MarTech comes into it. So. We have campaigns going out, multiple campaigns going out every day. Um, and what we can't do is, is, um, uh, within, you know, within region is, is stop everything. Meaning, because one, one doesn't work and, and stop everything and say, well, we can't do anything, um, because we still have to run this business. [00:35:23] We still have to send out messages and stuff like that. So it's constantly learning and evolving and, and, and what is a, a, a, a fast-paced environment. Um, you know, I just, I recently just finished, uh, the, the, um, the Phil Knight book, um, uh, shoe Dog, uh, which is, which is fascinating story. And the, the, the quote that stuck with me through this that I, I think is very pertinent to, um, to this discussion is he says, when I fail, if I fail, uh, failed quickly. [00:35:53] So I'd have enough time, enough years to implement the hard one lessons. And I feel like that on a, a fairly regular basis, um, [00:36:00] because. You wanna be innovative, you don't want to do the same thing over and over again. I don't think that's that successful. Um, but you also have to realize that what you have to do it within reason to what the team can execute, right? [00:36:13] So, um, the cool thing about where I'm at now is that, um, that they're open to do, um, a lot and, and, and we have. Um, but it's really. How does that fit into the strategy? How does that fit into what the team can execute on? And, um, and that, but I'll tell you what, we've had a fair amount in my career of, of, of campaigns that have failed. [00:36:38] Um, and, and really it's back to that quote is you gotta learn and move on because, you know, we got 10 more in the pipeline. [00:36:48] Phil: Super cool. Shoe dog is actually on my, uh, my reading list. Uh, Blair, it's funny you mention it. For folks that don't know, Phil Knight is the, the creator of Nike and the, the quote that I had on, on my reading list and just bringing it up here, [00:37:00] it's, uh, let everyone else call your idea crazy. Just keep going. [00:37:03] Don't stop. Don't even think about stopping until you get there. And don't give much thought to where there is. Whatever comes, just don't stop. I love that. [00:37:12] Blair: I, I felt I, when I was reading it, I, I had a lot of, um, a lot of it was pertinent. The casino this year, I know it obviously is a different industry, but, um. A lot of that hit home. [00:37:25] 8. Balancing Big Data with Privacy --- [00:37:25] Phil: One thing that's really cool about the casino industry, you know, not just Casino, there's a lot of other industries that have a ton of data, but I feel like Casino resort, the fact that you're also hospitality, there's a bunch of different channels involved, a lot of different offerings for folks. There's a ton of data that you have access to from guests and you know, with this rich data set that you have, there's this idea of balancing, using that data for personalization and creating loyalty and getting people to come back, but also respecting privacy and and boundaries. [00:37:58] Have you kind of [00:38:00] encountered guest sensitivities around like debt usage? How do you kind of address that? What are your thoughts there? [00:38:06] Blair: I, I will say, like, I feel like this industry has been, is generally very good with the, the sense of, um, um, nature of the information that we have. Like, um, not saying that it, it's, it hasn't happened in the past, but, um. The thing is very respectful of, of guests and we understand what our business is. [00:38:25] We understand that we are in the entertainment industry and, and, and people and choose us, and they give us a lot of information and that's important to keep that private. I think the is interesting. Part of it is the stuff they can get without, without learn their knowledge these days, whether it's geofencing or you know, all kinds of other technologies that. [00:38:44] I haven't, um, yeah, I, I think it's interesting to collect information. I haven't in our industry, uh, with stuff like that, um, necessarily seen that implemented, uh, extremely well other than just knowing. But, um, but no, I, I, [00:39:00] I do think, um, I think there's somewhat a level of expectation. I think it comes with, you know, guests that are willing to give us their preferences and, and sign up for a loyalty card, and knowing what kind of information they're giving us. [00:39:14] Um, I think it's, it's a very good industry for, for that. But, um, I think when you kind of have some crossover into more kind of e-commerce and what are, you know, what are people doing online and stuff like that where it gets a little more interesting on, on what the sensitivity of that and, and what we know, um, and how we use it. [00:39:32] But no, I, I, I don't see that and I, I also kind of see that, 'cause the nature of our business is being more complimentary to what the data that we use versus. Uh, being the main driver of, of how we, uh, interact with our guests. [00:39:46] Darrell: Yeah. And, and I think it's up, it, it's, the onus is on marketers too, to like make sure that we're delivering value for the data that we're getting. You know what I mean? It's, it's that, it's, it's, uh, is the. [00:40:00] Are the offers that you're gonna get gonna be more relevant to you? You know, are you gonna show, show me things that I want to see? [00:40:06] Um, it's like, it's same as like with shopping, you know what I mean? Like, I love, I love to scroll a site and it's like products that I would buy, you know, versus like seeing a bunch of, you know, I don't know, women's clothes and I'm not interested in women's clothes. It's, it is just like, it's just a better experience with data. [00:40:21] Um, what. [00:40:23] 9. Why AI Will Not Fix Casino Marketing Overnight --- [00:40:23] Darrell: Why don't we switch gears and talk about, uh, MarTech again, and you expressed the contrarian belief that MarTech and AI will not make everything easier, uh, in the gaming and hospitality industry. Um, what makes you say that? What, uh, what are a lot of people getting wrong about, uh, AI or automation and, you know, that and everybody thinking it's a quick fix. [00:40:45] Like, what do you, what do you think about that? [00:40:47] Blair: I think, uh. To be clear, like, um, I'm no AI expert. Um, I'm, I'm really interested in how it will in influence our industry specifically. But [00:41:00] what, what I mean by that is, um, with the nature of our business and the vast majority of our revenue being on property in person, right? So. Um, it's not e-commerce driven. [00:41:12] A portion of it is e-commerce driven. Um, but you know, whether it's the hotel booking process or, or, or various things, but the vast majority of it is on property. It's very experiential. Um, and so, and that's not gonna change, like, you know, the number one reason that people choose a casino is location. Um, and then number two is, is generally, uh, relationships. [00:41:34] Um, and, and, and, uh. I think AI is going to signif. I think it's gonna compliment that, right? I think, um, whether it's predictive analytics, I think is gonna be extremely helpful or, um, uh, how we communicate with guests. It's going to help that significantly. But the core of our business is really the in-person experience. And, [00:42:00] um, you know, I think there's opportunities. [00:42:02] I, I just generally think it's the industry's behind because of that. Um, but I think there is certainly an opportunity in, in the, um, the analytical side of it and the, the messaging side of it that is going to help us a lot as we want to. Um, we wanna make that relationship, um, uh, more, um, more customized, uh, more tailored to their likings. [00:42:29] Um, kind of when you mentioned like shopping online, um. This industry hasn't always been that way other than on property experience. So to be able to complete that, um, from a more of a 360 degree view and be more consistent, uh, through all those channels, that's where I think it's going to be helpful. But the reality is, is, is we're not having, um, you know, we, we have live dealers, um, we have, you know, servers and restaurants. [00:42:56] We have, um. You know, we have a lot of people that [00:43:00] work here and, um, and that's not gonna change anytime soon. So it's really figuring out how all this technology is going to complement, um, all of that, because the relationships is really what's gonna drive our business of the future. Um, and MarTech and AI will play a big part in that. [00:43:15] It's just, I think it's a lot different than a lot of other industries that, um, their, their business model is different. That's it. [00:43:23] 9.2 Exploring AI --- [00:43:23] Phil: What are some of the areas, Blair, that you're kind of exploring with right now or you're excited about? Like earlier in the conversation you mentioned this idea of geofencing and. For a lot of folks that are in B2C, like maybe they're familiar with that idea, but in the B2B world, you know, using GPS data to be able to trigger, uh, responses or messages based on like when a mobile device enters or leaves a particular area like that would seem like, so three for, for a lot of folks on the B2B side, what are different areas like, doesn't have to be like AI focused that, um, you think are super exciting that the team is kind of, um, exploring.[00:44:00] [00:44:00] Blair: I think, you know, there's two that really come to mind is one, predictive analytics. Um, uh, big opportunity. Um, you know, I think historically this, this industry has been based on, um, um, historical trends, uh, which are very helpful and insightful and, and still are, but. The reality is, is there's more volatility in this industry than there used to be. [00:44:22] Um, you know, from a pandemic to increased competition to the introduction of iGaming, um, historical trends are, um, are like, from my perspective, historical trends were incredibly consistent up until COVID, and then they fluctuated more since, for various reasons, not just the pandemic for increased competition for, you know, a, a new form of gambling online. [00:44:47] Um, and, um, so I think, I think the, the way I like to approach, uh, kind of data like that is I like multiple perspectives because I think that can give you kind of a [00:45:00] better, um, understanding of, of what's actually going on. Um, so to look at, you know, the historicals, uh, perspective I think is important. It always will be, but to, to add in, um, the AI and the, the predictive part of that. [00:45:12] To get those two perspectives, but I think you're gonna have a better understanding of what is actually happening. Because the reality is, is historical trends, um, to me in my per perspective, um, have a lot more volatility than they, than they have, uh, since I've been in this industry. So, um, and I, I just enjoy multiple perspectives, um, on things and, and, uh, that kind of the other one is, is the ability to, um. [00:45:40] Uh, is the, the, the 360 understanding of the guest, 360 degree understanding of the guest. Um, you know, with having different systems and we have so much to offer on property, um, to be able to understand, um, down to the guest level on how they, how, what their kind of, their journey is here. And that can actually [00:46:00] extend to before they get here as well. [00:46:02] Um, and so what is that entire journey? I think is gonna be very important in how we communicate with them more effectively, um, and get to that more, uh, customization, um, that we're striving for. [00:46:17] Darrell: Yeah, and I'm hearing like a big theme of like just curiosity around the data, around what's happening. 'cause you're exactly right. We can't really rely on historical trends because we have these sort of like, I don't know what, what else to call 'em, like black swan events that kind of keep happening. [00:46:32] You've got the pandemic and then now you have like AI that's changing everything. So we can't really rely on what happened in the past. We can really just get curious about what's gonna happen in the future and kind of be prepared. Like, I love that your, your talk of like agility and efficiency because you know, when you, when you will need to change, the technology needs to be, and the data needs to be agile so you can act on it, you know, I think that's a really big one. [00:46:59] 10. Human Experience Drives Long-Term Casino Revenue --- [00:46:59] Darrell: Um, [00:47:00] another question that, that you know, we have in mind here is the, you've said specifically within gaming and hospitality that it always revolves around people with all this new tech, new data. How do you ensure your team never loses sight of the customer's perspective? [00:47:16] Blair: Yeah, that's, that's a challenge. I, I will say, and, and, you know, and in all my years in this industry, there's always been a challenge. But I'll tell you the best, uh, casino marketers, um. I have an understanding of, um, of why we do things is because we're trying to appeal to the customers and we're trying to, um, you know, have, um, you know, initiatives and communications and events and experiences that really stand out. [00:47:48] I mean, at the end of the day, um, if people don't have a good experience here, they're not gonna come back. Um. I think it can be, um, it can be easy at [00:48:00] times to lose focus of that. And we can look at one particular day or one particular weekend and say, man, that really worked because we, you know, we drove a lot of revenue, but, um. [00:48:14] I think again, it kind of goes back to multiple perspectives and from the guest perspective, did they have a good time? Um, was easy for them? Did we have too many people in an event to where it was, they're never gonna come back to an event again because it was chaos, but it drove a lot of revenue. 'cause there's a lot of people here. [00:48:29] You know, we balance that a lot in this industry. Um, and I think if you kind of take a step back when you're going through that and, and say, what, what are we trying to accomplish? And the, the, the reality is we're trying to give guests. Great experiences. 'cause at the end of the day, we're in the enter entertainment industry and they're coming here to celebrate, to get away, to, to do what I, whatever they're doing to come here. [00:48:52] Um, and I think if you keep that as, as the primary objective, then it'll help you kind of clear through the clutter of, of [00:49:00] what success is. [00:49:02] Phil: Super cool. Appreciate that perspective, Blair. You know, since, [00:49:05] 10.2 Human Side --- [00:49:05] Phil: since our show is Humans of MarTech, we love ending the conversation with this like human node. And I feel like that, um, that answer really kinda brings us home here, what some. Thing that you think, you know, working in casino marketing might surprise a lot of folks that, uh, aren't as close to the industry as you. [00:49:23] Like. Any favorite stories or campaigns or interactions with guests even that remind you why the human element is so important in this like high MarTech marketing era that we all live in? [00:49:36] Blair: Um, I'll say I think like, not this a surprise, but like, I'll tell you like, um, people that work in casino market, I feel like are the most resourceful, um, people that I have been around. Like, if you need this in an hour, they can get it. Or if you need. Um, this, this big entertainer comes in and they need [00:50:00] something crazy or, or they have very, the most, the weirdest thing that they need, like they make it happen. [00:50:05] Like, and that's through all of my departments. Like, it's, it's amazing how resourceful because I think it's the nature of the business and I think it's why people enjoy it, which can be a little crazy at times. 'cause it can, it can be very stressful if someone says, I need this massive thing in an hour. [00:50:24] Um. So it, it's, um, you have to work in different timeframes as we talked a little bit about earlier, but the, the people that that, that work with me and that work with, you know, work for me, I mean, they're just incredibly resourceful and, and I think that's what I think people think like, um, that's a lot of fun. [00:50:47] Which it is a lot of fun, but it's also a lot of work. you have, uh, you know, 130 shows a year and you have 1900 hotel rooms and, and 35 restaurants [00:51:00] and, and a lot of slot machines at table games and, and a lot more than that to offer. It's to, uh, to kind of take a step back and, and, and understand, um, that it's a collective effort to make all that happen and that it's a lot of resourceful people that are making that happen. [00:51:15] It's, it's incredibly impressive to watch. Um, and that's, that's the fun part about it. It's a lot of work, but, um, but it takes kind of a lot of, uh, uh, collaboration to, to make that happen and, and some of the more, some things I will tell you, some things happen where like, I never think we would be able to accomplish that. [00:51:34] It happens all the time in this industry, but we do, and people ask us to do it again because we did it. It's like maybe sometime if we didn't make it happen, they wouldn't ask us anymore. But yeah, we do. [00:51:44] Darrell: Yeah, I mean, it sounds like you have good people on your team too, and it, it's, uh, it's, it's always like, so, you know, I, I feel the same way. It's always so great to see what the team can accomplish and, and, um, um, uh, it's, it, it, it really is like a, [00:52:00] a a lot of times like a, a mentality, a fortitude thing, you know, like. [00:52:04] Like, let's get this stuff done. Kind of like attitude, so I love it. Um, so, so, uh, let's get onto this, uh, happiness question. [00:52:12] 11. Why Face-to-Face Conversations Strengthen Marketing Teams --- [00:52:12] Darrell: So Blair, you're a senior VP of marketing. You're a team leader, um, you know, expert and, and, and I, I think just a really great reputation within the, uh, gaming and hospitality industry. [00:52:24] Also, a keynote speaker. One question we ask everybody on this show is, how do you remain happy and successful in your career, and how do you find balance between all the things that you're working on while still staying happy? [00:52:37] Blair: Great question. Um, you know, balance is, is really the key. Um, I have three young kids, um, and this, uh, you know, someone I worked with years ago, um, uh, he told he's like, this, this, uh, industry can be hard, uh, hard for families, [00:53:00] um, because, you know, it's. Always open, always going, constantly evaluated. Um, so finding that balance is, is what makes me happy. [00:53:09] And I'm, I'm, I'm lucky to work with a, a team and a leader that, that that is a focus. Um, uh, because if I didn't have that balance, it would be a big challenge to, um, to be able to be a good, you know, father and, and husband. And, um, and the other part is I really enjoy. Working with people. Um, like I will walk into people's offices a lot and just sit down. [00:53:36] Um, I don't know if they like it or not, but I do. Um, because I feel like, um, I'm a big, I'm a big, uh, internal, uh, communications effectiveness person. Like, um, I like to go talk to people or call them versus mass emails and stuff like that. So. Um, I, I just enjoy walking into people's offices, [00:54:00] talking, asking questions. [00:54:01] Um, uh, and that's why I like kind of being here is I, I run into so many different people of different backgrounds, different departments, different jobs, different goals, and, and to hear all that and, and what's going on, it's kind of an informal, uh, data capture, but also, um. It just gives me perspective on, on what we're doing and that the fact that we have lots of people that worked on tips here, and that's based on how many people come in the door and, and you know, I, I take that all very, um, uh, I think that's all very important. [00:54:33] Um, but, um, also like the human side of this and, and that interaction is, is, um, and the balance of that is, is really what keeps her happy. [00:54:43] Phil: Awesome answer, Blair. Really appreciate you joining us today. It's a super fun conversation. Thank you so much for joining us. [00:54:48] Blair: Thanks for having me. Hopefully, uh, you know, this worked out and, uh, you know, um, it was a pleasure. I I really did enjoy it.