Posts by Toby O'Brien
Seven Powerful Things I’ve Learned
From some of the most successful gaming companies Prepare to be amazed! After 24 years in the gaming industry, 15 of which were spent as a casino marketing consultant, I finally have some useful information to share. (C’mon, I’m joking). Honestly, one of the great benefits of working with scores of gaming companies across North…
Read MoreNew Thinking: Maximizing Your Opportunities on Your BEST Days
Let’s talk about peaking the peaks … Are you still holding on to the belief that you shouldn’t plan promotions on the weekends, shouldn’t allow players to redeem offers on weekends, should focus all your efforts and marketing dollars on the slowest days of the week, month, year? Since I started in the gaming business…
Read MoreWhat Unique Food Experience Sets You Apart from the Local Competition?
Big, bigger, biggest … the POWER of food! For years, my casino marketing consulting experiences frequently wandered into the realm of food. I’ve championed leveraging food as a guest magnet; a way to bring new customers to properties, to drive incremental visits, to delight players. Native American fry bread handcrafted live on the gaming floor;…
Read MoreHow to Progress and Be More Successful in 2017
Work resolutions to kick off the New Year Happy 2017! Have you made your New Year’s resolutions? Going on a diet, getting more exercise, handwriting personal letters, keeping in better touch with your family and friends, saving more money, donating more blood, getting involved in politics? After making your Christmas list and checking it twice,…
Read MoreMore Than Marketing a Trinket Box …
A story about an alligator, a promotion, and saying goodbye to a very dear friend Trinket Story #1 – When your promotion is failing, maybe it’s because your guests just don’t “get it.” A number of years ago, one of my casino clients implemented a promotion that I had recommended. I was seeing success with…
Read MoreRV-Friendly Resorts for Boomers Who Like to Play
Boomers on the road … Is your casino ready for these traveling players? My world went totally mobile a few months ago. After selling our Las Vegas house in 2014 and moving into a 34-foot fifth wheel RV in Utah, we took the leap this March, bought a 23-foot travel trailer, hitched it up to…
Read MoreCan We Actually Help Our Guests “Get Lucky”?
A different way to think about our casino’s marketing strategies After years of customer research, casino marketing folks believe that there are three initial factors considered by players in choosing a casino to visit on any particular day. In order of importance, they are: Location, Luck, Service. When I’ve conducted service and sales training for…
Read MoreGet Your Frontline Employees Excited About Your Promotions
Your BEST Advertising Tactic? Engage Your Employees in Casino Promotions! Did you miss Raving’s Indian Gaming National Marketing Conference in San Diego this past January? Sorry that we missed you! In my session, I shared a year’s worth of tactics for getting frontline employees excited about your promotions. Why? Because it’s one of the most…
Read MoreWhat We Can All Learn from Mom Leadership
And how it applies to all managers out there who NEED to lead by example Toby O’Brien Nicole, showing me photos, exclaimed, “My kids are so hyperactive … they’re driving me nuts! It’s exhausting.” Which prompted me to write this column about leading by example. For quite a number of years, I traveled with Nicole…
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