Considering the United Kingdom has one of the fastest-growing iGaming sectors in the world and it is home to one of the leading advertising markets, you would expect the hundreds of online casino operators in the country to have impressive marketing skills. It turns out they do, with many UK casino operators focusing a large portion of their attention on digital marketing channels like social media and email marketing. However, we also see UK casino operators using traditional marketing techniques to attract and retain players. In this article, we are going to explore some of these adopted techniques.
Traditional Marketing Techniques
One of the biggest appeals of playing online casino games, such as online bingo games like 90-ball bingo or Slingo, is that they come with different bonuses and promotions attached. That includes welcome bonuses that boost your first deposit, free spins, and loyalty clubs that offer weekly and end-of-month rewards. This use of bonuses is a traditional marketing technique used by land-based establishments for decades to attract and retain consumers. Retaining existing customers helps build brand loyalty, which is a crucial element of both traditional and modern marketing.
We also see many casino operators in the UK utilizing elements of traditional marketing channels like outdoor billboards and bus wraps. A popular way of doing this has been to mix the old with the new as casino operators participate in virtual advertising. For example, when you watch the English Premier League (EPL), you will see ads for different casino operators on the sideline boards in a stadium like Anfield or the Etihad. These ads change continuously throughout the games and show the names of various casino operators, but they still provide these businesses will significant exposure. For perspective, the EPL brings in an audience of more than 4.5 billion every year, so you can imagine the degree of exposure one sideline board ad can bring.
Modern Marketing Techniques
Still, the UK’s online gambling industry would not be a billion-dollar market without the help of modern marketing techniques. Today, we are seeing more and more casino operators appoint celebrities and athletes as brand ambassadors. This is a sign of the times as influencer marketing becomes of the main channels of digital marketing. For example, UK casino operator Paddy Power hired former professional soccer player Peter Crouch as its brand ambassador in 2020. Crouch is a beloved member of the English soccer community, and he has amassed millions of followers across his Instagram and Twitter accounts. Crouch also has a widely successful sports podcast called That Peter Crouch Podcast.
Marketing and advertising are changing all the time as more modern channels like inbound marketing, social media marketing, and email marketing are replacing traditional channels. This replacement stems from digital marketing being more engaging, measurable, and targetable. However, there are still businesses that utilize traditional methods like billboards in addition to newer techniques like influencer marketing, and the online gambling industry in the UK is one of them.