• Secret Shopper Program/Guest Comment Card/Casino Headcount Reports/Research and Focus Groups: Implementation/review/effectiveness of analysis and report formats, utilization and follow up, how to utilize them as training tools.

• Competitives: Review each competitors physical offerings (game types and limits), promotions, advertising (including advertising spend by type by competitor), direct mail programs and offers, casino headcounts by type of game/time of day/day of week, during a promo, etc., general offers/promos)

• Names/Themes/Hipness: Review outlets/F&B/themed suite names/themes/hipness, "signature" F&B items/specials, nightclub(s), showroom name/design/signage, look of ads/collateral materials.

• Customer Friendly Operations Review: Redeem cash coupons at Player's club booth/right in machines, adequate and trained/friendly staff at outlets, etc, VIP parking area, VIP games areas, and other items that effect customer satisfaction.

• Layout and Design of Operation: A “feng shui” type review – is the casino layout and design and choice of/placement of games conducive to pulling in players, staying comfortably or is it a barrier/obstacle/turn off, is the best player tracking system in place for both slot and table games review

• Utilization of email marketing/telemarketing/"real call" - Is the property effectively using or even aware of how and when to utilize these tools

• Employee Marketing how well are employees informed about what is going on that customers may ask them - how well is it communicated/displayed, how available is the info - are they involved, i.e. contests/in-house promos/goals, backlit duratrans of upcoming calendars of events/happenings back of the house, take away smaller versions, etc

• Casino Host Productivity: Audit how much play are the hosts bringing in, how effective is their utilization of the daily hit lists and what programs exist to communicate with/get players back who lose $200-$300+ theo per trip, how are player parties/promotions/hosts used and tracked, comp exception report usage, comping policy review.

• Collateral Review: Are menus typeface too small for most (older) customers? Are the room key cards and holders used as marketing tools, can billboards be read, is collateral written in a customer friendly way, are the ads placed correctly with the right media, do the ads convey the brand/image, are the ads readable and effective, do they support the mkt/ops objectives and are employees aware of them?

• Entertainment and Promotion Review: Is the property booking the right entertainment for their marketing objectives, are the promotions attracting or repelling their best players, are the entertainment/tournament/promotions being tracked and analyzed and enlisting the support of all involved in making them successful?

• Direct Mail/Database Marketing: Review entire database marketing program,
including offers, frequency, creative, types of players, analysis, and the functionality of the table and slot player tracking devices as well as database info gathering techniques and utilization - fine tune and make more productive, profitable, and attractive to players to help fill up slow days/times of the week, yield manage when it is busier, fill events, promotions, and entertainment venues with qualified players, drive incremental play/visitation.

• E-marketing: Review properties email marketing database and efforts, work
on increased utilization / 2 way communications, and tie in with interactive
sections of the company's internet website

• Back of House / Front of the House Climate Survey - how are the front of the house and back of the house support/admin areas of operations interfacing, communicating, cooperating, and getting along as well as accomplishing the objectives - what obstacles/red tape/personnel are causing bottlenecks and morale issues?

• Working with Convention & Tourist Bureaus, Chamber's of Commerce,Others Review what opportunities exist such as co-op marketing, network building and cross promotions.

We define marketing... as the full scope of efforts to attract and retain customers. This includes everything from employee training and motivation to players clubs to entertainment and food/beverage promotions.

In house training, programs, measurement and motivation are perhaps more critical marketing tools than the most powerful billboard or television commercial.

Here are some details on Peabody Pacific in-house programs.