Meet Elissa Plastino Tuesday, Mar 5 2013

Today, I have the honor of sitting amongst several women who have marked achievements in business, community, family and sometimes all three. One such woman is someone I have the honor of working with every day, Elissa Plastino. She’s our brand manager, a volunteer with the heart to get all around her involved, and, most importantly, a wife and mother.

I decided to give you a little glimpse into Elissa the Brand Manager. Hopefully, you’ll see why she was an easy choice for me to have her join my team and honor today.

JC: Tell us a little about your background and what brought you to Isle?

EP: I’ve worked in public relations for 12 years in a variety of industries like sports, tourism, education and mental health. I joined Isle in 2006 when the company moved its corporate office (and my husband’s job) to St. Louis. Thankfully the company had a new job opening up in the marketing department that I was a perfect fit for. Not long after moving I was offered the position and started my new career in the casino industry!

JC: I remember when I asked you to move to brand marketing, you were visibly surprised. What was your biggest fear and did it come to fruition?

EP: My biggest fear was failure; I don’t like to fail. PR was where I was strong, but the new position also added advertising, brand marketing and various other duties that were unfamiliar to me. It was a whole new ballgame. I can confidently say that I didn’t fail and I think that’s because I’m not afraid to ask questions and/or admit when I don’t know the answer. If I didn’t understand a question/task/decision, I questioned it and gained a better understanding.

JC: What was the biggest surprise or challenge you encountered and how did you handle it?

EP: I think the biggest surprise was the increase in emails I started receiving on a daily basis! Wow! Suddenly there were lots of emails with questions, comments, different creative visions that needed to be worked through and more! I had to figure out my own system for staying on top of these things and not let something slip through the cracks.

JC: So, now that you’ve tackled brand marketing, what do you want to be when you grow up?

EP: Hmmm. Funny, this question comes up every year during annual review time! I love my job and hope to stay with Isle for a long time. I’m always up for taking on new projects and there’s never a shortage of those, so I hope my drive & work ethic will allow me to earn leadership positions within the company.

Want to know more about Elissa? Follow her on Twitter at @eplastino but be prepared (like me) to get involved in a host of non-profit work!

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Ad Bowl 2013 Monday, Feb 4 2013

There are a number of reasons why this year’s big game was important to me. First and most important, there is the economic impact of the game on my hometown of New Orleans. Second is probably the opportunity to once again review the collection of ads in this year’s game with Debbie Laskey.

My winners are a mix of ads that moved me, ads that I felt were on brand strategy, ads that made me smile, ads that reminded me how much I miss New Orleans and the ads my fellow co-workers found to be the best. Here they go, in no particular order.

Taco Bell’s interpretation of “Cocoon” made me smile and it made an entire bar full of people stand up and cheer. For that I say, “Viva Young”

Hyundai’s ad “Stuck” speaks to me every single time I’ve been behind someone on the road leaving behind mementos of their time in front of me. I usually try to drop back a little further. Now I see there is another turbocharged option.

Hyundai scores again in this homage to “Ferris Beuller’s Day Off”. Who wouldn’t want to give their family an Epic Playdate?

Bravo Jared and bravo to Subway for delivering the point that always seems to be the downfall of the diet du jour….keeping it off. No flash. No sizzle. Just the heart of the message.

Was it a good commercial, or do I just love the vibe of New Orleans? Either way, I’m in for the Mercedes CLA Soul spot…so much so that I might even forgive the billboard across from Napoleon House.

It used to be that the first break was the marquee spot. Chrysler, however, has repositioned halftime as the “it” placement. Most purists would argue that they are forgoing a spotlight on their products. Some might say they are positioning themselves as the all-American option. Ford, anyone?

In a past life, I sold radio. That station featured a segment by Paul Harvey. Chrysler’s Dodge Ram salute to American Farmers was very moving to me.

My tear-jerker:

I’m not a St. Louisan, but the Budweiser Clydesdale spots have always been among my favorites. There is just something about them that makes me feel un-American if I don’t cry. This spot seemed to be a hit among most of the marketers I work with on a daily basis.

As the officials on the field say, “failed to convert”.

That penalty goes to Go Daddy (even though they did somewhat redeem themselves with   “Your Next Big Idea”

Go Daddy’s Perfect Match spot just made me feel a little dirty. Even if you’re not in the same room, the sound of that kissing is enough to just send shivers down my spine.  To quote one of the marketing directors I work with, “I don’t like the way they subjugate web developers.”

Also, missing the point was Toyota. I guess Kaley Cuoco is the latest hot property and I should be blown away with her part in this Rav4 commercial. I’m not. In fact I had the name of the car make and model wrong when I wrote this sentence. Sorry Toyota. I guess your wish wasn’t granted.

Honorable mention goes to Kia’s Space Babies. Babylandia looks so much more interesting than being slung in a sheet flying through the air on the beak of a stork!

Of course, this Super Bowl will go down in the record books for also creating the biggest delay of game thanks to a pesky power outage. Although media maven and social media expert alike is always touting extending your ad buys into social, Oreo and Tide were fast to  take advantage of the hiccup. Clever…timely…and absolutely on brand, they might be my winners for the night.

Thanks again for letting me share my thoughts on the ads we all seem to look forward to. I’ll be posting Debbie’s thoughts soon, but in the meantime let me know your winners and losers.

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Be Careful What You Wish For Tuesday, Sep 18 2012

My latest Agency Post column after a long travel-filled Summer is about getting what you wish for.

This old proverb keeps going through my mind. Although I can’t seem to find attribution, I feel like it is wise and true.

Agencies often wish for their clients to bring them into the fold and share everything with them. They want to be partners in success. They want to play a significant role in the growth of the companies they support.

As the client, I often wonder why an agency doesn’t “get it”. Why do I have to be looking at round after round of creative to get to where I need to be? Why aren’t they reading my mind after all this time?

But what happens when these partnerships have grown over the years to a level of mind-reading confidence? One would think that is exactly what we wish for. I say, “Be careful what you wish for.” Mind-reading can also equate to assumptions, and assumptions can put you right back at square one…or even worse.

When an agency gets to the point where they know what a brand needs to be without the input of the client, the brand is no longer one to be grown by the client. The brand is now the agency’s brand, and that’s not what you were hired for. It can have the ability to morph into a creative show more than a brand voice. That’s not what either the client or the agency want. Yes, we all want the kind of creative that makes people sit up and pay attention. We both want the creative that makes the industry publications applaud. We both want the type of creative that makes people tweet and share on Facebook.

That comes with continual shared work and insight. As a client, I must continually expand your knowledge of my brand and customers. As an agency, you must continually ask questions, not make assumptions.

Together we can create and sustain brands that make everyone say “wow” because they produce results for all stakeholders.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation like this? How did you work through it?

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When To Invest Thursday, Sep 13 2012

Believe it or not, there was a time when casinos did not have players club programs. Players Clubs — I can’t bear to refer to them as loyalty clubs — actually did not come about until the 1980s in Atlantic City as a way to reward slot players so they would play in “their” casino. If you’re not familiar with the ins and outs of these programs, this article in Casino Player Magazine is a little 101 information.

Casino executives had to come up with a method to identify and reward their slot players so they would stay and play only in their casino. It was a great idea.

Years later, we fell into the trap of believing that we had to sign everyone up for a card and send everyone mail. Times have changed and we’ve come to realize a few things.

• Everyone doesn’t have to get an offer. If you provide a great experience some customers will visit you simply to have a nice night out.
• You can pretty much count on your customers splitting their gaming budget over two, three or more casinos.
• Those low-end customers you think are burdensome can actually save your marketing budget, because your investment in their visit is lower as a percentage of that revenue.

The key is to have a well-balanced spit between those who come in due to the offer you sent them and those who come in just to have some fun. Is that 50/50? 60/40? 70/30? That’s for your marketing team to decide, but never forget how important it is to market to that low-end and unrated play.

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Speaking In Tongues Wednesday, Aug 29 2012

My company is undertaking a long-overdue task of redesigning our website. So, content has been top of mind for me recently. Having just read a post  by Star Group’s Michael Cavicini,I though about how easily people use terms that my old boss, Steve Wynn, often referred to as “developer speak”.

Luxurious

XXX-square feet

$$$$$ billion dollar whatever

He was right. These are all the types of terms that marketers throw out when they don’t have a good sense of what they truly have to offer or sell. These things are never your brand. The experience is the brand.

I even took a quick look at some casino websites and noticed some of the same developer speak. Interestingly enough, these platitudes don’t seem to translate to revenue.

The next time you start to write copy for your product or service, think about the benefit and the experience. Put yourself in the shoes of the customer and write the words that will capture their imagination. I know I’ll be a little more aware of the copy I approve today.

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Say What You Want, But Do As You Say Monday, Aug 27 2012

We were developing new commercials for our properties to promote their giveaways and also a freshened approach to our slot pricing strategy. Practically at the same time as we were talking about our value-based proposition, everyone got word of JC Penney’s CMO “change”. As marketers, we all have opinions of what went wrong.

My opinion is the usual: If your marketing campaign doesn’t translate to the brand experience you’ll never make a change in your success.

So, now I have to turn that view inward and ask, “Are we operationalizing the brand experience we’re promoting?” For our property marketers, their responsibilities have evolved and changed in the most interesting ways. Yesterday, they had to make sure as many people as possible signed up for a players card. They had to make sure offers went to all of those people on a very regular basis. Finally, they had to make sure ads were running in all of the local newspapers.

My, how times have changed.

Today, they have to think of the brand and about ROI….and about the guest experience…and about what promoters and detractors might be sharing in their networks. I think all of this becomes really easy as long as you are delivering on your brand promise. Set on a firm foundation, the rest will come.

I’m sure you see examples of brands saying one thing and doing another. How would you have done things differently?

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Building a House…of Brands Friday, Aug 24 2012

I said it again yesterday. “This company is so different from when I arrived.”

The Past and Present of Isle of Capri’s Corporate Identity

I came to Isle of Capri Casinos in the Fall of 2006, and although I still laughingly say that I’m passed my sell-by date, I am pretty proud of the brands we’ve built. Before this transition, I would’ve easily told you that my finest work had been in developing the brands at Wynn Las Vegas. Today, I can proudly say that I am equally as proud of the work done on behalf of the family of Isle of Capri Casinos.

Through a lot of vision and hard work, this house of brands has gone from a collection of variations on a Caribbean theme to a collection of experiences our guests can enjoy for a long time. I’m not sure if these are destined to go down in branding history, but they are surely a part of my brand history. Check out all of our brands.

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Working For Your Gold Watch Sunday, Aug 19 2012

Yesterday, I was chatting with my neighbor about being past my “sell by” date at work. Until very recently, I seemed to have this time limit of 2 years for employment at any one place.

I know that this short employment window must’ve given my parents pause to think I was not settling into a career. I know that none of my friends ever understood this sense of boredom that always seemed to overcome me. I even work with someone who looked at my office once and said I needed to “nest”. She said this to someone else just recently, and it made me realize that it was her way of knowing you were still going to be around.

It used to be that you got a job and you stuck with it until you got your gold watch for your years of service. People are so much more mobile now, and just when I got into an industry that seemed THE most mobile of all, I settled down past my sell by date! More than once!

I look back and I realize that I have one of the most exciting and exhilarating jobs of all. Although the customer seems to remain unchanged from year to year and from company to company, the competition does not. That makes it even more fun to think of new approaches and strategies. It makes working on the weekend seemingly “normal”.

Because you have the opportunity to move into different specialties, working in casino marketing is a great way to keep your job fresh and work toward that gold watch.

The ding ding ding of the slot machines continues to be music to my ears.

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Manners Still Count Thursday, Jul 26 2012

Last night I stopped at a casino cashier window to get some change. I asked for my usual when I find myself low on tip money, “Could I have three fives and five ones, please?”

The cashier responded’ “Well, since you said please…” To which I replied, “Of course I said please.”
It was a very friendly and joking exchange, but it made me wonder. This casino employee was actually the first I had gotten a smile from in this entire very expensive, much marketed resort. It made me wonder if smiling and saying “please” wasn’t the norm anymore.

Earlier in the day, I had the honor of sitting on a panel to discuss the merits of social media in the world of casino marketing. Somehow, the conversation veered into making marketing promises match the experience and delivering satisfying experiences. There were quite a few comments made that I disagreed on. It made me think of the experience my company tries to deliver and how smiling and courtesy have become the hallmark of those experiences. This part of our business strategy continuously makes me smile with pride.

Fast forward to today. I checked out of the hotel I was staying at. I remember when this property opened. I remember the glimmering invitations. I remember the news releases. It has since changed hands, and for whatever reason, the luster has worn off. As I departed, the front desk attendant smiled and wished me well. She had been the very first person to do that since I had arrived nearly 48 hours earlier, waiting in a registration line for nearly an hour only to have the clerk waive me to her window like I was some jumbo jet coming in for a landing.

As I waited to get through the security checkpoint at the airport today, an airport employee literally brushed passed me, flashed her employee ID and kept going…without so much as a “pardon me”. I later observed her brushing past others once again in silence. Perhaps she was late for work. Then a fellow passenger deemed me unprepared to move through screening because I was allowing the couple in front of me to pull practically all of their belongings out on the tables. Again without saying anything nearing manners, he actually said I would take too long! This justified his getting in front of me.

He unfortunately forgot to empty his pockets and had to get a more “personal” screening. I was escorted around him. I slipped my shoes on grabbed my bag of liquids and gels, dropped them into my handbag and smilingly wished him a lovely flight as I passed him again still making friends with a TSA agent.

Manners do count.

(On a personal note: I do come prepared to move through security quickly. Don’t let the purse and high heels fool you.)

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That Was Then – This Is Now Monday, Jul 9 2012

Years ago, casino marketing was pretty easy. Give away a car or two. Have an occasional concert. Send out great offers in the mail. Have an exclusive VIP event, and my month was sure to be in the black. My media plan included every newspaper and magazine in the market as well as a rich variety of television and radio, and a fabulous (if I do say so myself) distribution of billboards. At Harrah’s New Orleans, I even got to work on something really cool called a “website”. The first couple of casino companies I worked for didn’t even have websites!

Then we started adding online (banner) advertising into the mix.

Eventually, we realized that there was money to be made selling unused hotel inventory, and we started down the path of search engine marketing and search engine optimization.

Fast forward to 2004 and some geek sitting in his dorm room comes up with a cool way for Harvard students to share information. Facebook was born. This wasn’t new. It was just a new avenue to join Blogger, Friendster, LinkedIn, MySpace, Delicious. digg, and Flickr, quickly followed by YouTube and Twitter…oh and something called Second Life. Two years later, Facebook became available to everyone…in the world.

The fiber of communications has changed. Once, it took millions to reach a few. Now a few reach millions. We’ve gone from traditional publishing to broadcast publishing to personal publishing to interactive publishing to network publishing. What used to take months and elicited a few comments here and there, now takes seconds and can generate hundreds of thousands of comments.

Casino marketing, however, has not evolved quite so quickly, probably because casino customers are more represented in the boomer segment than any other market segment. For these folks, the places they look for news and information hadn’t changed quite as quickly…

…until now

Last year Scott Hepburn asked me to give my thoughts on casino marketing and the use of social media. You can read that post here.

I said “Everyone is “dying to be on Facebook,” but with so much on our plates, I wondered if that was the place we needed to put our focus on.” I no longer wonder. It is. When we initially asked customers if they were on social networks, 80% said hardly or never. Today, 77.6% say they regularly visit their Facebook accounts to see what’s happening, and social networking sites have become a prime place to look for information. That change happened in less than two years.

Q. On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being NOT AT ALL and 5 being VERY INFLUENTIAL, please rate how influential these forms of media are in choosing which casino to visit.

Print is fading faster than anyone wants it to. Casino customers are looking for their information in much more dynamic areas.

Now firmly planted as a piece in our marketing puzzle, social media presents new challenges for us. No longer are customers willing to sit back and watch and respond to our ads. Now they want to interact with them. We have to create content that they can comment on or share with their networks. We have to create ads that are shareable via YouTube,

…ads that continue to tell the story on Facebook,

…ads that have a life of more than 30 seconds.

We have to create exclusive content that can only be found on these networks so that customers feel they have a unique access to information. And that new thing I got to work on long ago, the website has changed as well. It can no longer be a brochure. It has to be a living, breathing font of information that visitors can interact with and share.

How has social media changed your approach to marketing?

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