The differentiation that bingo operators’ loyalty programme can provide over their increasingly stiff competition is substantial and worth every penny of investment into such a programme.
How you segment your players is really dependent on each individual operator’s needs. Not every loyalty programme has to include a VIP element to be successful. The key to rewarding players and moving them into the next tier of their own spend is to incentivise them appropriately and in an achievable manner.
In order to assess the maturity level of loyalty programmes in the online bingo sector, Bullet Business’ Ritesh Gupta spoke to Irene Gahan, head of marketing & operations, New Media Lottery Services (NMLS) Ireland & UK.
Excerpts:
How do you assess the maturity level of loyalty programmes in the online bingo sector?
Irene Gahan: Some loyalty programmes are very sophisticated and operate points / bonus exchange programme. I believe that many players especially newcomers can find this rather intimidating or confusing or just not pay attention to it. Even players who have played a site for over a year unless regularly prompted don’t look beyond deposit bonuses within loyalty programmes and this is a challenge for operators.
How should one approach segmentation within loyalty programmes especially in the gambling and online bingo sector? Which is the best way to appropriately reward members and at the same time encourage them to move to the next tier?
Irene Gahan: While segmentation is definitely a necessity to identify player preferences when it comes to bingo or side games, there are other segmentations in terms of length of time a player has played at the site not necessarily building more points over a player that puts in more deposits. Good customer relations can help move and progress players through the various tiers of a loyalty program. Showing them they are valued at all levels while at the same time pushing them up to the next tier. This can be done cost effectively through email communications with a good customer support plan.
How do you think loyalty programmes can be used for building stronger affiliation with the brand through tangible and intangible rewards? For instance, bwin via its loyalty scheme, b’inside, allows customers to accrue and redeem points for goods money often cannot buy related to the major bwin sponsorings, and including autographed merchandise, “meet & greet” events with the football stars etc.
Irene Gahan: This kind of rewards system is exclusive but excluding. It depends on player profiles, what is of value to one player may be of no interest to another. It is a difficult balance to strike. Surveying player segments is undervalued. It allows you more insight into a typical player and what motivates them.
Being part of online chat rooms and socialising is a key component of online bingo. Which is the best way to make members of any loyalty programme more special by creating special offerings on the web? What sort of offerings can be developed on the web or what new trends have you witnessed?
Irene Gahan: The easiest most cost effective way is to incorporate a players off line interests with their online activity. For example, players will play online bingo and watch the TV at the same time. In a recent survey by www.Rehabbingo.com of their players, both UK and Ireland playing bingo and watching their favourite TV shows simultaneous allows for loyalty promotions more so than ongoing programmes.
For example, having an X Factor night or Strictly night where players get to select who they think will get voted off the show and players will rewarded. It builds community as the majority of players will be chatting about what is happening offline within an online environment. Playing chat games or having Team Bingo nights or special feature nights adds to the community element which drives players to stay particularly in online bingo.
Which according to you is the best way to get maximum information from members’ preferences? Are members open to sharing their information and for qualitative analysis considering online bingo players are normally part of several online bingo sites?
Irene Gahan: Given that the majority of Irish online bingo players have up to 4 accounts across different online bingo sites and in the UK it is approximately 8 different player accounts, it is an ongoing challenge to grab their bingo budget each week. Regular and niche surveying of players across a wide variety of topics including what other sites they play allows for more information and preferences and of course if a site can reward them for their time then it encourages better interaction rates. RehabBingo.com has started running player forums and has player meets where management can interact with players about their preferences and motivations. At the end of the day, players will help make the site better and if they feel they have an input into promotions, tournaments etc then they are loyal to the brand.
How do you assess the use of CRM analytics in order to customise offerings?
Irene Gahan: Essential but not always practical. One size does not always fit all and making sure that all the different player segments are catered for can be a challenge.
Which is the best way to engage your customers through personalisation, customisation and relevance? How do you know and update their preferences? How can one identify up-sell opportunities based on customers personal preferences?
Irene Gahan: One of the most recent RehabBingo promotions that was run was a deposit tournament and deposits over a certain threshold allowed players entry into a tournament to win back the min deposit entry requirement into the promotion. When players were within 5% of winning entry an email reminder was sent to them to encourage them to deposit up to the required amount to gain entry. Small and simple promotions that are not too complicated to understand are the best. The amount of promotional information that is bombarded at players can be confusing not to mention going through terms and conditions for a site so keeping promotions simple with clear communications messages will help sites to up-sell to existing players.
