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ATLANTIC CITY - Judging by the flood of gambling-themed billboards lining the highways into Atlantic City, it would seem the casinos are almost single-handedly keeping the outdoor advertising industry in business.
But the oldest gaming hall in town is moving away from some of the traditional forms of communication into the realm of microblogging to let its customers know what is going on.
Resorts Atlantic City has launched a new online social community, called myresortscasino.com. Resorts says it is the first among its competitors to create a customized site that takes social networking to "the next level." Think of it as a casino's very own MySpace or Facebook-like page.
"I think it will change how a casino communicates a message. This just scratches the surface," Resorts spokesman Brian Cahill said.
Cahill noted that in the past, for instance, Resorts would pay for a billboard or radio spot to promote its latest attractions. He said the new interactive Web site has the potential to do the same thing for a fraction of the cost.
"There's only a small percentage of people driving past a billboard who are interested in what you're talking about," Cahill said. "But everybody on myresortscasino.com is interested in Resorts or wants to be here."
Rather than just going on a static Web page, customers at Resorts will be able to participate in forums and live chats, create online groups, post blogs and upload video. Kathleen McSweeney, senior vice president of marketing at Resorts, said this will allow guests to "virtually visit" the casino before they actually arrive in person.
"Myresortscasino.com is a site for sharing your experiences at Resorts, and for learning about other people's experiences," she said. "And there's no stronger way of advertising than true testimonial, word-of-mouth messaging. That's exactly what this site provides."
In addition to the interactive features such as blogging and sharing video, visitors to the Web site will be the first to find out about Resorts' special promotional offers and the latest entertainment updates.
Cahill and McSweeney emphasized the site will be closely monitored to make sure nothing offensive or obscene is posted. Any types of personal attacks will not be tolerated.
But bloggers will be able to express their opinions within the bounds of good taste, even if they say something critical of Resorts, Cahill assured.
"Just because someone says they didn't like their drink at our Boogie Nights nightclub, we're not going to take those comments off," he said.
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Posted in Business on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 3:15 am
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