Friday view: Mobile's multi-channel future

Paul Putman, Chief Executive Officer at mobile marketing firm Donky, discusses why mobile gambling operators need a multi-channel approach if they’re to engage with customers in 2015

2014 has seen a massive upsurge in digital technology, especially in the mobile and digital gaming sector. As consumers have become accustomed to being constantly connected to the mobile web, new behaviours have emerged and businesses are increasingly adopting more creative marketing approaches to exploit the opportunities which have been presented. Today’s consumers expect a smooth cross-channel experience with information broken up into bite-size chunks, and entertainment into short bursts, in a way that fits in with their busy lifestyles.

The consumer appetite for mobile gambling is indisputable, evidenced by growing cross-sector mobile revenues. Juniper Research predicts that by 2018, betting via smartphones and tablets could total $62bn globally. Coupled with the onset of native apps and mobiles websites, the industry is seeing a growing need for brands and gaming companies to invest heavily in omnichannel solutions to offer their customers a seamless experience across all online platforms.

With so many marketing tools at their disposal, many leading players in the industry are already taking steps to embrace changing preferences and expectations, investing heavily in online and mobile offerings to move with the times and stay ahead of the competition. Using advanced app-based messaging capabilities, businesses can create strong connections with their customers, to increase loyalty and spend and successfully engage and retain users.

However, in order for brands to effectively increase market share and capitalise on the growth, it is important that they create an aggregated view of their digital estate while providing an understanding of their customers’ digital engagement across all online channels including apps, web and mobile web, to drive interactions that are appropriate to each unique customer. This will provide them with the opportunity to deeply engage with their consumers, rather than just interacting with the user of a particular device, while also ensuring a compelling gaming experience. The successful betting and gaming companies of the future will be those that embrace this change and adopt a personalised, omnichannel marketing approach that engages users and keeps them coming back to their digital assets.

The omnichannel consumer

Mobile gambling has really taken off in the UK, with Deloitte reporting that almost a third of UK players now use their smartphones to play online. While the majority of this play takes place inside specially created apps, the rest is on mobile websites and it’s now not unusual for consumers to complete transactions in a different channel to the one they started in. For example, they may discover a product or service using one channel, use another for research and yet another to make a purchase.

Juniper Research believes that by 2018, a mammoth 164 million people will either place bets, visit a mobile casino or buy a lottery ticket on their mobile device. As a growing number of consumers move seamlessly between online and physical destinations, the convenience and privacy offered by web-enabled devices means that it will become increasingly important for brands to adapt to meet consumer needs accordingly. In order to capture these ‘omnichannel consumers,’ consumer facing businesses must rise to the challenge of offering a joined up cross-channel experience.

Brands today are currently relying on the use of siloed web and app teams that do not interact with each other and fail to provide a seamless, omnichannel experience. While 2014 saw an increasing need for businesses to have multiple digital assets, 2015 will see an industry trend for companies to adopt a more unified and consistent approach that requires a single native technology spanning all elements, to enable them to look at their customers holistically and identify them as people, rather than users.

To deliver this truly personalised, consumer experience, it is critical that brands consolidate their programmes to allow individual user behaviours to be tracked across different channels, in real-time. It is no longer enough to send out blanket communications; these get skipped over unless highly relevant. Having the tools and technologies in one place will allow brands to be heard above the noise of data traffic, enabling them to reach out to consumers however and whenever appropriate. I predict that in 2015, more businesses will begin to integrate similar technologies into their marketing mix in a way that enables marketing personalisation at a level not before seen in the industry.

Event-based opportunities

One place where mobile betting really comes into its own is at sporting events, and as location-based technology matures and more app creators expand their OTT network messaging capabilities, we look set to see mobile and land-based betting converge further.

Geo-targeted messages can be a great way for businesses to lure back lapsed customers. For instance, individuals with a sportsbook app buried on their phone, upon entering a stadium or a racecourse may unknowingly trigger the delivery of a rich message containing a timely incentive. This simple piece of geo-targeted communication may be the difference between the consumer re-engaging with the brand or taking their custom elsewhere.

Beacon technology is also starting to be trialled widely in the gaming industry and next year we will see more and more companies using messages triggered by micro locations by beacons to provide relevant offers based on location. For example, at Cheltenham racecourse in 2014, operators such as William Hill elected to use the iPhone’s Beacon capabilities to direct offers and betting information to its customers after detecting them to be at the racecourse on the day of the event.

This is an approach that can be, and is, easily replicated at other events; yet nevertheless, many brands currently face the challenge of ensuring Bluetooth is activated across users’ smart devices to enable the technology to work. For this reason, alongside the issue of consumer privacy and the surrounding legislation needed, I predict that 2015 will be the year to trial beacons, with wider adoption of technology being seen much later as long as the value can be established.

Joining up the digital consumer experience

The number of gambling companies recognising the opportunity and making significant investments in their omnichannel propositions, while offering their customers app-based experiences that take into account their location, situation and device, will only grow. As it becomes possible for brands to obtain a fuller picture of their customers’ preferences, behaviours and responses, this will also enable them to tailor future communications to each individual user accordingly, leading to a more personalised cross-platform system which allows for real-time valued interactions driving increased revenue and loyalty.

As mobile marketing technologies develop and new capabilities emerge, 2015 should be the year that brands and gaming companies take the time to understand the opportunities that are being created for them to build deeper relationships with their customers. It’s never been more important for companies to offer a consistent, high quality customer experience and to market to consumers on their terms and using their channels of choice. By putting the user first and unifying analytics, businesses will soon be able to effectively boost brand engagement and better understand cross-channel behaviour to offer a truly customer-centric approach.