The purpose of this article is to dispel a common myth: “My industry is totally unique. Marketing practices that work in another industry do not translate to mine.” Sound familiar?
Interviews with top marketers help dispel this myth and provide some great advice in the process. The following Nevada marketers shared their experiences: Dean Richard, director of sales, Harrahās Reno; Ed Rogich, VP marketing, International Game Technology (IGT); and Krys Bart, executive director, Airport Authority of Washoe County. Not surprisingly, all three organizations have the same business goal of increasing revenue, either by growing the size of the sales “pie” (Reno airport and Harrahās) or by increasingly their share of the pie (IGT). Besides this common goal, they all rely upon industry collaboration to excel.
Dean Richard believes one of the reasons for Harrahās success is its willingness to think “big-picture.” For example, Harrahās actively collaborates with competing casinos and non-casino entities to build tourism for Northern Nevada by re-defining the area beyond the traditional perception of gaming and headliners. This broader definition includes positioning Nevada as a convention destination and also a destination for adventure sports. The collective energies are organized by the Regional Marketing Committee, a program of the Nevada Commission on Tourism and the Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority. For Harrahās and other highly competitive tourism entities, collaborating on a common marketing theme is both strategic and “big-picture” thinking.
Ed Rogich attributes much of IGTās success ā a 70 percent share of market ā to driving product development that utilizes new technology. This results from close ties, or collaborating, with the technology industry. According to Rogich, IGT engineers are proactive with outside software, semiconductor and other technology companies in seeking both competitive advantage for IGT and greater profitability for its casino customers. Its reputation for technology leadership shows up in innovations such as the paper-ticket system and the embedded bill acceptor. Looking forward, IGT sees applications of the Internet, 3D and smart-card technologies in future products.
Krys Bart has dramatically improved air passenger volume, revenue ā and airline profitability ā in her tenure at the Reno airport. She and her team work closely with local economic development entities. Last year she accompanied the lieutenant governor and a task force to China to promote highly profitable cargo traffic direct to Reno. And to enhance airline profitability at home, her team encourages hotels and casinos to reduce emphasis on the “cheapest cost per seat” in negotiating travel packages with airlines. In short, Reno airport management adopts a whole-market approach to building profitable airport traffic.
Hopefully, the message that emerges from these examples is that business in these times is truly global. And we must reach outside our companies to other industries ā and even collaborate with competitors ā to be successful.