social responsibility good for your brand, your company, and your customers

Transcription

1 2017 GameSense Symposium social responsibility good for your brand, your company, and your customers Tuesday, September 26, 2017 Radisson Hotel Edmonton South 4440 Gateway Boulevard Edmonton, AB T6H 5C2 see the future

2 in this presentation what is a brand and what is brand equity? what can we learn from the alcohol experience? what do people think of people who drink? why is social responsibility so important in the area of gambling? what do people think of people who gamble? why social responsibility should be a key part of your brand equity? 2

3 acknowledgement Much of this presentation comes from a study done for OLG study by rsg into public attitudes toward alcohol, gambling, and marijuana. And a huge debt of gratitude is owed to Paul Pellizzari of OLG. Many of these slides have been presented before jointly by Paul and rsg.

4 4 what is a brand?

5 5 it is an organization s promise to a customer to deliver what the brand stands for not only in terms of functional benefits but also emotional, self-expressive and social benefits - David Aaker, Aaker on Branding

6 6 There are really only two ways to grow a brand 01 increase how much your current customers spend with you increase your market share by acquiring new 02 customers

7 what is brand equity?

8 8 brand equity is a reservoir of goodwill. Brand building activities will ensure that the reservoir remains full neglecting those activities or taking actions that might deplete those reserves will reduce the reservoir, imperceptibly at first, but soon all too noticeably until it is too late and all that is left is mud. - Brad VanAuken, Brand Aid

9 how companies like to think about their brands If you run a casino company, it is nice to think that your company is perceived as: exciting fun entertaining leading edge 9

10 intuitively, it seems kind of boring to think of your company as responsible educator watchdog 10

11 11 until you find out making these attributes a core part of your brand and its equity gives you permission to deliver excitement inoculates you against blame for the actions of individuals builds trust between your organization and your customers and the general public

12 prohibition 1920s = gangsters + vice The case of alcohol in Ontario

13 In the 1930s, it was all about control

14 LCBO 1960s = control

15 over time control evolved to a set of formal and informal rules

16 LCBO formalizes these rules into drinking etiquette Allows people to continue enjoying drinking and to stay safe LCBO and its allies (e.g., police, MADD) play their role in keeping the public safe Sets rules and communicates to public, while agencies/police enforce helps set the rules

17 17 We believe LCBO s core brand equity is social responsibility which makes this possible

18 today is about incorporating beverage alcohol into one s lifestyle in a responsible way

19 why is social responsibility so important in gambling? Let s look more at how alcohol is perceived

20 let s look more at how alcohol is perceived

21 % of adult Canadians exceed safe-drinking guidelines? 25% ( Health Canada survey)

22 [Alcohol is] one of the biggest health risks facing the country and a "system-level response" is urgently needed to address the mounting toll it takes in terms of injury, disease and death, as well as the subsequent cost to the health-care system. - Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

23 views on dangers of alcohol harms + risks personal harm: e.g. liver disease family harm: e.g. marital breakdown, assault societal harm: DUI, fetal alcohol Acceptability of harm (alcohol more acceptable than gambling) curable by rehab physiological problem

24 how alcohol drinkers are perceived normal everyone non-drinkers suspect

25 Alcohol is legal, embedded in our social events and socializing. More so than gambling. Gambling is also legal but they don t go gambling after work to socialize. alcohol user aged You go to a restaurant, bar and you can get alcohol The accessibility, the advertising, it s very cool, alcohol is a lifestyle. It s positioned in the marketplace. It says something about you, the type of drink you have. general population aged 35-49

26 reactions to a person spending a weekend afternoon in a bar? MORAL JUDGEMENT bar drinker perceived to be socializing, watching sports, nursing a few drinks generally acceptable 26

27 How are risks managed? CONTROLS? age-gating don t serve intoxicated people social marketing campaigns for drinking and driving about right level of controls if anything is to change, maybe make it more available 27

28 what do these messages say about how we view drinking?

29 29

30 Can you imagine similar signage outside the casino?

31 so why is social responsibility so important in gambling?

32 32 It s predatory. I think the casinos are relying on a certain class of people. They don t necessarily have the financial skills...they are a lower socioeconomic group. GENERAL POPULATION, AGED 25-34

33 33 Lottery player versus table player I buy tickets but I don t consider myself a gambler. When I go to the slots and see grandma pushing her money down the slots, that s a gambler. ALCOHOL USER, AGED 25-34

34 34 I see a gambler as someone who is addicted. Addiction gives them a high. They keep going at it, hoping they will make it big, win something big. GENERAL POPULATION, AGED 50-64

35 35 I have a perception that gambling is lower down the social scale. Nice people don t do that. I grew up in Peterborough. There is a perception that gambling is not for good people. GENERAL POPULATION, AGED 50-64

36 gambling harm is viewed as an inevitable downward spiral preyed upon by casino wasting time stigma rapid descent into addiction blowing money cannot afford anti social 36

37 how you want to be seen what you could become? where you come from how you re viewed

38 how gamblers are perceived gambling harm self-inflicted and self-contained though industry seen as predatory harm not societal, in way that drinking and driving is though this view emerges when public discussions occur on gambling expansion gambling viewed as moral weakness gambling is not generally seen occurs in enclosed spaces, perceived to be done alone, making gambler akin to lone drinker or drinker who hides bottle in brown paper bag. 38

39 reactions to a person spending a weekend afternoon in a casino? MORAL JUDGEMENT viewed less sympathetically seen as wasting time seen as spending money can t afford preyed upon by casino only a minority thought they could be socializing by playing table games or having lunch or brunch with friends 39

40 How are risks managed? CONTROLS? operators have a conflict they want profit helping gamblers is more the role of the government not enough is done it s run by private sector and licensed by government 40

41 why GameSense and social responsibility are critical to operators 41

42 key things to remember about the role of social responsibility and your brand was all about control for many years. Once established as responsible, able to retail alcohol as part of a lifestyle in measured and deliberate manner. Knowing brand stood for social responsibility, consumers gave LCBO permission to behave like a more traditional retailer Protecting that equity is critical to success

43 If and operators get control and regulation right, they will attract more and better customers well-versed in rules of gambling. If consumers believe you are providing gambling - a potentially dangerous product - in responsible manner first and foremost you will succeed and customers will be better off. good news about social responsibility

44 This means: ensuring rigorous checking of ID partnering with RG agencies empowering casino staff promoting self-exclusion encouraging setting of limits explaining odds promoting GameSense centres In short what GameSense is currently doing. good news about social responsibility

45 This also means spending money lots of it - on communicating all that is being done on responsible gambling front. By bringing RG to the fore, consumers: will give you permission to help them make responsible gaming a part of their entertainment, resulting in healthier, more satisfied gamblers, and more profits to operators and to AGLC and ultimately to the Alberta community. good news about social responsibility

46 46 whatever else your brand stands for Social responsibility is key to your future success It speaks to both the heart and the mind, the emotional and the rational, the necessary touchpoints of successful branding.