La Fleur’s Magazine surveyed lottery marketers in August to survey how their FY21 marketing programs were changing in a COVID-19 world. The roundup follows below:
Colorado: “In addition to our terminal happy hours, we have ramped up our contests and promotions online to engage with players more,” said Tom Seaver, Director, Colorado Lottery.
Delaware: “We have adjusted our FY21 Marketing Program to include increased digital presence and social media strategies,” said Barbara Miller, Assistant Director, Delaware State Lottery.
DC: “We will launch iLottery in the fall and continue to look for innovative ways to get our product to our players. We will engage in a branding campaign to highlight our winners and the impact we have on the city,” said Nicole Jordan, Marketing Director, DC Lottery.
Indiana: “Perhaps the largest marketing impact of COVID-19 will be on sponsorships and the marketing activation associated with them,” said Gary Melliere, Senior Director, Marketing, IGT Indiana.
Iowa: “The bulk of our efforts will be focused on the Prize Zone, VIP Club initiatives, and the start of our holiday promotion for the upcoming season,” said Teri Wood, VP, Sales & Marketing, Iowa Lottery.
Kansas: “We are looking at things quarter to quarter rather than a strict schedule for the entire fiscal year so that we can remain flexible to changes and events being cancelled,” said Stephen Ortiz, Director of Sales & Marketing, Kansas Lottery.
Kentucky: “No in-person spin and wins or other type features are planned. Check presentations on the field at games that won’t have fans are becoming virtual presentations and digital representations of scholars who are benefiting from KY Lottery dollars,” said Edie Frakes, VP Marketing, Kentucky Lottery Corp.
Loto-Québec: “The percentage of online lottery sales is around 18% of total sales compare to 4% last year. We are pushing our online lottery business as we see the opportunity (such as platofrm development and Instants). Everything related to online gaming became a top priority,” said Marie-Claudel Lalonde, Senior Director, Strategies & Marketing Communications, Loto-Québec.
Louisiana: “We have recently launched our Mobile App, so we are looking at ways we can incorporate promotions utilizing this new and exciting player platform. We are looking at some potential social media and/or digital promotions for our draw-style games, but it will be more for early next calendar year,” said Quinn Dossett, VP, Marketing, Louisiana Lottery Corp.
Maine: “The biggest challenge is to continue to drive traffic to retail in a way that is responsible. We’re planning to message players to ‘buy now, play later’ encouraging multi-ticket and multi-draw tickets to discourage multiple trips into the stores,” said Michael Boardman, Deputy Director, Maine Lottery.
Maryland: “We are rethinking our advertising mix. People have been staying home more, which means they’re watching more TV and streaming services, so we’ve concentrated more advertising on TV, digital and mobile, and less on radio and out-of-home,” said Leo Mamorsky, CMO, Maryland Lottery.
Massachusetts: “We recently launched a new mobile friendly website and email delivery system that allows us to have greater digital engagement with players. We have utilized both in communicating these messages,” said Ed Farley, CMO, Massachusetts Lottery.
Montana: “We are guiding our messaging to be more product centered, while supplementing those messages with statements to help promote public safety,” said Anne Charpentier, Marketing & Sales Director, Montana Lottery.
Nebraska: “We are in the process of returning to a more normal advertising routine, when applicable. We have focused on our beneficiary advertising more so lately and will continue to do so in the near future. We feel like a strong mix of Scratch games and emphasis on our daily Lotto games will help our sales stay strong,” said Jill Marshall, Nebraska Lottery.
New Hampshire: “The 4th quarter of FY20 saw New Hampshire juggling three different campaigns—the planned campaign, the pandemic campaign and the plans for a post-pandemic campaign. Now that we are into the 1st quarter of FY21, the plan is to be flexible,” said Maura McCann, Director of Marketing, New Hampshire Lottery.
New Mexico: “We just began introducing jackpot advertising to the mix and plan to return to promoting product in September,” said Wendy Ahlm, Director, Advertising & Marketing, New Mexico Lottery.
Ohio: “Immediately after the Stay at Home order was issued here in Ohio, our advertising focused on community and beneficiary advertising only. As the weeks wore on, we started shifting to ‘softer’ sell messaging,” said Sandy Lesko Sabbath, Deputy Director of Marketing, Ohio Lottery.
Rhode Island: “We are looking for options for digital/virtual promotions,” said Melissa Juhnowski, Marketing Manager, Rhode Island Lottery.
South Dakota: “The ‘Thanks, SD’ campaign concluded in August, and we are beginning to phase back in to our normal marketing efforts . . . We are giving players more resources than ever through our mobile app. We recently conducted a soft launch of our new lotto ticket scanner, which has drawn positive reviews,” said Wade LaRoche, Director of Advertising & Public Relations, South Dakota Lottery.
Texas: “Our balanced media mix with an emphasis on digital has allowed us to continue to be successful during COVID-19. Recent increases in agile creative content and paid social posts have also helped drive strong sales and product awareness,” said Robert Tirloni, Products Manager, Texas Lottery.
Wisconsin: “Our most significant changes have been to sports sponsorships,” said Chuck Klink, Marketing & Player Relations, Wisconsin Lottery.
Wyoming: “We’ve added a new channel to our digital platforms with the launch of our own App which is set to launch to the public in September,” said Robin Medina, COO, WyoLotto.
