Deltin Royale, the casino owned by luxury gaming and hospitality brand Delta Corp Ltd, has recently launched a hyper-personalised video campaign for its upcoming event, Star Weekend, featuring actress Tamannaah Bhatia.
Star Weekend, to be launched in February, will be a three-day long gaming and entertainment event, aboard the floating casino Deltin Royale.
The campaign utilised artificial intelligence (AI) to customise each invite, with the actor extending a personal invitation to guests.
Delta Corp is the only listed company in India, which is engaged in casino (live, electronic and online) gaming in India. It started in 2013, with one flagship property, Deltin Royale. It now has offshore casinos and five land casinos across India in Goa and Sikkim, and Nepal.
Having spent over a decade in the industry, the casino brand is now increasing its focus on event-based IPs, AI utilisation, influencer engagement, and awareness campaigns that align with its over-arching marketing strategy and to counter any potential deterrence from casino visits due to the goods and services tax (GST) rate hike.
In an interview with Storyboard18, Arindam Basu, general manager, marketing, Delta Corp, spoke about the company’s diverse target audience, business after the pandemic, focus areas, GST and more.
Edited excerpts:
Tell us a little about Star Weekend? How will it help your brand?
Star Weekend is one of our prominent events, designed to provide attendees with an exclusive opportunity to interact closely with stars and celebrities. This event, scheduled in February, is a weekend programme on board Deltin Royale. This allows our patrons to personally engage with celebrities like Shilpa Shetty and Tamannaah Bhatia.
What is different this time is that we have used hyper personalisation for our invitees, with the help of Generative AI. Recognising the potential of the technology, we decided to harness its power to generate excitement for the upcoming event. Our aim is to craft individualised invitations using this technology, ensuring a unique and personal touch for each recipient. In every video message, Tamannaah personally addresses the guests, elevating the experience.
Could you elaborate on your client profile? Who are the casino-goers in India?
Deltin caters to diverse customer segments. Firstly, there are gaming enthusiasts who visit our casinos, vessels, or land casinos solely for the thrill of gaming.
These are gamers seeking an immersive gaming experience. The second segment consists of those who visit for the overall experience. They consider Deltin an integral part of their Goa itinerary. The third group comprises tourists who specifically come to experience the diverse entertainment offerings. Lastly, the fourth segment. It includes individuals who come to us for the gourmet experience, be it a family gathering or simply a couple on a date night.
Could you elaborate on Deltin’s strategic marketing initiatives beyond these IPs?
Deltin has consistently prioritised customer-centric strategies. Our communication and marketing approaches are tailored to the evolving needs and preferences of our customers, which are dynamic and subject to ongoing changes.
Broadly, our strategies encompass certain key areas: digital promotions and PR, performance marketing with a focus on online ads, engaging content across our social media handles, collaborations with influencers and content creators, offline marketing centred around Goa and other casino locations, and curated events and experiences.
Additionally, our loyalty initiatives and campaigns target specific members, including our loyalty programme participants.
The recent uptick in footfalls, with a 10-15 percent annual increase, indicates positive trends in customer engagement. Post-pandemic, there has been a significant rise in domestic travellers throughout India, prompting us to anticipate a proportional increase in the marketing budget to cater to this growing segment.
What has been the boost like when it comes to marketing spends, especially after the GST rate hike?
Nearly half of our annual marketing budget is allocated to curated events and experiences. This strategic investment is essential for a casino and entertainment brand like ours, especially as the industry leader. Maintaining a vibrant and dynamic brand is crucial, and organising engaging events serves as a powerful tool to keep the brand lively and resonant. These initiatives play a pivotal role in enticing customers back to our properties, fostering brand loyalty and sustained patronage.
There will be no implication of the new GST regime on the marketing budget allocation but we are expecting a 10-15 percent year-on-year (YoY) overall increase in marketing budget in the next financial year(2024-25) for increased promotions of our new vessel (floating casino), which will be operational in the next financial year.
You mentioned influencers and content creators. How do you use them?
We collaborate with a diverse range of influencers, including renowned celebrities, for various events. For the upcoming Deltin Star Weekend, prominent figures like Shilpa Shetty, Tamanna Bhatia, and Salim Sulaiman will be part of the event.
In the previous year, during our 10-year anniversary celebrations in October, celebrities such as Tejaswi Prakash, Hina Khan, and Shamita Shetty joined us. These celebrities, whether visiting as guests or participating in events, share their experiences on social media, creating a ripple effect as their followers spread the word, generating interest and attraction towards our property.
In the context of Deltin’s marketing strategies, how is the use of AI evolving and contributing to the overall effectiveness of campaigns?
We aim to capture significant mindshare within our customer base, driving us to explore innovative trends and technologies proactively. During our 10th-anniversary celebration in October, we pioneered a CGI (computer-generated imagery) campaign, leveraging computer-generated graphics for a realistic and captivating online experience.
The results were outstanding, with approximately 75 lakh views, 20,000 likes, and numerous comments within a week. Building on this success, our current focus involves experimenting with AI-based communication for personalised and hyper-personalised interactions. Our commitment is to stay at the forefront of technological advancements, consistently enhancing guest experiences.
Coming back to the GST rate hike, what has been the ground reaction at Deltin properties?
I believe that when the new GST regime was introduced in October, it triggered an initial knee-jerk reaction from consumers as the rules were not clear to many of them. Over time, people have come to realise that unless the government revises these rules, they are likely to stay. The situation has stabilised, prompting us to initiate our promotions and communications to attract more customers.
Lastly, have you been able to touch the pre-pandemic numbers? What is the way forward for Deltin?
In FY 2022-23, the gross revenue of Delta Corp (before elimination of Inter Segment Revenue and GST collected on revenue) has increased by 64 percent, compared to the previous financial year.
We are committed to continuing event-based IPs and exploring new initiatives, and remaining optimistic that things will only improve, moving forward.