Casinos diligently monitor their slot floor business, routinely shuffling machines in and around and out of the gaming area, based on how much action they attract. But when it comes to being up-to-date on the actual customers, there’s still plenty of improvements to be made, says Jeff Baldi, who offers a system called ClubLinq that empowers casinos.
“Casinos are typically hindered by regulations and slow-moving casino technology,” says Baldi, president and CEO of Las Vegas-based Intermezzo, Inc., a company founded in 2013. “And often they don’t see the value in upgrading their player-tracking technology. The casinos have data but not the integrated means to really communicate with the people.”
Through ClubLinq, Intermezzo is helping casinos become nimbler with their databases. Baldi says the company is emerging from a phase of creating products that help casino marketers get closer to their visions.
“We had a time period where the company was on a development model, but now we are starting to reach out more,” he says. “We are sending out more products and services than ever before.” That includes robust offerings through ClubLinq Thread, a hybrid application delivering programmable text messages and push notifications to the subscriber’s mobile phone.
Baldi notes that casinos can be competing in the same market, yet have different clienteles – and, thus, should have unique plans to attract and maintain customers.
“Clearly, we saw a shortage of marketing tools to allow casino operators to really lever the data in their systems,” he says. The company name – Intermezzo – was chosen because in food and music lingo it’s a term meaning to connect things from the middle. “That’s the core of what we do. We help make connections,” he says.
ClubLinq integrates with four major gaming suppliers: IGT, Aristocrat, Konami, and Scientific Games. Intermezzo vice president Dave Halabuk notes that after purchasing one of the four gaming systems, casinos often do not get the resources and programs needed to help them capitalize on effective marketing initiatives. “Our solutions enable casinos to effectively engage their patrons,” Halabuk says.
Intermezzo has recently begun to offer a kiosk-based system that allows patrons to become more engaged with their player rewards information. The company, which has a deep tech background, can tailor it to each casino’s priorities. “We can go from concept to full development quite easily,” Halabuk says.
Baldi cites his experience – working and consulting from the riverboats of the Midwest, to the shores of Atlantic City and the Caribbean, to Singapore with the Inland Revenue Authority – as his basis for knowing what casino marketers need. He eventually became director of sales and national accounts at Aristocrat.
“For us, having been in the business, we see and understand completely what marketers need and lack, and how we can help,” he says. “We also understand they are forced to deal with the same set of tools as their competitors, but we can help them to really drive home the differentiation between each other. Rather than try to separate themselves with some direct mail piece, we can help them be more efficient.”
Halabuk notes that the casino industry is maturing, with more states adding casinos and expanding gaming – which creates a tighter, more competitive marketplace. Because the customer pie is being sliced more surgically, the need for better marketing – and customer analysis – is increasing.
“We find our clients are using ClubLinq to do everything from improving guest communications, to reducing marketing expenses, to enhancing guest experiences,” he says. “But at the same time, the system has flexible solutions to adapt to a property’s specific needs.”
