Responsible Advertising: Keep this in mind if you provide pokie machines
There are many kinds of advertising in the world. It is nearly impossible to prevent somewhat ostentatious advertise finding their way in front of people, or children who shouldn't see them. If you have a business, you might be wondering exactly how you can offer something to the public via advertisements without offending someone, using methods that might attract the wrong age group, or those with addiction propensities.
There is a fine line between the right advertising and creating a situation where children or those with addictive challenges can think that what you're offering is good for them. However, many marketing companies are available to create the right ones. This help businesses work hard, so that your advertising targets the people at the right time. This guide explains your role as the business owner, when it comes to advertising, but let's start with this week's news on online pokies in Australia.
- A story about how an Australian couple lost a million on pokies
- Is pokies revenue more important than education of children?
- Why the Croydon sports pub adds more pokies
The Responsibility of Parents
Even though every parent is responsible for what their child sees on television, reads online, or even on a billboard, certain advertising methods can get in their way. Your advertising can have a detrimental effect on good parents’ efforts if you don’t keep them in mind. For example, if you want to sell a specific alcoholic beverage at your club and create an advertisement do so, when and where you promote this advertisement is important. You don't want to advertise on a television network that mainly offers family related shows.
This same thought process goes for advertising pokies. If your pub has pokies in it, you don't generally want to come up with marketing products or advertising that can lead a child to believe that these good things. Remember to market to adults in establishments that they visit all the time, television and radio network that adults typically watch, or magazines the children will never be interested in.
Making it Uncool
Let's face it, there are things that some people think are cool while others do not. There are also things that children think are cool, and adults do not. If you are going to use the cool factor in your advertising, make sure that only adults will respond and think that it’s the “in” thing to do. When children think that something is cool, they will gravitate toward it. Think of sneakers, clothing or video games. Pokies should never be advertised to a segment of the population that is not allowed to gamble, whether by age or otherwise.
Even if you are using a marketing company to create the perfect advertising for gambling, it is important to include information about problem gambling as well. For example, you may have one ad for telling the public how awesome and fun your establishment is, and the amount of pokies your establishment offers, but do another one promoting safe gambling habits as well, and intermix those as in various places. What you doing in this is instance is telling people that yes, the pokies are gun, but at the same time you're letting them know that personal responsibility and unhealthy gambling habits can lead to problems.
Proper Education
Before you decide to create any advertisement on your establishment, educate yourself on your demographic completely. Understand what these people are looking for in an establishment and how you can stand out from the rest. Only then, will your advertising endeavors leave you successful. However, you need to make sure that you are not providing any false advertising, or making false promises. Everyone knows that the pokies are very random, so there is no logical explanation for you to advertise that they will have guaranteed wins.
Because you are a busy business owner, you would do well to hire a professional marketer to come up with the perfect advertising. Just make sure that they are doing it properly and in a way that makes your business look good to adults who are capable of making their own, proper decisions. Your marketing rep should understand gambling laws, the negative press, and how to effectively reach those who want to play the pokies, but also have the right size bank account that allows them the ability to have this kind of fun.
Keeping the Rebel Heart In Mind
Because there is so much negativity toward gambling as a whole, if you want to advertise that your establishment that has pokies, keep these negatives public service announcements in mind. Understand that the majority of the time, if people are told that they shouldn't do something, or they can't do something, then that's usually the first thing they want to do.
You will be up against a lot of naysayers when it comes to advertising your business. However, the way you advertisement can make all the difference in the world to the rebel heart. Promoting it as injured teammate is a good way to start. Adding in some information about responsible gambling is another way to go.
This works in the opposite direction as well. If you have a pub and do not have pokies in your establishment, it might be okay to mention that you are a pokies free establishment, but don't make that the sole purpose method of trying to attract customers. Remember the old adage that if people are told they can't do something or they shouldn't do something, then they will do whatever they can to do it. The bottom-line, it is to formulate your advertisement in a way that expresses what you have to offer, what you don't have to offer, and why you're better than everybody else, without alienating people.
No matter what type of establishment you have, advertising is the best way to get people there. At first it may be a little difficult, however in time, if your wise to your advertising means, and honest with your customers, they will come back. Not only will they come back, but they will tell their friends to do so as well. Always remember that word-of-mouth advertising is the best form of advertising you can do.