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// PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL // November/December 2016
is expected by our current audience and
future generations.
So the prediction that the live-streamed draw
could replace the televised draw was misguid-
ed. But it all works out quite well in the end.
M. DeCheser:
Isn’t that the way it is
with innovation and change? You take
calculated risks and the outcome may
not be as you thought it would be. But
in many cases, perhaps most cases, the
outcome brings you to a new place that
turns out to be better than you might
have predicted.
Do you have data that compares the sales of
draws that are broadcast on digital only ver-
sus broadcast on TV and online?
M. DeCheser:
We do. Our mid-day
draws, which are for Pick3 and Pick4,
have been live-streamed online since
2011. But these mid-day draws had not
been broadcast on TV prior to July of
2015. Conversely, our evening draws
have been broadcast on TV and live-
streamed since 2012. Then in July of
2015, we started broadcasting the mid-
day draw on television, as well as stream-
ing it live online. Over the course of the
following year, July 2015 thru July 2016,
both the evening and mid-day draws
were broadcast on TV and live-streamed
online. The only difference is that the
mid-day draws added the TV broadcast
in July of 2015, while the evening draws
had been both broadcast on TV and live-
streamed since 2012. Comparing the
performance of the games with these two
draws scenarios enabled us to measure
the impact of adding the televised com-
ponent to the mid-day draw. The result
is that the sales of the Pick3 and Pick4
games with the mid-day draw increased
much more than the sales of the same
with the evening draws. Same games, the
only difference is that the mid-day draws
added the televised component in July of
2015. We infer from this result that the
televised draw had a measurably positive
impact on mid-day sales. We think that
is because the consumer has more confi-
dence in the security and integrity of the
televised draw. TV costs more than the
live draw but the ROI is definitely there
and the multi-media approach is draw-
ing in more players and introducing our
off-line players to our digital channels.
I should emphasize that we are fully
committed to the live-streaming online
draw. We see that as a fabulous tool to con-
nect with a vital audience that will grow
over the coming years. Building on our
social media initiatives and live-streaming
the draws is a key component to our mar-
keting and media mix, and will be increas-
ingly important in the coming years. We
just don’t want to ignore our core players
whose schedules included tuning in to the
televised draw. So we will do both TV and
live-streaming online for the time being.
We do not see this as an either/or. It is
a both/and. We have a robust social net-
working outreach that promotes our on-
line presence and are highly focused on
driving traffic to our live-streamed draw.
Our strategy is to modernize for the next
generation of players while continuing
to deliver the play experience that the
traditional core player expects. And we
project that the lifestyle habits of the
core player that include tuning in to the
TV draw will continue for another ten
years. So we will just follow both paths
to appeal to the millennials as well as the
core players.
The live draw, whether it is online or televised
or both, would seem to be a powerful event-
marketing tool to promote Lottery and engage
the consumer. It frankly seems to me to be an
under-utilized asset.
M. DeCheser:
I agree 100%. It is a
critical component to the whole draw-
game player experience. The consumer
could just buy an Instant scratch-off to
optimize the immediacy of the gaming
experience. The draw-game involves wait-
ing to see the result, so there needs to be
an event that the player buys into. They’re
buying into the suspense and the suspense
should lead to a climax. How better to do
that than to create the live-draw event that
celebrates the whole experience?
Couldn’t the live-stream draw be used as a
platform to broadcast other kinds of content
and promotions?
M. DeCheser:
We use both the televised
draw and the online live-stream to engage
players on Facebook, Instagram, our chat
rooms, and really all aspects of what the Lot-
tery does. The televised draw event attracts
a built-in viewer base for online streaming.
We now stream press conferences when
there’s a big winner. We stream our Million
Dollar Replay event and enable people to
interact with it. The Million Dollar Replay
event is something we do for Instant ticket
holders, giving them the opportunity to put
in the codes of their non-winning tickets
for a chance to win the million dollars. It is
an offsite event that is not cost effective to
broadcast on TV. So we stream it live online
and include a chat function as well. It was
incredible the last time we did this because
people were chatting back and forth, saying
like, “Oh, my god, that was my name. They
called my name. I won $25,000.” And oth-
er people would chat back and forth, “Con-
gratulations. Good for you. That’s fantastic.
Oh, my gosh.” Other ones are saying, “I
wish I was there. I couldn’t make it today.
I’m so happy I could watch it online. Hold
me back. Oh, they just called my name.”
Those that could not be there at the live
event were completely engaged online. It’s
not about selling products online. It’s about
reaching out to build a social community of
Lottery fans.
This 360 degree connectivity with the mod-
ern consumer is what we are all trying to cre-
ate. The potential to build on this platform is
really kind of unlimited. Do you see that as
being a pretty big canvass to work with and
grow and expand on?
M. DeCheser:
We haven’t even
scratched the surface. Of course it is ex-
citing that the short-term impacts have
been so positive. But it is the positioning
for long-term growth and evolving with
the modern consumer that is most excit-
ing. We very much feel like we are still
hurrying to catch up with the market-
place of new ideas and ways to connect
with our audience.
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