36 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2023 activist Jenk Oz shared his knowledge and wisdom on how lotteries could better understand Gen Z beliefs, behaviour and transformational consumer trends. Often known as ‘identity nomads’ who don’t want to be trapped by any one label, Gen Z have been shaped by five main events - smartphones, the financial crisis, a decade of social activism, a pandemic and now war. Pragmatic with the need for direct communications, Gen Z have become so important to marketing and brands lately as they have a $7trillion of annual income, the fastest growing across all cohorts, and they are entering the workforce. Among Jenk’s key takeaways for lotteries: to really understand what drives the people behind the players - transparent, authentic and genuine messages, create a storyline and communicate progress and successes of the lottery model; mix old and new approaches (retail v digital), create an omni channel experience where the old world and new world are in sync and complement each other. Gen Zers are more sophisticated than you expect - think beyond the instant gratification, think needs and opportunity! During the final session, we heard from Michael Kastelijns, Business Director, Nederlandse Loterij who described the interesting journey and challenging ups and downs of the past two years with the oldest lottery brand in the world, the Staatsloterij. In 2021 the price of tickets was raised after careful consideration. Then in 2022, due to the war in Ukraine a dip in consumer confidence led the Dutch state lottery to take rapid next steps to add extra value to its offerings, including raising the jackpot, and adding special prizes to certain draws. It connected the mission of the brand for a ‘happy, healthy and sporty Netherlands’, with continued sponsoring of the National Olympic Committee and other sports federations. As a result, 2022 exceeded growth expectations and no need to push the ‘panic button’. Vincent Perrotin, CSR Director, Française des Jeux, France, highlighted the importance of tackling environmental challenges and putting CSR at the heart of any lottery strategy. Since launching its environmental policy 15 years ago, FDJ has been combating climate change and preserving biodiversity, for example funding innovative projects aimed at conserving or restoring forests and their biodiversity. As the environmental crisis continues, it is more important than ever to work together. EL’s Environmental Initiative, a voluntary commitment open to all EL members, highlights the importance of sustainability for lotteries. Across the two days, EL Level I Partner &WLA Platinum Contributors IGT and Scientific Games, WLA Platinum Contributor Pollard Banknote Limited and new EL Level 2 Partner NeoGames, contributed to the seminar with involving presentations. Fueled by new research Scientific Games dug deeper into the importance of happiness and explored the needs of the post-Covid lottery players. IGT, which focused on how to leverage AI to make data-based decisions, providing players with personalized messaging and optimizing marketing budgets, uses this approach to support iLottery marketers with their holistic end-to-end advanced analytics platform. Pollard highlighted the driving force for innovative new products. When we think of innovation, sometimes the key to finding new opportunities for success requires a change in perspective. NeoGames provided a perspective on how lotteries can successfully prepare for - and power through - turbulent times. Finally, as Winston Churchill famously once said: “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”. EL and WLA members responded to the extreme disruption of the last three years provided with ingenuity and resourcefulness as well as operational excellence. Our keynote speakers inspired us to see that adversity provides us with an opportunity to push ourselves in ways we never have, and to be excited about a future rich with potential. The event was moderated by Arjan van 't Veer, EL Secretary General & Luca Esposito, WLA Executive Director. Welcome speeches by Rebecca Paul, WLA President and Hansjörg Höltkemeier, EL President. n Keynote speaker Liz Jackson MBE, Marketing Director & Co-owner at leading Corporate Finance Advisor, BCMS, UK Keynote speaker Jenk Oz, Founder & CEO of Thred Media
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTg4MTM=