40 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MARCH/APRIL 2025 respond when they see it at the POS. A great example is what the Arizona Lottery has done on Instagram. They resurrected an iconic character, Willie, who looks like an old-school coal miner and was once considered the Arizona Lottery mascot. Bringing back vintage Willie sweatshirts and T-shirts has generated tons of buzz, attracting a different demographic and making the Lottery stand out in the cluttered space of traditional advertising. So, while POS remains the top down-funnel driver, a well-rounded mix of paid media, creative promotions, social media, earned media, and merchandising helps reinforce brand awareness and maximize engagement across all platforms. Are we competing with other consumer brands for prime POS placement and visibility? T. Beenders: Absolutely. It all comes down to how we package the value proposition for our retailers. The message needs to be clear, concise, and focused on the WIFM— What’s in it for me? And Why should I care? Every conversation—whether it’s with a clerk, store owner, or category manager— should be framed around that question. If that’s your guidepost, your message will be focused, effective, and actionable. For example: “We’ve got this new $50 ticket, and you’re going to earn $3.25 for every ticket sold. Plus, 80% of those tickets are winners, which means you’ll be putting money back in your customers’ hands— money they’ll likely reinvest in more lottery tickets, snacks, sodas, and other in-store products.” Period. That’s the kind of concise, high-impact pitch that retailers can quickly understand, process, and act on. How relevant or impactful is signage? T. Beenders: The Arizona Lottery invested in 250 digital ticket menu boards about 10 months ago, and they’ve been a gamechanger. These boards can be updated instantly, either manually or automatically, through a remote server we control. This brings tremendous value to retailers because we’re handling their merchandising while also enhancing the look and feel of their store environment. It’s a win for us, too, since we’re negotiating prime placement at the counter, ensuring high visibility for the lottery. Circle K loves these boards—they want them in as many stores as possible. And it’s easy to see why. Not only do they look great and deliver timely, engaging promotional messaging, but they also save retailers time and effort. With traditional ticket menu boards, every time a new game launches, someone— either the clerk or a lottery sales rep—has to manually update display cards and rearrange the merchandising setup. That process takes time, and it’s prone to human error. Digital menu boards help relieve some of the retailer's labor. The store clerk doesn’t have to figure out which games go where or worry about keeping things updated because we handle it all remotely. And with labor costs rising and clerk turnover at an all-time high, automation like this is more valuable than ever. Just yesterday, a high-volume convenience store chain shared their employee turnover rate is over 1,014%, which makes training new employees an ongoing challenge. As staffing issues continue, automating merchandising functions will only become more critical — helping stores run smoothly while keeping the lottery front and center. You talked about how retailers are focused on their own apps and loyalty programs. Lottery apps are among the most visited. Why can’t we do more to collaborate with retailers in the online world? T. Beenders: I think lotteries can do more. Advertising winners on social media is a nobrainer. For example, let’s say a 7-Eleven sells a million-dollar winning ticket. Lotteries can tag 7-Eleven, repost it, and say “Another lucky 7-Eleven Customer Wins $1,000” and tag us. This kind of post catches the attention of other retailers, who recognize the value in these posts—they draw attention to the lucky store and generate buzz. This kind of engagement does more than just celebrate a winner. Other retailers see these posts, recognize the value, and understand how highlighting big wins brings attention to their stores. And because social media thrives on sharing, these posts spread organically, reaching new audiences—many of whom might not even be engaged with the lottery yet. It’s truly a win-win for both the retailer and the lottery. Social media is built for this kind of cascading, co-branding effect: we tag them, they tag us, and others join in. It all snowballs and increases visibility for both parties. Retailers could also incorporate lottery into their loyalty apps. We already have coupons and promotional messaging that highlight the value of the lottery while also driving foot traffic to the store. For example, a retailer could offer a reward, like spending $10 in-store and getting a credit toward your next lottery ticket purchase. There are endless ways to integrate lottery into retail loyalty programs, creating mutual value while engaging more players. We just need to connect the dots. In closing — any more examples of how supporting retailers leads to them supporting lottery? T. Beenders: A great example is the category manager of one of valued corporate partners, reached out and asked if we could provide lottery winner testimonials that could be shared with other managers and with corporate. The goal? Sharing real customer stories/experiences could be a way to drive home the relevance and importance of the lottery category to the business. The more valuable the category, the more justification there is to allocate more hours to the lottery category. Another great example: We recently launched a pilot for a 40-bin vending machine. Thanks to our strong relationship with Fry’s/Kroger, they agreed to test these machines right before Thanksgiving, one of the busiest times of the year. Even with the holiday rush, they committed to the pilot. We are working through the challenges together, and in the near future, we plan to roll these out statewide. Fry’s reached out and asked if they could incorporate lottery into their in-house ads heard by shoppers in-store. When jackpots are high, they promote and remind shoppers not to forget to play or reminders that lottery is a great idea for last minute gift giving during the holidays, and other special occasions. Think about that—free in-store advertising, reaching customers while they shop. That kind of collaboration happens when a retailer sees the value lottery brings and lotteries see the value of a strong relationship with retailers. The key takeaway? Building a true partnership—one where both sides see the value and are excited about the opportunities—opens the door to new ideas, deeper collaboration, and shared success. n Build the mutually beneficial relationship with your retailers that drives lottery ticket sales — continued from page 16
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTg4MTM=