Social Media Tracker: Developing and displaying a company culture

There has been a distinct shift in the attitude towards companies in the past few years. As younger generations begin to join online platforms like igaming sites and discussions and conversations are introduced online, there is a growing call to see more authenticity from brands. Is this something that can be displayed in a casino or igaming brand’s company culture online?

A drive towards authenticity

Once upon a time, there was a desire for brands to be faceless and anonymous. For a brand to be successful, they did not have to share much about their company culture and who the people behind the logo and branding actually were. This has changed, however, and on quite a significant level.

Consumers are now fans of voting with their dollars – a phrase often used to denote a desire to shop with or use the services of a company that has values in line with theirs. When it comes to igaming, it is a desire to be appreciated as a customer rather than just treated as another spender and another statistic.

A casino brand cannot expect to remain as this faceless entity any longer. Consumers now want to get to know the faces behind the brands. In doing so, they feel more at home with the company, and are more likely to use their services. While some casinos might want to still maintain the space between their customers and their customer service team, there are many benefits that can be found in closing the gap.

Why has this change arisen?

Much of this shift in consumer thinking and desires can be attributed to the rise in social media. In a world where we can follow the every move of our friends and families and see what our favourite celebrities had for breakfast, it only makes sense that we expect more from our top brands.

In addition to this, social media makes it that bit easier for consumers to hold brands to account. Part of expected company culture and authenticity comes from announcing stances on certain political or social issues. Not every company will want to do this, but if they choose not to, their followers on social media can respond accordingly.

Brands, both in igaming and beyond, need to consider how their brand looks from the perspective of their players. Those who are not willing to share any information about their company culture will appear to be nothing more than a wall – not the most inviting and understanding of prospects. Offering insight into what happens behind the scenes at brands helps a customer to feel included, valued, and appreciated. Displaying and developing a positive company culture and then demonstrating it to the customer and inviting them to take part is a great way to do so.

Case study – Tombola

To see how this can be done effectively within igaming spheres, one of the best places to look is Tombola. As a popular bingo site, they have thousands of players that all want to see them as an approachable brand that values them as players.

How can they demonstrate a good company culture that is authentic and welcoming? They make use of their chat managers (CM) to do so. The CMs are a great intersection between the values of the brand and the expectations of the customers. Therefore, Tombola posts about them on its social media to help build engagement and interest from customers.

Fairly frequently, the operator will pose some question to its followers on platforms like Facebook regarding its CMs. This can involve live quizzes with missing letters from the CMs’ names, small competitions with pictures provided by the CMs, and more.

This all generates hundreds of comments and likes while also helping to generate authenticity for Tombola as a brand. It can retain some form of anonymity as a corporate entity while also providing a way for customers to get a little closer and feel a strong connection to the community.

Time for brands to adjust

Casino brands can no longer maintain just their branding if they wish to maintain the trust that they have built with customers and attract the next generation of players. It is not enough for brands to hide behind a mascot and other forms of marketing. There has to be a real and human connection that shows a more authentic side to the company as a whole.

This is something that Tombola has done to great effect. In using its CMs to bridge the gap between brand and consumer, it can foster authenticity and a positive community experience for players.

Brands will need to develop and demonstrate a good company culture in the future. Following Tombola’s lead and offering a peek behind the casino culture to the people powering the brand will be a fantastic place to start.

Sharon McFarlane is the managing director of Digital Footprints – a digital marketing agency that specialises in igaming. She has eight years’ experience in the industry and has contributed regularly to industry magazines and conferences sharing her expertise on all things digital marketing. Her company (www.digital-footprints.co.uk) offers an outsourced solution for igaming businesses when it comes to content marketing, social media, UX design, website design, branding and conversion rate optimisation.