Media Corp to target Hippodrome after new strategic alliance
Operator's advertising arm Eyeconomy signs agreement with BLAC Agency where the two can advertise their services to each other's clients.
Media Corporation could revive its involvement with the Hippodrome Casino after its advertising division Eyeconomy signed a strategic alliance agreement with BLAC Agency, of which the venue is a client.
The operator, which began the liquidation process for its online poker and casino subsidiary Purple Lounge earlier this year, had initially agreed to provide an egaming offering for the London casino before the deal was delayed and ultimately failed to materialise.
Since then Microgaming, Betway and PokerStars have agreed to contribute to various degrees to the Hippodrome’s move online, with the latter taking a minority stake in the newly launched casino to augment its online and offline poker deals.
Meanwhile, MediaCorp’s Intabet online sports betting offering, which was acquired in May and agreed a pre-launch deal with Betfred’s Totepool brand in August, is still yet to go live.
However MediaCorp could now resume its relationship with the Hippodrome Casino, albeit in a non-gaming capacity, through the Eyeconomy/BLAC Agency deal.
Known as ‘BLAC-EYE’, the agreement will see the two advertising firms offer their respective services to each other’s clients. The Hippodrome is among BLAC’s clients, while Eyeconomy’s deals include a seven-figure agreement to provide third-party advertising for Express Newspapers, an agreement renewed last December and due to run until February 2013.
Eyeconomy managing director Mark Butt, who joined the board of MediaCorp in August, said of the agreement: “For too long digital media has been bought and sold on a commodity basis – at Eyeconomy we have exclusive access to a highly targeted consumer groups that enable leading brands to reach the consumers they need to reach and we are very excited to be working with BLAC and the potential of providing our services to their existing and future clients.”
BLAC Agency CEO Neil Campbell described the deal as “One in the eye for lumbering monolith agencies,” adding: “What we offer has digital planning, creative and media abilities that play to our strengths making the union stronger when operating as one team delivering for our customers.”