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Hoiana Suncity officially launched their website presence on Friday, 28 August including a flagship website www.hoianasuncity.com for international customers and www.hoianapremium.com for Chinese (PRC) customers. The website was developed and launched by HOGO, a marketing firm with ties to both Vietnam and Macau.

Hoiana is the first beachfront integrated resort in Central Vietnam boasting around 3 kilometers of coastline in Vietnam’s Quang Nam province. The property’s web presence currently includes and interface in multiple languages, with the plans to fully develop content online in Chinese (both Traditional and Simplified), English, Vietnamese and Korean. The site includes overviews of planned future developments including hotels, food and beverage, the casino, entertainment offerings and more. Details on programs such as the Hoiana Premier Rewards Club are also made available.

Chris Wieners, Managing Partner of HOGO, stated: “HOGO is proud to have helped Hoiana Suncity launch the website. This is an exciting milestone for them, and we are incredibly proud to be part of that. We look forward to our ongoing relationship as they develop Vietnam’s newest and most exciting premier beachfront integrated resort.”

Mary Mendoza, Assistant Vice President of Casino Marketing stated: “We are happy to have worked with HOGO on this important milestone. The exclusive preview of Hoiana Suncity is key to our launch strategy and having a website that works for all of our target markets was paramount. We look forward to our ongoing relationship with HOGO as we work to develop Hoiana Suncity as Vietnam’s premier beachfront integrated resort and to deliver our promise to provide an iconic, cultural and extraordinary brand experience to our guests.”

Future planned enhancements to the digital presence include live chat, a HOIANA Premier Rewards member’s section as well as a booking engine.

Thursday, 16 July 2020 (Macau SAR) HOGO (Hogo Digital Macau Limited) has signed a partnership agreement with Response:AI, an automated and AI-based market research platform with representatives in Europe, the United States, and Japan. The partnership sees HOGO working with the Response:AI team to consult and conduct quantitative market research projects and in-depth analysis for clients in Macau and throughout Asia. It is part of a broader strategy by HOGO to offer services that clients can use to grow and protect their brands and investments by making intelligent, data-driven decisions in the time of COVID19.

The Response:AI platform will allow HOGO’s clients to conduct market research studies in areas such as product and service testing, usage & attitudes studies, long-term tracking studies, pricing model, and testing marketing and advertising campaigns, and more. The power comes from the high level of available segmentation and geo-targeting options, including China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam as well as its ability to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure quality responses from highly segmented audiences. The platform also allows clients to use their data (such as those from loyalty programs) safely and securely on their own server.

Chris Wieners, Managing Partner of HOGO, stated: “We are thrilled to be able to offer a comprehensive market research product to our clients here in Macau as well as the other locations in Asia that we serve. We know the need to conduct timely and cost-effective research, especially for those in the tourism, hospitality, and entertainment industries is paramount during the current situation.

While we see much interest from a variety of markets to re-start marketing campaigns, being able to make quality data-driven decisions is key to ensuring success when so much is uncertain. We are looking forward to helping provide our clients as much data as possible when making these critical decisions.”

Dr. Frederick Barber, CEO of Response:AI, stated: “Since being spun out of a traditional market research firm in 2016, we have built a robust platform and worked with leading global brands, agencies, and consulting firms, such as Google, Mastercard and McCann Worldwide. We have also worked on tourism projects in the United States and Europe, and thanks to Andrew Edsall, our local director in APAC, we are excited to work with HOGO.”

We’ve recently been asked questions by clients in the consulting business (primarily in casino gaming industry) about ways in which they can use digital advertising channels (primarily search and programmatic display) to drive leads to their website. Below, the team at HOGO features a few of the key ways that digital can be used to drive (and track) new leads for. Although aimed at the gaming industry, this can really be utilized for any consultancy business across a variety of verticals.

Paid Search Marketing

The use of paid search is key is the first channel we recommend to clients, especially those which are new to digital advertising and promotion online. Paid search (search engine marketing, or SEM), allows consultants to display their branded ads to users who search specific keywords or phrases, as well as “similar” keywords and phrases. The ads (generally text, although expanded ad styles are also available) include enough information that is used to drive click-thru to the consultants landing page of choice (website homepage or more likely, a specific page about the service enquired about during the keyword search term).

Gaming consultants and those in the industry should focus on targeting searches around the specific offered services as well as broader terms that may be used by those seeking consultancy services. A quick search for “casino consultant”, for example, returned ideas around a variety of keywords including:

casino game consultant
bet consulting
sports betting consultant
casino game developers
casino gaming companies
gambling consultant

…and many more. These few terms alone averaged >1,000 monthly global searches. Additional targeting including geography, language and other options are easily controlled via Google’s Adwords platform.
When launching ads, it’s important to work with A/B or even A/B/C copy variants. This ensures that Google launches several copy options and is able to optimize based on the performance (clicks, conversions (lead submissions) or any other ’trigger’ decided by the gaming consultant). 
Leads are tracked based on the websites lead generation tool (most often a form) which allows for consultants to clearly understand their cost per lead / cost per acquisition and adjust ad spends based on higher performing markets / services.

Display / Programmatic

Simply put, display advertising refers to running banner, video and other media on Google’s ad network. The benefit of display for gaming consultants includes:
– The ability to more graphically showcase the brand and its offerings- The ability to target specific audiences – including the basic demographics (location, age, gender) as well as interests, education level, household income and more (although these audiences vary by country / jurisdiction)
Programmatic can offer more complex options including retargeting to audiences based on site actions or even to existing databases of loyal customers via email – at the least, display marketing allows gaming consultants to further instill their brand to users who may have been targeted with a paid search marketing ad. 

Lead Building Campaigns – LinkedIn

While the above platforms are primarily referring to advertising across the Google network, LinkedIn has proven to be a very effective way for casino gaming consultants to target very specific users within the gaming space, including decisions makers, by market and in localized language.
LinkedIn generally proves more expensive due to its specific reach opportunity, but does prove a fast option that is highly targeted. Consultants can utilize a variety of paid advertising options including banner ads and sponsored videos. Banners ads specifically work well for mass-market pushes (similar to display advertising on Google) – these are highly targeted by industry and can specifically target senior leadership within casino operations in any jurisdiction. For example, a consultant can specifically target senior roles within casinos in Macau with their messaging. Another highly effective and personalized option is InMail. This allows the consultant to send a direct message to those LinkedIn users who fit a specific category (for example, Macau casino-related workers in senior roles).

InMail can be highly personalized, and while expensive, can prove a great tool to get in front of a highly targeted audience with a specific message or sales pitch.

This article is just meant to delve into the very basics that casino gaming consultants may consider when launching or building their brands. As the demand for expertise in gaming expands, specifically in Asia, consultants will need to be understand how to expand their presence from hyper-local markets to those which span multiple regions, countries and even languages in order to grow their client base. These ideas are just a few meant to inspire consultants on ‘quick wins’ they can achieve across several simple digital marketing channels.
For more information, contact us directly via [email protected]. Read more about digital marketing channels and services at www.hogodigital.com.

Thursday, 4 June 2020 (Oaka, Japan) Marketing firm HOGO has signed a formal partnership with the Japanese casino-focused media platform Resocasi.com (リゾカジ.com). The agreement will see HOGO representing media sales for the firm, as well as working on the development of the platform’s iGaming affiliate network with plans to expand globally.

Resocasi.com is Japan’s largest-trafficked website focused on casino and integrated resort content. The site targets Japanese users and sees nearly 250,000 monthly page views across the platform. The website also includes membership of over 32,000 customers who are interested in learning about the best global casino offerings.

Resocasi.com is entirely focused on Japanese content and includes casino reports from throughout the world, a forum where Japanese users can discuss their experiences, offers and more, as well as daily news from the global gaming industry relevant to players. Visitors can also utilize the site’s world casino hotel guide.

HOGO and Resocasi.com have announced the development of a new platform within the site, focused on iGaming and affiliate related content for platforms that offer services in Japanese. The new section, launching July 2020, will focus on iGaming sites with reviews, offers and more.

Chris Wieners, Managing Partner of HOGO, stated: “We are extremely excited to have signed our formal agreement with Resocasi.com and the team. HOGO has a long-standing relationship with the group and we believe that we will be able to add great value to the current offerings. As COVID19 continues to impact overseas travel and gaming at large, we are hoping to help develop successful iGaming content that will allow legitimate and premium operators to connect with Japanese speaking players.”

Nobuhiro Imigi, Operation Director for Resocasi.com, stated: “We are very happy to have HOGO on board as a formal partner for Resocasi.com. Their expertise in the gaming industry as well as media knowledge will help us to expand the Resocasi.com brand across the industry. Our aim is to develop ourselves as a household name for Japanese speakers everywhere, and contribute to the development of Japanese player-bases for casinos around the world.”

Friday, 22 May 2020 (London, United Kingdom) ICE Asia Digital 2020 continues to develop an impressive lineup of new speakers and topics as the event draws near. Scheduled to be held as a virtual event from Monday, 8 to Wednesday, 10 June 2020, the ICE brand’s inaugural Asia show will cover topics that the regional Asian gaming industry will face in the coming months and years post-COVID19. This includes announced sessions that cover the entire Asian gaming operators, manufacturers, policymakers and other industry experts.

Day 1 of ICE Asia Digital will begin with a keynote discussion by Andrea Domingo, the Chairwoman and CEO of PAGCOR. This will be followed by a focus on the outlook of Asian regional gaming in a post COVID19 world, including discussions around the state of the markets and what regional recovery may look like in the coming months. The panel will include Alidad Tash of 2nt8 Ltd., Kevin Clayton previously of Galaxy Entertainment and Sands China and Vitaly Umansky of Sanford C. Berstein. This will be followed by a panel on the regulatory impact that COVID19 will have on the gaming sectors throughout Asia and include Jamie Nettleton of Addison, Ranjana Adhikari of Nishith Desai Associates and Lau Kok Keng of Raja & Tann Singapore.  

Additional topics will include a discussion around the marriage of digital and land-based gaming operations led by Jonathan Pettemerides of Rank Group and a detailed review around Australian regulations which will be led by Michael Sarquis, Executive Director of the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation Department of Justice and Attorney-General.

Day 2 of the event will begin with another keynote presented by Andrea Domingo of PAGCOR. This will be followed by a panel discussion around the re-opening of casinos in Asia and what the “new normal” will look like from an operational perspective. The panel will be chaired by Jose Angel Sueiro, Chief Operating Office of PH Resorts. Following the panel discussion, Steve Wolstenholme, Acting CEO of HOIANA Casino, will give his take on the development of integrated resorts and the gaming industry at large in Vietnam.

The regional focus will shift during the second half of Day 2 to include an update on Japan integrated resort development. Chaired by Brendan Bussman of GMA, the panel discussion will center around the timeline for casino development in Japan and be discussed by Ayako Nakayama of the Japan IR Association, Kazuaki Sasaki of Toyo University and Toru Mihara, Chair of the National Council on Gaming Legislation. This panel will be followed by a focused exploration into the public consensus of Japan’s casino development by Dominic Carter of the Carter Group. The day will end with a look at Chinese consumerism and tourism by Annie Siara of 86 Connects. There are additional regional topics that will be added to the agenda in the coming days, including more content around the Macau and Korean markets.

The event concludes with a third day dedicated to Gaming training, hosted for free by the international course provider Totally Gaming Academy. This training will focus on land-based challenges, including AML & CFT, casino commercialization and social gaming for land-based operators.

Registration to ICE Asia Digital is free of charge, including the training. For more information, including the full agenda, speakers, advanced registration and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.ice-asia.com.

iGaming operators have long struggled with the ability to utilize mainstream digital advertising and programmatic solutions online to drive traffic (and ultimately transactions / first time deposits) to their platform. With more people globally online than ever before, and with many now operating their day-to-day life (including work-life) online, the ability to serve personalized, meaningful ads is more important than ever.

Mainstream providers of digital traffic in the form of Google, Facebook, Yahoo! and the like are oftentimes unaccessible to iGaming operators. These household names in digital advertising and customer data segmentation impose very tight restrictions on operators, and even those who meet those rules are often faced with very limited (and expensive) advertising options.

iGaming, for the purpose of this article, includes:

• Online casino operator (including live dealer operations)
• Online lottery
• Online sports betting
• eSports
• Social games

The latter two face less restrictions over the more traditional “casino” or “games of chances” operators, however are still limited if financial transactions are part of their platform.

Focused Adult Advertising

The mainstream platforms offering programmatic advertising often limit iGaming in a similar fashion to products in similar adult-focused product lines, including:

• Casino gaming
• Alcohol
• Tobacco / cigars
• Vaping products

Restrictions are placed around these types of products for good reason; it is key to limit advertising and audience segmentation to ensure ads are not served to minors or those not seeking this type of content.

For this reason, solutions have emerged that focus solely on users who have been pre-screened and specifically fit the profile for these types of products.

Benefits of Targeted Programmatic Buys

1. Less restrictions on content as the audiences are highly managed to ensure responsible advertising to pre-screened audiences only
2. Mass traffic spikes as more people tele-work and stay home, which results in cheaper traffic options
3. Cost per click (CPC) and Cost per 1,000 impressions (CPM) models available
4. Traceable click-through (tagged links) to track conversions / ROI
5. Wide range of ad types (static, animated) and sizes available to serve
6. Global audiences – market almost anywhere through a single platform
7. Lower financial minimum barriers to entry

Cons / Risks

1. Increased market competitiveness as a result of mass-traffic spikes
2. Tracking match-ups and cross-platform reconciliation
3. Requires an integrated strategy for each target market

• Language-specific landing pages, creatives
• Payment solutions that work locally
• Customer services (another language-related issue)

4. Impressions often take time to serve (can take days or weeks to grow momentum; however CPC / CPM bids mean no lost spend)

In conclusion, pre-screened programmatic platforms offer low cost solutions for iGaming operators looking for high levels of impressions and cost control. They offer the ability to service any market with both CPC and CPM options and can drive conversion traffic if the landing page / platform is ready for the users.

HOGO iGaming Solution

In response to the growing needs of the iGaming community, HOGO has launched an agency solution for pre-screened advertising. This programmatic solution offers all of the above listed benefits, including a low entry minimum-spend barrier, adjustable based on market scope and size. For more information about this solution, contact our Macau sales team via [email protected].

Our friends at China Marketing have recently updated some reports on China’s economy and market recovery. Here are a few of the highlights:

Our friends at WTC recently provided some updated data related to China’s eCommerce bounce-back as COVID-19 cases slow within the country. I wanted to highlight some of their key findings here.

1. TMall flagship sales are up on average >20% YoY March for the majority of major brands, with some such as Lancôme and Estée Lauder seeing increases of 110% and 135% respectively.
2. Traditional retail stores in China are switching from offline sales to live-streaming, including the use of WeChat mini programs to facilitate the streams. On International Women’s Day (8 March 2020) the Hanguang Department Store sold 20 million RMB during the live-stream period held on WeChat. The Yintai Department Store is hosting 200 Taboao streams per day and has stated it plans to enlist 50,000 sales employees as live-streaming hosts.
3. KOL’s are testing new channels in China outside of WeChat, including Taobao, Douyin and Kuaishou. A live stream on Taobao by Top-tier WeChat fashion KOL Miss Xu attracted 887,000 participants and 91,000 orders.
4. IKEA has digitized its retail offerings via TMall. In 5 days, the brand has seen 874,000 followers with the top 15 products generating 408,000 RMB in sales.

Brands across the board that focus on China will need to adjust and adapt, ensuring intelligent use of digital channels in order to facilitate growth during this period. Creative solutions across the board are going to be needed. We at HOGO look forward to sharing more strategic advice with our followers.

Wednesday, 4 March 2020 (Manila, Philippines): ICE Asia has combined with SiGMA Manila to host what is expected to become Asia’s largest regional gaming conference and exhibition. Held 8 to 9 June 2020 in Manila, Philippines and with less than four months to the event’s Asian debut, it has already begun to attract the interest of attendees and stakeholders from throughout the region.

Aimed at showcasing the future of gaming in Asia, the event’s vision includes bringing together regional stakeholders from throughout Asia – from Japan to Macau, Vietnam to Singapore, Australia and beyond. The event, which will be inclusive of a conference and fully developed exhibition space, will be importing some of the ICE brand’s most attractive and interesting featurettes which are part of their signature shows in London and the United States of America.

ICE Asia will launch with a ‘World Regulatory Briefing – Asia’ which will see experts from within the region discussing the future of gaming across each market. The conference will then split across two key tracks including ‘Casino 2030 –  a Land Based Gaming Review’ and an ‘Integrated Resort Summit’.

In addition to the conference and exhibition, ICE Asia will include several imported programs from their signature shows. This includes the International Legislators Agenda, Consumer Protection Zone, Totally Gaming Academy and TEN Chairman’s Dinner events.

SiGMA Manila will run in parallel, featuring topics across blockchain, online and e-gaming as well as regulatory matters specific to the online space. Specific programs will also include the SiGMA Pitch Asia, allowing startups in the field the opportunity to win free exhibition space, office space, present their ideas and more to attendees and potential investors. SiGMA will also play host to the Phil – Asia Gaming Awards on 7 June, shining a spotlight on some of the most creative and intriguing brands and products across both land-based and i-Gaming.

The co-hosted events are expected to gather stakeholders, attendees, policy-makers and government officials from throughout the region. This already includes several key speakers and presenters including Mr. Jonathan Strock, President of Barriere Japan, Mr. Jose Angel Sueiro, CEO of PHResorts and Mr. Sudhir Kalé, Founder and Principal at GamePlan Consultants. More announcements will be made in the coming weeks, including the formal agenda distribution.

For more information, including advanced registration and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.ice-asia.com.

February 25, 2020 (Tuesday), Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam:   KN Paradise Cam Ranh Integrated Resort (“KNIR”) is a development project incorporated under the KN Cam Ranh Company Limited in Cam Ranh, Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. KN Cam Ranh Company Limited has announced their formal intention to develop partnerships in the implementation of investment and operation of their KNIR project. This comes as the Vietnamese government has recently issued the Investment Certificate allowing the KNIR to develop a large-scale casino complex.

KNIR project spans over 800 hectares of land in Cam Ranh and inclusive of a 5 kilometer stretch of pristine beachfront property, KNIR is perfectly located within a five minutes car drive from the Cam Ranh International Airport and 30 minutes’ drive from the Nha Trang City. The KNIR master plan includes a wide range of hospitality and residential properties, as well as an abundance of premium facilities including a prestigious award-winning golf course, multiple 4-5 star hotels, luxury resorts, branded apartments, villas, mansions, shophouse, townhouses, casino complex, shopping and duty-free center, MICE facilities, luxury marina, union square, beach clubs, water park, theme park and many more. The 27-hole golf course, named KN Golf Links, opened under the development and design of the golf legend Greg Norman on 27 October 2018.

KN Cam Ranh Company Limited has also announced their formal intention to develop a partnership of the casino complex with an international operator. With the Investment Certificate recently approved by the Vietnam government, KNIR is permitted to develop a casino on the resort premises. The casino is planned to cover 16.2 hectares and has been approved for operating 200 gaming tables and 2,000 electronic gaming machines.

The Investment Deputy General Director of KNIR stated that: “It is with great enthusiasm that we are adequately ready to cooperate with the international casino gaming operators for the development and operation of our integrated resort in Cam Ranh. Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. Undeniably, our strategic location and development plan will create an indispensable addition to the Pan-Asia integrated resort marketplace.

The company plans to announce increased industry integration and participation, including participation in a variety of gaming events and trade shows throughout Asia.