Q & A with Paul Gordon , Rymax Senior Vice President of Sales
Rymax Inc . is the gaming industry ’ s premier incentive provider , with on-target gifts for players , employees and corporate partners .
One of the most surprising giveaways in its collection ? The legendary Paul Gordon Polaroid camera .
For the unenlightened , this handy-dandy item , invented in 1947 , was the first camera to spit out an full-color image on the spot . Better still , the photographs developed in real time , taking shape as the photographer and subject looked on .
In the smartphone / selfie / Insta-everything era , why is the Polaroid camera a coveted gift ?
“ It ’ s a fun item , like those single-use throwaway cameras you used to get at weddings ,” says Paul Gordon , Rymax senior vice president of sales . “ It ’ s actually hot among millennials , who love instant gratification .”
It ’ s also a fairly low-cost investment , on a scale that also includes elite fashions ( Stella Mc- Cartney , Alexander McQueen ), tech devices ( Apple , Boss , Bluetooth ), fine jewelry ( Tiffany , Swarovski , Breitling ), even household appliances ( Dyson , Viking , Mikasa ).
Casino Style : Do guests expect to walk away with so-called swag , the goodie bags you pick up at the end of an event ? Gordon : Casinos back in the old days used to give away tchotchkes — everything from muffin tins to logoed items , and eventually players didn ’ t want them anymore . They want what they feel they ’ re owed , what they ’ ve earned — branded products they would see in the store and want to buy .
What gifts are in demand , and for what players ? Rymax preaches segmentation and concentration — reward all players in proportion to their value . Players who spend a lot of time at the slots or tables or however they ’ re accumulating their comp dollars want to walk away with something that resonates . They ’ re going to use that Michael Kors handbag for the next year at least , and that watch for 15 years . So the trophy value also has residual value from a profit-andloss standpoint . ( High-end ) products make a tremendous amount of sense if you look at the amortization of that cost to the loyalty of the player .
“ Made in the USA ” matters in some parts of the country . The environmental piece , sustainability , is important . Rewards are also dictated by the economic situation . When the economy is robust , unemployment is low and 401Ks are great , people are more apt to redeem luxury items . As the economy tightens up , they go to more practical things . You have to have a very eclectic mix of products and be nimble enough to appeal to those needs during ( fluctuating ) economic times .
What amazes us is that people will redeem things they want but don ’ t necessarily want to buy . A Dyson vacuum cleaner isn ’ t the sexiest thing in the world , but everybody wants one .
Do elite brands matter more to women , or does their appeal cross gender lines ? Women are more cognizant of brands than men , who don ’ t care if something was featured on the red carpet at the Oscars or some celebrity was seen using it . Not to say men don ’ t appreciate a cool brand . Status is powerful . Sunglasses are always big .
Can you mention some Rymax rewards that really went through the roof ? Electronics are very strong , especially connectivity and smart devices . They drive a tremendous amount of redemptions .
Fashion has come up in a big way , too . As retail continues to shrink , the brands say , “ Where do we go to build brand equity and drive sales ?” We ’ re doing programs with the biggest companies in the world , because you can really target based on income level , geographic participation , all those things . Ten years ago , fashion brands didn ’ t see ( incentive programs ) as an important channel . Now it ’ s critical .
What incentive product simply didn ’ t click ? We brought a high-tech cooler on board . It sounded great , solar-powered . But at the end of the day , I think the price point was really too high at for what it actually did : keep things cold .
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38 CASINO STYLE 2019