An online campaign that started last month for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas has already added 5,000 names to a database of more than 70,000.
The summer-long effort seeks to attract customers to the hotel's Rehab pool party on Sundays using a dedicated Web site, e-mails, affiliate marketing, links and viral marketing. Boutique agency IdeaWork Studios, Santa Barbara, CA, is handling the account.
“The overall goals are to promote the event to get people to come to Rehab and to make sure that the people who are planning a trip to Las Vegas include Rehab in their travel plans,” said IdeaWork president Jay Schwartz.
Rehab is free to hotel guests. For those staying elsewhere, the day's fee is $30 for men and $20 for women. The online effort is geared at convincing those visiting Rehab to stop by the casino, several restaurants and even book a stay at the hotel in the future.
A specific site at www.rehablv.com was created for the campaign. Visitors who want to register must submit their e-mail addresses. This is done with the understanding that registrants will receive news, updates and promotions from Hard Rock Hotel unless they opt out.
Rich in media, the site offers music, games and a gallery of Rehab guest photos to registrants. Rehab visitors also receive a special code that they enter online to access more content and customizable games.
E-mails every other week to the Hard Rock Hotel events database of 60,000-plus and a viral marketing functionality on the RehabLV.com site support the database-building measures. An e-mail so far has been sent.
Links from the site at www.hardrockhotel.com as well as www.napkinnights.com, www.vegas.com and www.humanevents.us — sources for Vegas happenings — drive traffic, too.
Schwartz, whose agency also handles Glencoe/McGraw-Hill and City National Bank, expects the campaign will most likely run through Labor Day.
“We anticipate doubling the size of the database in another few weeks,” he said.
Mickey Alam Khan covers Internet marketing campaigns and e-commerce, agency news as well as circulation for DM News and DMNews.com. To keep up with the latest developments in these areas, subscribe to our daily and weekly e-mail newsletters by visiting www.dmnews.com/newsletters
