Harrah's preparation case

Lessons learned:

In order to execute their business strategy Harrah’s needed to invest in Information Technology that was required to integrate data from a variety of sources

o   Patron database

o   Marketing workbench

· Harrah needed to understand critical concepts such as understanding and managing relationships with their customers

o   Where customer gambled

o   How often customer gambled

o   How much customers gambled

o   What games customers played

·         Understand other business strategies investments and costs experiences

o   Analyze Las Vegas hotels and casinos that invested a lot of money and resulted on great costs that cut their investments returns in half

o   Obtain a more cost-effective route to attract, maintain, and enhance customer relationships.

·         Building stronger customer experience by using marketing and business strategies

o   Loyalty cards or reward credits

§  Tracking of expenditure

§  Customer behavior and preference

o   Data warehouse

o   Closed loop marketing  

Actionable items in future project in reference to lessons learned

Executing learned business strategy to continue expanding.

Having learned customer’s behaviors and likes Harrah’s won’t need to spend much in investments in order to learn customer’s preferences. This will allow Harrah to focus on other types of investments such as enhancing software and technology infrastructure in their business. This action will allow them to focus much more on their retention level while achieving a strong growth expansion.

·         Harrah’s experience on rewards card should bring it to the next level and find out better ways to attract new customers in different areas to continue their expansion.

·         Harrah has gained a lot of experience from reducing costs and increasing profitability for the company. Harrah can use this knowledge to enhance their data warehouse and loop marketing strategy.

Recommendation

·         Harrah should invest more money on IT finding new ways of interacting with clients. Ex: implement mobile apps to see rewards points, redemption offers, or special targeted offers for those who can be high potential customer. Features in apps could include:

o   Variety of visual options for hotel rooms, shows or entertainment options for them

o   Could easily access through their app and hit accept offer

o   Develop new technology that links apps with games inside the casinos

§  Devices could easily scan the machines where they would play and avoid carrying cards

Harrah should maintain their competitive advantage on customer retention and fast expansion. They would be to accomplish this goal by investing in new ways to interact with customer and continue building stronger relationships.