Regional Director of Public Relations & Marketing for Caesars Entertainment
By Donald B. Kravitz
What brought you to Atlantic City and into the gaming industry? What were your aspirations?
**** NOTE – THIS INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED BEFORE THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK SO NO DISCUSSION ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF THE VIRUS ON CASINOS OR SURROUNDING AREAS WERE A PART OF THIS INTERVIEW.
I started working in the market right out of college. I went to school at Monmouth University, where I studied journalism and communication. I knew that either I wanted to pursue a career as a journalist or be on the other side of storytelling, crafting ideas and trends, as a publicist. I found a passion for the PR side of the business through my internships which included writing for an entertainment magazine in the area and the Nets basketball team. When I graduated, there was a ton of buzz about Atlantic City with the opening of Borgata and I was drawn to the excitement. I sought a job in PR. At that time there wasn’t a position open, but I was given the opportunity to get my foot in the door in an entry-level marketing position at the loyalty card center, which in the gaming industry is often where many who pursue careers in marketing get their start. Within a few short months, the job I wanted opened up and I started as a public relations specialist – working my way up and growing my career over the years in that field. While there, I oversaw the launches of many developments including the expansion and the opening of The Water Club.
Today, my role has expanded to overseeing more departments and more resorts for Caesars Entertainment, the world’s largest gaming company. I’m responsible for public relations, advertising, social and digital media for Harrah’s, Caesars and Bally’s in Atlantic City.
What are your feelings regarding employment in the gaming industry considering the long hours and tremendous responsibility that goes along with your position and how do you deal with the pressure?
I think if you find what you are passionate about, it makes the blood, sweat, and tears worthwhile. Working in the entertainment or gaming industries is a 24/7 lifestyle – and like any career there are pros and cons. But the rewards make the sacrifices worthwhile. There is nothing more rewarding then to see a story or an event or idea come to life and have that translate into successful results.
Do you find the various Casino properties operations, in your field of PR have a different approach to marketing or is the general approach of attracting gaming customers similar?
We are living in a highly competitive market in general, but each of the casinos in Atlantic City have different business models and strengths. For us, we strive to continue to market ourselves aggressively in our feeder markets, in addition to our local communities. We like to benchmark ourselves from both a paid and earned media standpoint against what Vegas is doing and what other top brands are doing across the country. It’s never good to get complacent – competition is good as it fuels your edge.
Recently Caesars Rewards was recognized by USA Today’s 10 Best Poll as having the Best Player’s Club in the country, which is a huge honor in the gaming industry. We have over 55 million CR customers in our database – many of whom live within driving distance of the market. The power of our Caesars Entertainment network across the country allows our guests to have more top-tier variety and options to choose from when traveling and also includes unique perks – whether that’s tickets to the Super Bowl as part of our strategic partnership with the NFL or an exclusive event with Gordon Ramsay. Its about continuing to grow and expose new customers to our brand and show them what AC has to offer.
Does having responsibility for more than one property in various locations make your job more difficult with the need for more strategic planning?
My days are never dull as things change and evolve minute by minute. It was definitely an adjustment to go from one property to three but I think the idealization and brainstorming process helps having three resorts – and five brands including The Pool After Dark and The Wild Wild West. We have something for everyone among the three properties.
Has Sports Betting made your job much more difficult because it has added a new dimension to casino profits?
From the mindset of PR and marketing, I think it’s the opposite. The launch of The Book at The Wild Wild West since September has been enormously successfully and has created a new dimension to the hospitality experience. The successful launch of The Book, along with the openings of other sportsbooks in town has helped elevate AC in the media and heightened our visibility. For us, its more about what it does for the overall experience. Sports betting has created a buzz around the city and is giving guests from New York or Philadelphia another reason to visit. Our sportsbook is designed to be the ultimate pre-game party experience for any sports enthusiast, where they can also view all the action on the largest screen on the East Coast. We put a lot of thought and detail into the design including comfortable reclining chairs, private fan caves, a self-service beer wall, and special stadium-inspired menus by celebrity Chef Guy Fieri’s Bar-B-Que Joint. Philly.com referred to The Book as a “destination sportsbook” and we agree. Its an experience that will make you want to make the trip for March Madness or the Super Bowl.
Is the market planning for drawing customers to Atlantic City different than the market plans for other locations.
Every market is different and AC is different than Vegas as its largely a drive-in market. You have over 1/3 of the population living within driving distance of AC and you can get here on a tank of gas.
Continuing to enhance our resorts and non-gaming amenities is something we strive to do on an ongoing basis. Within the last 4 years, we reinvested over $300 million into our AC properties, which has included over $80 million in room & suite upgrades at Harrah’s, our 2nd restaurant in the market – Gordon Ramsay Steak – with 7 Michelin star chef and TV star, Gordon Ramsay, his only restaurants in the tri-state area; and the highly-successful launches of The Wild Wild West and The Book.
Donald B. Kravitz is an Entertainment & Special Events photographer for national publications including Getty Images & Miss America
