Why Demographics Aren’t Enough

During the digital marketing panel at this week’s Native Nation Events Tribal Casino Marketing Conference, I made a pretty bold statement: demographics aren’t enough for media targeting in 2024. Now, I’ll admit, it was a bit dramatic—and intentionally so—but there’s truth to it. Let me elaborate a bit.

Marketing in the early 2000’s

Let’s take a step back. Think about where we were 20, even 10 years ago. When it came to targeting media campaigns, all we had were demographics and geography. You built your audience based on things like age, gender, and location. And sure, that worked to an extent, but we were left making assumptions about behavior based on content. For example, if someone was watching Full House, we’d assume it was a family with kids because that’s who the show was designed for.

But while this approach was fine for its time, it was far from efficient. It was essentially casting a wide net, hoping the right people would end up in the catch. Not ideal.

The Flaws in Demographic-Only Targeting

Let’s put this into perspective. Picture the general session we were all in at the conference. We had 220 people in the room. Now, let’s assume 200 of them fall between the ages of 35 and 55, with household incomes over $150,000. On paper, they look pretty similar, right? Same age group, similar financial status, likely with kids around the same age, all working in or around the same industry.

But now, let’s ask a more specific question: Who is actually planning to visit a casino to gamble, dine, or stay in the next few weeks? That number shrinks dramatically. Now, drill down further—who’s interested enough to become a high-value loyalty member with a strong propensity to gamble and contribute to the bottom line? You’re left with an even smaller subset.

This is where demographic-only targeting falls short. It’s too broad. It doesn’t tell us who is actually interested, let alone ready to take action.

Precision Over Guesswork

Here’s the exciting part: we no longer have to guess. Today, we can target audiences based on behavior and intent—who’s actively showing interest, who’s looking for what we offer, and who’s visiting competitors. Why try to fill a room with people who might match our customer profile when we can fill it with people who are already searching for an experience that we offer or have recently been to a competitor’s casino?

With the data we now have—search behavior, online activity, purchase history, geo-location data—we can identify people who are not only likely to engage but likely to convert into loyal customers. Imagine starting your campaign not with age or geography, but with intent. Then, layer on demographics and geos as needed. That’s how you build a highly targeted, effective media strategy in 2024.

This wasn’t possible years ago, but it is now. The data is there, and it’s powerful. It’s time to flip the script and target the prospects most likely to become loyal guests and high-value customers.

Demographics Still Have a Place

Now, don’t get me wrong—there’s still a place for wide brand plays. Launching a new property or amenity? You’ll want broader awareness. Promoting a low-consideration purchase, like a casual dinner spot? Demographics still make sense there. But even then, we should be thinking about the end goal first: what do we want the audience to do? Once that’s clear, we can build our strategy around the prospects most likely to act.

In today’s digital landscape, behavior and intent need to be front and center. Demographics still matter, but they’re no longer enough on their own. The future of targeting is all about precision, and those who lean into this shift will be the ones winning the right customers.