1. Introduction
Known as Malaysia’s sole gaming venue, the project will consider the case of Malaysia’s sole casino named Casino de Genting. Casino de Genting is divided into various themed sections. Casino de Genting features international games including Roulette, Baccarat, Blackjack and Caribbean Stud Poker with jackpot machines and Las Vegas-style entertainment as added attractions. The casino also offers the latest gaming technology comprised of electronic table games and cashless gaming systems for its slot machines via its Starworld while also offering gourmet quality coffee through @Latté among others. Set in 20, 000 square feet, Casino de Genting is open everyday of the year. From 1980 onwards, players from different parts of the world such as US, Europe, Taiwan and Macau continued to visit Casino de Genting.
Asian casino industry is escalating, and is predicted to further develop in the succeeding years. Kaur (2004) emphasise that ‘only a few casinos in even fewer Asian countries have a monopoly on Asian gamblers’, stating that 85% of the legal casino industry is concentrated on countries as Philippines, Macau, South Korea and Malaysia.
In Malaysia in particular, the annual gaming revenue of the sole casino amounted to US.63 billion. There are conjectures that new casino licenses would be issued to a second player but the Genting group remains to be the sole casino operator in the place today and boasts for its Casino de Genting. Casino de Genting is located in the Genting Highlands, a mountain peak within the Titiwangsa Mountains. Casino de Genting opened at the same time as the Genting Resort. The establishment of the infrastructure was meant to rival any casino in Asia. Evidently, Casino de Genting faces no strict competition to date. Nonetheless, if other regions and neighboring countries will loosen up their anti-gambling laws and allow the building of casinos, Casino de Genting will face fierce rivalry through them.
2. Focus for the Study
2.1 Statement of the research topic
Such a case study, this project will analyse how Casino de Genting protects and promotes its corporate image especially in aspects of invoking interest among patrons and potential clients, creating share of mind, generating brand equity and therefore facilitating profitability. Further, the project will provide in-depth investigation of how the brand was communicated, how internal and external stakeholder perceived brand equity, how the brand is being measured and what the roles of marketing communications plan are in strengthening the brand. How Casino de Genting will combat the possibility of emerging competitors using sound and effective brand management strategies is the rationale behind the study.
2.2 Statement of the research objectives
This study purports to explore the extent to which a brand plays a role in the success of Casino de Genting as the only player in Malaysian casino industry. Through this study, it is also aimed to evaluate whether the brand management strategies of Casino de Genting proved to be profitable or there are areas of improvement. To understand why Casino de Genting remains to be an important element in the global casino industry is another aim of the project.
2.3 Initial understanding from several references
According to LePla and Parker (1999), communications for the brand is two-fold: build the brand internally and integrate it to general communications externally (p. 230). Brand communications commenced with revealing your brand which is done through an integrated branding process. Logically, the ‘how tos’ include the realization of the how company can sell on the integrated brand model; setting-up a brand team and identifying who should be on it; conducting a successful brand environment audit; developing a brand environment you can act upon; creating preliminary brand tools which can stimulate team thinking; facilitating successful brand meetings; developing and establishing a practical brand structure (pp. 101-125; 199) conducting brand planning and benchmarking.
In creating a brand-driven marketing, the company must begin with a strong naming strategy that reflects the promises of the brand. Communicating the brand means to use marketing communications vehicle. Since the goal of brand communications is conveying a brand message that strengthens the brand, the marketing communication plan must start with a creative brief or creative platform. A marketing communications plan is a design that incorporates brand meaning, visuals and messages in a logical, systematic way and must contain objectives and overall strategy (pp. 29-30).
Aaker and Biel (1993), moreover, defined brand equity as “everything the consumer walks into the store with” (p. 33). It is a mental association that reflects the concept as a broad and influential aspect. In simpler terms, brand equity is the marketing effects or outcomes. The measurement of brand equity is intended for the firm, product/service and consumer levels. Brand strength or the utility beyond functional product characteristics – the physical attributes of the product; set of associations – the ‘positive’ brand knowledge acquired via different distribution channels; and (relative) consumer preference – the extent to which a brand is “attractive” to consumers is being measured (Waser, pp. 55-57)
2.4 Key areas of investigation and the targeted audiences/participants
There are three key areas for the project which are all under the brand management strategy umbrella: brand communication including the marketing communication plan, brand equity, brand measurement. In lieu with this, the project will seek to answer the following questions.
Brand Communication
1) How does Casino de Genting communicate the brand to internal and external stakeholders?
2) What are the marketing communication strategies does Casino de Genting employs?
3) Does the marketing communication plan need improvement?
Brand Equity
1) How do clients perceive the Casino de Genting brand?
2) What is the first thing that clients think when they hear the name Casino de Genting?
3) To what extent does brand equity is being promoted?
Brand Measurement
1) Is there a positive brand knowledge?
2) Do clients prefer Casino de Genting over other casinos?
3) What are the reasons behind brand preference?
Palpably, the target participant in the investigation is the external stakeholder comprising of the clients and potential clients.
3. Expected Outcomes and Schedule
3.1 Outcome of the research
Brand Audit Report and Recommendation Report are the expected outcomes of the project. The Brand Audit Report refers to the document which outlines the how Casino de Genting conveys its brand message to stakeholders, how brand equity becomes a source of competitive advantage and how brand is being measured. The Recommendation Report will outline the opportunities that can be exploited and suggestions for consideration for Casino de Genting.
3.2 Learning objectives
- To be able to apply theories and models into practice as well as skills and competence in conducting a case study
- To properly conduct internal and external analysis of the case study casino using SWOT, Porter’s five forces and PESTEL
- To perform in-depth literature analysis by which the basic knowledge regarding brand management will be acquired from
3.3 Timeline of the research process
To accomplish such outcomes, the researcher will be guided by the following plan.
Weeks
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Problem identification
Writing Proposal/Obtaining Approval
Acquiring Access
Update Literature Read
Research Design
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Writing up Draft
Editing
Final Document
Binding of document
Necessary Correspondence
4. Planned Methodology
4.1 Data collection and analysis method
Majority of the report will be based on secondary research with data that will come from archival data from online websites, official statistics, annual reports, journal, newspaper and magazine articles and books. Interviews to Casino de Genting’s client will be also conducted and will be the primary data of the research.
Thematic content analysis will be conducted. Such analysis refers to collating and digesting themes from the literature. The purpose of this is to be able to build theories relating to the internal and external situation of Casino de Genting. The processed information will be further analysed for SWOT, Porter’s five forces and PESTEL, and also scenario analysis. Recommendations will be based on scenarios.
4.2 Related parties
Given that Casino de Genting is under the Genting Group, it would be plausible to obtain and build on insights of the parent company. Expectedly, Casino de Genting might have partner media or brand consultant in advancing their brand identity. They will be consulted to provide richer background to the project.
4.3 Types of questions to be asked
A) Hypothetical – to get interviewees to think of new situations and how people might cope with new situations
B) Reflective – to encourage interviewees to related alternatives
C) Probing – to check for more detail and clarifications
D) Specific – to determine facts
4.4 Likely source of data
Corporate websites and review sites are the likely source of data in addition to local and online libraries such as Emerald, High Beam, Questia and Oxford.
4.5 Specific literature as research background
Aaker, D. A. (2004). Brand Portfolio Strategy: Creating Relevance, Differentiation, Energy, Leverage and Clarity. Free Press.
Aaker, D. A. and Joachimsthaler, E. (2000). Brand Leadership: Building Assets in an Information Company. Free Press.
Hankinson, G. and Cowking, P. (1993). Branding in Action: Cases and Strategies for profitable Brand Management. McGraw-Hill.
Kapferer, J. N. (2008). The New Strategic Brand Management: Creating and Sustaining Brand Equity Long Term. Kogan Page Publishers.
Malaysia Casinos and Malaysia Gambling. Collection of articles, documents, presentations about the casino industry http://www.casinocity.com/my/cities.html.
5. Significance of the Study
It is of my best belief that the research will be a significant endeavor in promoting awareness of the benefits of the casino industry in Malaysian economy. On a wider context, the findings of the project will be of importance to the business players planning to penetrate the casino industry either inside or outside Malaysia. As for my practice, I am aware that upon the completion of the course, I will assume a role in the business environment. It would be necessary to put emphasis on putting strategies into actions, which I could learn while in the process of putting learning in practical applications.
Reference
Aaker, D. A. and Biel, A. L. (1993) Brand Equity & Advertising: Advertising’s Role in Building Strong Brands. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Kaur, G. (2004). Asia poised for casino boom. Malaysian Business.
LePla, F. J. and Parker, L. M. (1999). Integrated Branding: Becoming Brand-Driven through Companywide Action. Westport, Connecticut: Quorum Books.
Walser, M. G. (2004) Brand Strength: Building and Testing Models Based on Experiential Information, DUV.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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