RMG launches Hospitality Entertainment Network with Harrah's

November 2, 2010 by Dave Haynes

Reach Media Group, aka RMG, continues to expand the breadth of its media coverage – the latest a deal with Harrah’s Entertainment to launch the new Hospitality Entertainment Network.

The new network involves some 50,000 screens in high-traffic, long dwell-time locations in Harrah’s Entertainment-owned hotels and casinos, including Caesars Palace, Harrah’s, Horseshoe and Planet Hollywood resorts.

RMG has the ad sales rights to represent the full network of screens outside the hotels, on gaming floors and in hotel rooms. RMG plans to manage, build and grow the network to 75,000 screens by the end of 2011.

“Advertisers now acknowledge the value of place-based video and the ability to target active consumers as a great complement to the marketing mix. By launching a new network in partnership with Harrah’s Entertainment, RMG delivers further expanded reach and an active audience base to marketers by providing them with the opportunity to tap into this highly-coveted segment,” said Garry McGuire, CEO RMG Networks

Harnessing interactive channels, the new network will also enable advertisers to further engage their target audiences by enhancing the consumer experience via geo-targetable mobile display ads, mobile coupons, online loyalty programs and touch screen systems.

“We’ve been very impressed with RMG’s expertise and record of success with a variety of consumer brands, and look forward to a mutually rewarding relationship,” said David Norton, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Harrah’s Entertainment.

Goes live in December

Advertising on RMG’s new network will begin running in early December 2010.

This is the sixth network for RMG and the company now has access to 190,000 screens, reaching over 60M active monthly viewers.

The release describes this as the first of its kind in casinos, but there have been attempts at a much smaller level to embed DOOH in the gaming environment. The curiously named Casino Channel Network (CCN), for example, had screens running for a year or so in the Luxor and Excalibur hotels, but that shut down more than a year ago.

With media being all about reaching people and breaking through the noise, few places offer more visual noise than a casino. It helps enormously, though, that RMG has access to most or all of the screens, not just some.

Hospitality Entertainment Network … HEN? Well that acronym doesn’t quite work, does it ;-]