Las Vegas is famous for many things: the Rat Pack, the flashing neon lights, the Strip, the Strippers, the Cirque shows, the quickie weddings and equally swift divorces. This adult haven is built on opulence, extravagance and sheer size. Last year alone, the visitor count was an enormous 41 million people; they all needed a bed at night (or perhaps during the day), they all craved food and sought out constant entertainment.
This demand has created a thriving industry for the planet’s biggest Casinos and Hotels. The MGM Grand, Sin City’s largest, has 5,690 rooms, 27 restaurants, 4 theatres, 16 bars, 11 stores and even a rooftop golf course. Vegas Casinos are like miniature worlds. Arguably you could live your entire life inside one and only leave when your heart surrenders to the onslaught of buffets and you are shipped off on a gurney to meet your maker.
Some of the hotels are pure luxury. Some are themed; like the swashbuckling pirate palace ‘Treasure Island’, or the complete-with-gondolas ‘Venetian’ or the fit for a pharaoh ‘Luxor’ where you can actually stay in a giant pyramid. Either way when you are in a Vegas casino you could never be in any doubt which one you are in. Vegas Casinos have mastered the art of branding and brand continuity. Every inch of carpet, every painted wall, every poster promoting the activities available on the premises, every signature cocktail and every waiter’s uniform looks and feels like the hotel you are in.
Are you creating a consistent brand experience on your radio station? Can listeners identify, hear and see your brand everywhere they turn? Surely if ‘Paris’ can go to the effort of ensuring their bathrooms (les toilettes) fit the French theme you can ensure your website isn’t a cluttered junk yard of sales promotions you proudly kept off the air. Great stations are brands. And great brands always feel the same no matter the offering, the time of the day or the platform they live on.