New Lottery Marketing Strategy results in significant sales bump
Revised strategy focuses on lottery brand; spurs 38.7 percent Holiday Instant sales surge

[January 09, 2015]  SPRINGFIELD, IL – January 8, 2015 – Lottery instant sales and proceeds rebounded sharply in recent months, as a result of a return to marketing strategies that focus on the Lottery’s “Anything’s Possible” brand and the good causes it supports, according to Lottery Director Michael Jones. The strongest example of that success, which bolsters efforts to expand the Lottery’s player base, can be seen in the sale of holiday instant games, which increased nearly 40 percent last month compared to the previous December.

December 2014 holiday instant game sales totaled more than $34.7 million, a 38.7 percent increase over December 2013 holiday instant sales, which totaled $25.05 million. Furthermore, overall instant game sales last month increased over the same period last year from $146.96 million to $163.44 million.

The holiday instant sales success can be attributed to the Lottery taking charge of marketing and advertising strategies last September, shortly after it was announced that the Lottery’s private manager would be replaced. The Lottery immediately stepped in and dramatically changed the Lottery’s creative messaging and media placement, directing the Lottery’s creative agencies, Downtown Partners and Commonground, to develop--for the first time ever--television creative to support one of the Lottery’s special cause games, Veterans Cash.

“Using TV to support a special cause game like Veterans Cash was a major part of an overall brand transformation,” said Jones. “We felt strongly that awareness of the essence of a lottery—small amount to play, long odds, large instant prizes, with the net proceeds going to a cause you select—would fuel interest in all of the Lottery’s games. “ Through its first nine weeks, sales of the latest Veterans Cash game, launched in November, totaled $2.05 million, some 42 percent higher than same-period sales for the previous Veterans Cash game. During the same 9-week period, weekly sales for Lotto and Lucky Day Lotto grew 13 and 32 percent, respectively, demonstrating the impact the changes had on other key games in the lottery’s portfolio.

As part of the recent rebranding effort, the Lottery mandated the use of 2012’s wonderful holiday TV ad, an ad that includes footage from the town square in downstate Redbud, home to the largest prize ever awarded in Lottery history, $218 million from March of 2012.

“Of all the ads that the lottery did during its initial brand transformation, the ‘Red Bud’ Holiday ad generated the most word of mouth support,” said Jones. “It generated awareness of a lottery supported by everyone, awarding large prizes through pure luck, and a realization that if you played and lost, your losses went to programs you chose to support.”

“The change in strategy that began in September is paying dividends for the Lottery and the causes it supports,” said Jones. “By emphasizing the Lottery brand and charting a new course in creative execution, we have realized dramatically improved sales and an improved overall lottery image.”

The growth in instant game sales derived largely from new brand advertising and marketing strategies reached a milestone in late December, nearly six months into Fiscal Year 2015. For most of the first six months of FY15, the Lottery’s year-over-year instant sales were down significantly compared to FY14. As of January 5, however, FY15 instant sales were at $891.1 million for the year-- 1.6 percent above the previous year. “This represents a noteworthy turnaround that we hope to continue through the end of the fiscal year,” said Jones.

About Illinois Lottery Founded in 1974, the Illinois Lottery has contributed over $18 billion to the state Common School Fund to assist K-12 public schools, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars to the Capital Projects Fund, which goes toward job creation, roads and bridges, and other capital projects. Players must be at least 18 years old.

[Mike Lang, Illinois Lottery]