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Public Gaming International • July/August 2014
Geonomics has come a long way since it started with a bright idea
in a spare bedroom back in 2008. Now a well-funded company with
a global reputation and a team of 40, evolving the business has been
a roller coaster ride of twists, turns and learning curves, taking us up
to the point of launching GeoLotto in September—a re-engineered
product that builds upon the foundations laid by GeoSweep.
Our experience with the Atlantic Lottery Corporation in Canada
(ALC) prompted us to ask ourselves many fundamental questions
about both our product and the business as a whole. One particular
question had the most profound effect on the way we now see our
world—‘who is the customer?’ The answer is that our customers
are the players, not the lotteries. We were so fixated on delivering a
product for ALC that we neglected the people who matter most —
the players. This subtle but important change in mind-set has given
us a player-centric approach to product development and an unwav-
ering desire to build lottery products that players love.
The last 12 months have been about going back to basics and
stripping our whole product down to its bare bones in an iterative
process of market research, in-depth user testing and quantitative
analysis of real-life player data. Among other things, our work re-
vealed that some features, such as social groups, different Geo sizes,
fancy jargon (what is a “Geo?”), and daily draws didn’t resonate
with players. They were considered unnecessary and overly compli-
cated. Responding to this feedback, we set about making a product
that has been shaped by the wants and needs of players. In addition
to cutting-back on features, we also radically improved the user-
interface to make it more in-
tuitive and easy to use.
The result is a simpli-
fied game that serves
the core needs of lot-
tery players—a genuine
case of ‘less is more.’
After creating this new,
lean version of our original
GeoSweep, we began work
on the game’s branding. Our
aim was to create a brand which is
instantly recognizable, trustworthy and modern. The previous color
scheme of dark purple has made way for a predominantly white look
and feel that’s accented with big, bold, bright colors. The new logo
and site-wide branding of pink, blue and green conveys a simple
message —‘this is, above all, a lottery game.’ Importantly, we felt
that the evolution of GeoSweep warranted a new name too, and with
that, GeoLotto was born.
After a year of refining and developing, we are now delighted
to be working towards our launch in September 2014. Highly opti-
mized digital media will be supported by a nationwide TV campaign
that will give GeoLotto the platform it deserves. The first of our
weekly £1,000,000 jackpot draws will take place on Saturday 27th
September and words can’t describe our excitement.
Of course, September is not the end but the beginning of a
journey of continuous product development that will see us react
to the learning of being ‘live’ and respond to the ever-evolving
wants of our players. Our goal has always been to serve the lot-
tery industry and to help it to thrive now and in the future. And
now, more than ever, we believe we have a game which will suc-
ceed in doing just this.
u
Geonomics will be at NASPL and WLA showing-off GeoLotto
in the way only we know how. As always, we’d be delighted to see
you all there, and look forward to telling you about our progress
post-launch.
Mapping the Road from
GeoSweep
to
GeoLotto
By Henry Oakes, Co-Founder, Geonomics
Like Walgreens, some in the lottery industry
have also discovered that players who engage
through multiple channels spend more than those
who are simply retail players. One lottery found
that those who purchased products both in-store
and online spent as much as two times more than
those who bought exclusively at retail. Several
other lotteries in Europe have also experienced
growth in their retail business as they launched or
expanded internet lottery sales. A strategic omni-
channel approach can yield win-win outcomes
for traditional retail and online channels.
Simplicity and convenience are key in the
ever-evolving landscape of technology-driven
consumers. Offering consumers a consistent
experience that is easily accessible across all
available sales channels heightens brand aware-
ness, encourages customer loyalty, and provides
improved flexibility in choosing how to inter-
act with a brand. Creating more opportunity for
consumers to engage with lotteries through an
omni-channel ecosystem ultimately results in
increased revenue—and for lotteries that means
more money for the good causes they support.
u
Lottery’s Evolution into Omni-Channel Retailing
…
continued from page 33
