Partner Article

Re-routing the 'Entertainment Journey'

Pub goers are more likely than ever to play pool, darts and a gaming machine on the same visit to their favourite bar — as so-called competitive socialising gathers pace across the country.

New data from the UK’s sector-leading supplier of equipment to the pub industry challenges the assumption that different products compete for the same customer spend.

And The Rudd Group has found that venues choosing between pool, darts or digital gaming can prove counter-productive with landlords urged to consider the perfect entertainment mix — however big or small their venue.

“There’s a longstanding belief within pub entertainment that different products are competing for the same customer’s limited spend,” explains Nick Rudd, Managing Director, The Rudd Group.

“Put simply there’s an assumption that a pound put into pool or darts is a pound that won’t be used on a gaming machine.

“Our data explodes that myth. We have two different pieces of evidence pointing in the same direction and it’s clear that the emerging picture is that of an ‘Entertainment Journey’.

“In other words, pub-goers like to mix and match when it comes to so-called competitive socialising. Timing — and the range of entertainment on offer — is everything.

The Rudd Group’s sector-leading research suggests different products can fulfil different customer needs at different moments — potentially creating more reasons to stay, play and spend.

Data collated during this summer’s World Cup confirmed that different entertainment products performed better at different stages of the night.

Wider data compiled across The Rudd Group’s estate showed that venues offering pool and darts don’t appear to suffer from a lower gaming spend. In fact, those pubs revealed a significantly higher gaming revenue.

The Rudd Group estate operates more than 7,000 entertainment products across the UK.

And the Newcastle-based firm is constantly monitoring industry trends in a bid to best serve its growing customer base.

“There is a clear association between increased income and those venues that are home to a full suite of entertainment products,” adds Nick.

“Across our estate we found that gaming machines in venues that also offer pool and darts show 56 per cent higher income compared to those without pool and darts

“It’s clear that other factors can contribute to that variation in income — venue size, footfall, trading strength, customer profile, opening hours etc. — but our figures directly challenge the assumption that different entertainment products steal spend from others.”

The Rudd Group paid particular attention to the habits of pub goers during a World Cup that led to extended opening hours and later nights.

And the consumer spending trends that Nick and colleagues observed throughout the tournament helped to shape what the firm has coined ‘The Entertainment Journey’

“As an example, we tracked hourly activity across gaming machines, contactless pool and Target Dartzones during England's delayed World Cup last-16 match against Mexico,” he explains.

“Rather than all three products peaking together — and apparently competing for the same moment — each had a different usage pattern across the evening.

“Gaming machines peaked at 6pm, several hours before kick-off. Contactless pool built through the evening and peaked at 11pm, during the pre-match social period

“Target Dartzone was later again: usage was still climbing at 11pm and 30% of the day's darts were thrown between 10pm and midnight.

“Put together, the data shows three distinctly different entertainment patterns across one customer occasion.

“Our description of this is The Entertainment Journey: gaming opens the evening, pool carries the ‘social middle’ and darts becomes increasingly important later on.

While The Rudd Group accepts that a single World Cup fixture does not reflect universal customer behaviour, it argues that looking at entertainment categories together — rather than in isolation — reveals an emerging picture around competitive socialising.

“A customer might play a gaming machine while waiting for friends, move onto pool when the group arrives, play darts later in the evening and take part in a quiz on another visit,” adds Nick.

“Those are different entertainment occasions and motivations. More entertainment doesn't necessarily divide the same pound. It can create more reasons to spend.

“I’d argue pubs don't need to choose between being a ‘pool pub’, a ‘darts pub’, a ‘gaming pub’ or becoming a full competitive socialising venue.

“Quite the opposite — the traditional pub can potentially create a portfolio of entertainment experiences around the existing pub occasion.

“That could be particularly relevant as consumers become more accustomed to activity-led nights out through the growth of competitive socialising.”

As an independent supplier The Rudd Group is perfectly positioned to recommend the ideal entertainment mix.

“We’re not restricted to solutions involving a single manufacturer,” adds Nick.

“We are able to encourage our customers to optimise ‘The Entertainment Journey’ rather than optimise the machine.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Rushworth .