National Lottery to up good causes marketing

The lottery operator Camelot today (16 May) reported sales increased 6.9 per cent year on year to £6.97bn in the 12 months to 31 March. About £2bn was delivered to good causes, it adds.

Speaking to Marketing Week, managing director of Camelot and former BBC marketing director Andy Duncan says there is high awareness of the games brands it offers but less understanding of the schemes it funds nationwide.

“[The good causes are] very motivating and are a good opportunity for us going forward. It [funding of good causes] is at the heart of what the National Lottery brand is all about.”

He adds: “We can do a far better job of telling that story and communicating that side [investment in good causes] of the National Lottery. In many ways, the National Lottery is about changing lives with all that money going to good causes……Our results show we have done a good job but my belief is that we can raise our game and do an even better job.”

Lessons should be learned from the marketing campaign launched last year in the wake of London 2012 that explained ninety percent of Team GB medalists at the London 2012 Games were National Lottery funded, he says, adding it needs to try and emulate the success of this activity when explaining the funding it provides to arts, health and community projects and schemes.

Duncan denied the move to highlight good causes was an attempt to blunt the impact of the Richard Desmond owned Health Lottery, which he claims takes about £1m sales away from The National Lottery per week or to nullify the impact of planned increases in Lotto prices, which are to double from £1 to £2 later this year.

Marketing activity will be overseen by Sally Cowdry, who recently joined as marketing and consumer director from O2.