Marcus Richards
The Rank Group, headquartered in Maidenhead, Berkshire, is one of the leading iGaming companies in the UK. It recently announced that its primary casino brand, Grosvenor Casinos, would be undergoing an ambitious rebrand. The redevelopment of the branding and logo was deemed necessary to foster a “fun” aesthetic to reach out to casual players. Grosvenor boasts 52 land-based gaming establishments and its online site is one of the top-rated operators with oddschecker based on the calibre of its incentives to first-time users. Despite cementing its name in the UK marketplace, the decision was taken to keep pace with the ever-changing iGaming industry.
The centrepiece of the brand overhaul is the redesign of the logo, featuring an abstract ‘G’ within a normal circle. The company stated the move to something edgier was aimed at making the brand more “stylish”, shifting from the “traditional” appearance of casino businesses.
What are the main reasons behind the Grosvenor Casinos rebrand?
Sarah Sculpher, marketing director, Grosvenor Casinos, went into detail about the “scale and complexity” of pivoting the “UK’s leading casino brand”. Sculpher revealed the firm invested “hours of extensive research” and “customer insight” in a bid to differentiate itself from its competitors, both “now and in the future”.
In addition to its logo rebrand, Grosvenor Casinos has invested in a new nationwide television advertising campaign, dubbed ‘Entertainment Time’. The campaign, which has already launched within its land-based resorts, showcases the new brand and some of the latest advancements of the Grosvenor gaming experience. This includes a new ‘Beat the Time’ game, a fun 60-second daily contest where players can match symbols to land cash payouts.
The Rank Group’s latest trading update highlights the importance of standing out from the crowd
The ambitious rebrand comes at a time when its parent company, The Rank Group, has issued a profit warning before the end of 2022. The operator anticipated annual profits falling by over 50% in a worst-case scenario, citing the ensuing cost-of-living crisis as one of its biggest downside risks. Underlying operating profit is expected to range between £10m and £20m for the year to 30th June 2023, compared with £40m profits in 2021/22.
Rebrands for companies the size of Grosvenor Casinos would not come cheaply. Brand advisory firm, Frontify, predicts the overhaul of Grosvenor would cost anywhere from £41,000 to £205,000, with big pressure on the success of such a move at a time of economic uncertainty.
