• by Jess Nelson , May 3, 2017

TwinSpires.com has partnered with Emarsys to leverage the company’s B2C marketing cloud to promote the upcoming Kentucky Derby. 

TwinSpires.com is a subsidiary of Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby, and is the largest online horse race wagering platform in the United States. As the official wagering partner of the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup, the horse racing platform accepts more than $1 billion worth of wagers annually.

TwinSpires.com has deployed Emarsys’ cloud marketing platform to improve customer engagement and grow revenue ahead of Saturday’s race in Louisville. The product suite is powered by artificial intelligence (A.I.) and helps TwinSpires.com integrate data from disparate data sources to send personalized marketing campaigns across email, mobile, online, and SMS.

“The data generated from our Derby campaigns need the stamina to last throughout the year,” says Ian Williams, vice president of marketing at TwinSpires.com. “This isn’t simply personalization, it’s individualizing our customers and essential to further understanding their needs and preferences."

“With any event-based company, there’s a moment in time that really matters,” says Sean Brady, president of the Americas at Emarsys. “But then how do you create engagement and sustain loyalty year-round outside of that event?”

Brady saysTwinSpires.com has a lot of data, from wagering information to Web site behaviors, and that the company is using Emarsys’ technology to segment customers for different experiences and journeys.

“You might have a person who doesn’t wager on a regular basis, but hosts an annual Derby party,” says Brady. “If I have a history with Churchill Downs, and I do this annually, my experience will be different. You might treat me differently to get me to understand there’s more than just the Derby.”

Brady says data-driven marketing, unlike promotional-driven marketing, can drive unique, personalized customer experiences.

Some subscribers might be loyal Kentucky Derby fans, while others might be more interested in wagering or the lifestyle event that takes place on the first Saturday of May.

The Kentucky Derby is an annual event, but Churchill Downs has events all-rear round. The goal is to leverage the Kentucky Derby to increase subscribers, and then to funnel them into loyalty campaigns for all-year-round digital experiences.