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Often the man behind the headlines, rarely the man in them, John Carroll reveals why he decided to leave a career with the big suppliers and set up his own public-relations agency
How did you first get involved with the amusements industry?
I was at home in Manchester in 1993, having just returned from teaching English and doing PR work in Graz, Austria, when I saw a job article in the local newspaper – a local company involved in the amusement and gaming industry was looking for a sales exec for their German subsidiary. So I packed my bags and set off to Germany and ended up staying.
Why? What attracted you to this sector?
Having studied international business and spent time abroad, I wanted to begin a career in a business that is truly international. The amusement and gaming industry remains very much international. It’s full of different nationalities with so many different personalities. Also, though it’s called amusements, it is a very professional industry and very competitive. But despite this competitiveness there’s not a dog-eat-dog atmosphere in the business, it’s much more characterised by mutual respect.
Do you think it has changed much since then?
On the product side, naturally technology has changed the industry. The traditional amusement industry has suffered quite a lot over the last years, as people generally don’t see the advantage of amusement machines when home entertainment is just as good and often better. The gaming industry hasn’t been hit so hard as the amusement industry but with online gaming constantly growing, there is a real challenge ahead.
On the other hand, there’s a lot of great products out there. Therefore, it is our job to offer coin-op entertainment that draws people in. Look to the cinemas, for example – they are enjoying a real boom thanks to 3D technology. The 3D effect is something most people cannot experience at home. What coin-op entertainment can we offer that most cannot find at home? That’s the question that needs to remain on our minds.
What hasn’t changed is the magnetic effect the industry has.
What are the biggest positive factors for the sector right now – the drivers of growth and development?
The VLT opportunities in Italy now and shortly in Greece are real growth drivers. But, particularly in the gaming market, the parameters never stay still for long. The chances of success depend on recognising and selling to new parameters.
A few years ago land-based and online were poles apart and seen as real competitors. Now they are growing together. I’m very interested how this will develop and how much revenue land-based gaming companies will be generating in the online market in future.
A further source of growth will be 3D technology. As it’s still very much in a growth phase and before it becomes mass-producible, the industry has an opportunity to offer great new technology and make good money.
And what are the negative ones – the obstacles to growth?
We know the effect that legislation can have – negative as well as positive. And we know that many countries are still in a recession. If disposable income falls, the industry is going to be affected. But there is reason to be positive that the industry is surviving and sometimes still growing in such conditions. When things are back to normal, there will be more money around to spend on amusement and gaming.
Looking at your whole career, what do you reckon was your smartest move (large or small)?
My smartest move was setting up my own company four years ago. With almost 15 years of experience in the industry, the timing was right. I had often felt that the standard of how companies are portrayed in the magazines could be raised. Company managers and owners are often just too busy to give this marketing source enough attention. And this is where my company steps in. I saw and still see a gap in the market for professional outsourced PR support.
If companies do not do the PR themselves, they often use PR agencies that have little to do with our industry. Here I ask the question: how can someone write a convincing article who has little or no idea of the products, services, people, real features and benefits? But Carroll Consulting writes the articles to support the sales team – so that they can be used as a sales instrument to support the selling process. In a way, Carroll Consulting is another member of the sales team.
On a personal note, it was a smart move to learn Spanish. I took time out to fly to Guatemala twice to have individual tuition. That has helped me to be more international for my clients
And your dumbest one?
That was leaving the industry to see what life was like in another industry. Food packaging cannot compare with our sector. Having said that – it’s often said you don’t appreciate what you have until you’ve lost it. Luckily the break was only short.
Where do you hope you’ll be, professionally, in ten years’ time?
The goal is to set Carroll Consulting as the industry choice for strategic PR. We work in the background supporting our clients. That’s why you won’t see many articles like this on my company or myself. The clients need to stand out. That’s our complete focus.
The goal at Carroll Consulting is a win-win-win. A win for the client, a win for the industry press and a win for the reader, who is genuinely informed and benefits from this information.
And finally – if you’d never embarked on this career, what other line(s) of work would you have liked to pursue?
I reckon I would have become a teacher. I did this for two years in Graz and really enjoyed it. But when I see what a teacher’s life is like today, I’m glad to be where I am! When I was a kid I wanted to play for Manchester United. I still support the team, of course, and enjoy watching United or England play with my German neighbours – except for last year during the World Cup…
Curriculum vitae
Born: 1968, Manchester
Education:
1980-87 William Hulme’s Grammar School, Manchester
1987-91 University of Liverpool – BA in combined honours, specialising in German, business studies and law
1993 University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) – MSc in international business
Career highlights:
Climbed the career ladder through positions including European sales director at Money Controls and sales director at Wh Münzprüfer, then spent a short spell at Suzo International before setting up Carroll Consulting in 2007.
