Case Study: WinStar World Casino
Situational Analysis
WinStar World Casino was Oklahomas largest and most luxurious casino when it opened 10 years ago. But as the casino industry evolved, it became evident that bigger and better things were needed if WinStar was to remain the gaming and entertainment mecca serving southern Oklahoma and northern Texas. The Chickasaw Nation, which owned WinStar, upgraded the casino but needed to make sure those upgrades were seen by the right people.
Objectives
- Build awareness of expansion and the new concept of the casino
- Re-launch and re-establish WinStar as Oklahoma's top casino
- Promote WinStar as a destination location
Target Audience Analysis
General consumer market in southern Oklahoma and northern Texas as well as industry trade publications, local travel and conference media, entertainment and sports media and poker media with an emphasis on the Dallas-to-Gainesville markets.
Strategy
Media relations efforts would be built around the WinStar World Casino concept, each of the five unique casinos built in the likeness of Paris, London, Madrid, Rome and Beijing, what the expansion would encompass and the expansion itself.
Execution
Crosby~Volmer redesigned the casino website to reflect the new branding. A comprehensive media relations campaign included creative, non-traditional press kits, city-specific press releases to promote unique aspects of the casino, media tours and promoting the concept, programming and talent for The Split and The River reality television shows. Crosby~Volmer provided event planning for the soft re-opening and the grand opening.
Results
WinStar had substantial media coverage in Texas and Oklahoma general consumer media, business, entertainment and travel media, industry trade media, bus travel media and golf media. The soft grand re-opening (September 2008), Web site launch (Oct. '08) and grand opening on New Year's Eve 2008 saw record crowds.
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