Grand Opening of Emerald Queen Casino, Tacoma, WA
Situation
- The Puyallup Tribe of Indians' Emerald Queen Casino was opening in an
already -crowded market. Marketing dollars were tight, and intense media
coverage was deemed essential for a successful opening.
Solution
- We played up the image of the riverboat as much as possible. It was the first
in the Northwest which provided us with ample public and media interest.
- We created and issued a media kit to all print and electronic media
representatives throughout the Northwest and appropriate national entities.
- Tracking the journey of the boat as it was being towed to the casino location
from New Orleans (where it had been built) through the Panama Canal and
up the coast to Tacoma was the cornerstone to consistent media interaction
with weekly and then daily releases.
- We carefully scheduled a media junket from Seattle to meet the boat as it
entered Puget Sound, complete with food, beverages, tribal and casino
representatives, information sheets and video clips. Luck had it that the boat
arrived two days earlier than promised, so with only 12 hours notice, we were
able to successfully move the junket up to greet the boat.
Results
- We had camera crews from every television station in the Seattle/Puget
Sound region as well as reporters from several radio stations and every major
(and minor) newspaper in the Greater Puget Sound area. That evening, we
had coverage on every evening news broadcast as well as several ratio
stations.
- Every newspaper in the area covered the event with the Tacoma News
Tribune and Seattle Times featuring it on their front pages.
- This event heightened general public and media interest and awareness of
the casino, which translated into unprecedented coverage through their
grand opening.
Intense Public
Relations activities
played a crucial
role in the
overwhelmingly
successful
opening of the
Emerald Queen
Casino
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