How a Michigan casino bet big on social media—and won
Firekeepers wooed its early detractors in greater Battle Creek, and it’s built an online following, especially on Facebook.
Before the first patron could ever try to hit a jackpot on a slot machine at the Firekeepers Casino in Battle Creek, Mich., Jeff LaFrance and his team were betting on social media for the win.
“We saw a growing trend in social media, and in January 2009 we started a Facebook page. Before the doors were opened, we had 75,000 Red Hot Rewards club members registered,” says LaFrance, marketing manager for Firekeepers.
LaFrance says the casino built up its club membership before it opened in August 2009 through online registration, driven through its website and social media.
“That built integrity for us and a solid online presence,” LaFrance says. “They know what to expect from us, they know they can trust us online—which can be difficult.”
LaFrance, one of the first 10 people hired at Firekeepers, holds a computer science degree from the University of Michigan and started as a graphic designer at Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. He says getting pulled into the online interaction provided through corporate websites and social media is an ideal situation for him.
LaFrance says that although the website is the casino’s main online presence, it also uses Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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