FROM PROUD HERITAGE TO UNPARALLED PROSPERITY
The Brief
A tribal government is more than a client; it’s a country. Our work for Sycuan included campaigns that vaulted its rebranded gaming operation to marketplace leadership, positioned an expanded community engagement presence and celebrated its 10,000-year history through an EMMY® Award-winning documentary.
The Client
Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation
The Challenge
In a highly competitive southern California entertainment market, Sycuan and agency partner Hard Rain Productions sought to enhance gaming revenue by rebranding and promoting its newly renovated casino. Loma’s role was to create a sense of excitement to attract new audiences beyond the core demographic market.
Simultaneously, we were tasked to increase the tribe’s community profile by highlighting its 10,000-year history and significant contributions to charitable organizations. Following our tribal website redesign, we embarked on a campaign employing all major media platforms.
The Approach
We believe a ‘winning’ experience goes well beyond a montage of happy faces at slot machines. Our creative focused on a series of story-driven narratives that conveyed a sense of fast-paced fun.
Across all media, we strove to underscore a ‘good neighbor’ vibe that emphasized trust, friendliness, and accessibility. This brand compass expanded to a broad-based community outreach campaign that featured high profile partners and a wealth of great causes.
Measurable Results
Within the first week of the rebranding campaign, casino attendance increased markedly and continued to climb throughout our engagement. Our EMMY® Award-winning tribal documentary inspired a heightened sense of ‘cultural connection’ that affirmed Sycuan’s role as a visionary community presence.
Campaigns
Community Partners
Revenue Increase
The Takeaway
We employed a wide variety of creative approaches to reach diverse audiences and move the needle, but the common denominator was a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities shared by every sovereign tribe. This experience proved immensely valuable in our subsequent support for the diverse 30+ tribal member governments of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA).
“We have survived against overwhelming odds to become a sovereign, prosperous nation within the great nation of the United States.”
— Tribal Chairman, SYCUAN