Confluence speaker works to attract new generation to racing and gaming in Oklahoma
In racing, strategy is key. The fire and strength of a pure bread race horse carries you to victory, but only if the jockey guides that energy down the track with technique and intuition.
The same is true for digital marketing – especially for one of the most influential companies in the gaming industry, Global Gaming Solutions, Chickasaw Nation’s entertainment arm.
“We are very much on top of our game,” said Yenni Vance, the director of Digital Communications and Social Media for Global Gaming Solutions, which is the parent company of OKC’s Remington Park Racing and Casino.
Under her leadership, Global Gaming Solutions has managed to attract a younger demographic to the sport through integrated digital marketing and social media campaigns. Many millennials find the fast-paced sport of horse racing too slow and complex, so the industry has had to come up with new ways to engage them.
“We have brought in this demographic,” Yenni said. “Tracks from all over the country call us and want to know ‘how do you attract this younger demographic.’”
The answer is a strong, comprehensive digital marketing strategy. Apps, strong content, video, exciting campaigns, exceptional online presence.
“I believe in strong story-telling,” Vance said, and credits a talented team for making these stories come to life (Rodney Nelson, social media manager at Lone Star Park in Texas, Sharon Lair, Remington Park’s marketing director, Kim Bordano, Lone Star Park marketing director and Scott Wells, president and general manager for both locations)
Another key element of the Global Gaming Solutions strategy is to anticipate change in the digital world.
“To me the Internet is not the future. It is the now,” Yenni said. “If something is happening I want our team on top of it.”
That’s something Yenni has done successfully for the last 15 plus years.
Originally from Columbia, she began her career at Telesat, Colombia’s largest Internet provider, when the Internet was new.
“I will always remember when I became familiar with ICQ, making friends all over the world, how fascinated I was. That’s how my passion for technology was born.”
Yenni moved to the United States in 2002 – initially to brush up on her English and take a marketing class at the University of Oklahoma. However, Oklahoma became her home after she met her future husband, David Vance – a veteran of the racing industry. He’s the guy who picked the name “Remington Park” for Oklahoma’s race track.
“He is my inspiration. Sometimes you come across people who make a positive impact on your life. He has done that for me. I feel like I won the lottery,” she said.
Her fascination with technology moved her to combine her love for traveling and different cultures with the new medium, founding GotSaga.com, a travel site which is a worldwide social network focused on the travel industry with a vibrant online community sharing travel tips and destinations. It was also the first website to offer a multilingual chat feature.
“It was my baby,” Yenni said, with the pride of a mother. “I met so many amazing people. We had a great team.”
But this venture was not only a joyride.
“I learned a lot about the digital world. During this time I didn’t sleep a lot but it was beautiful.”
Yenni sold the site in 2012.
“I still monitor it closely,” she said.
Before that she had already joined Global Gaming Solutions.
“I feel very lucky to be part of Remington Park and the Chickasaw Nation. They have made so many positive contributions to the state of Oklahoma.”
Besides it being a great job opportunity for a sharp woman in technology, working for a company that prioritizes community building made Global Gaming Solutions a good fit for Yenni.
“To have opportunities in a country like Columbia is very hard,” she said about her homeland. “I came to this country and people appreciate hard work. I feel very lucky to have people who believe in me.”
Her mother, a minister in her native Columbia, is one source of her drive and passion. Yenni said her mother’s life was filled with obstacles and challenges, but she never backed down – a trait she shares.
“Never!” Yenni said, “She is a very tough woman, loves community. I learned from my mother that I am very fortunate and that you got to spread it around.”
And so she shares her expertise and time with several nonprofits. She serves on 1040i’s (a nonprofit promoting health and education opportunities for children in Africa) Advisory Board as a social media advisor and strategist, as well as the NEEDS Foundation’s board of directors (a nonprofit that helps fight hunger in Oklahoma). And she has made her mark on the Oklahoma City’s Adventure District as the organization’s Social Media Advisor and Strategist. It’s the giving spirit of the many volunteers that inspires her.
Yenni is somebody who doesn’t like stagnation, and needs a challenge, a task, to thrive. Her current job and her nonprofit involvement provide that. There is no time to get bored if she’s to stay abreast of technological trends. In other words, she gets paid for something she loves to do.
“Global Gaming and the Chickasaw Nation embrace technology,” Yenni said, adding that many of her team’s out-of-the-box ideas are welcomed with open arms.
That’s a good place to be in. As marketing professionals know, many businesses are still uncertain about the importance of digital marketing. But with technology and mobile devices taking on a bigger role in our lives, it has become vital to businesses.
“You have to have an integrated digital strategy,” Yenni said.
“Social media and the digital world is the future for commerce in this country. That’s not an opinion anymore. It’s a fact.”
Her Confluence presentation Does Your Social Media Measure Up? will outline the core metrics for tracking the success of a social media campaign, what they mean, how to track them, and how to use that data to create more engaging and successful social media and digital marketing presence. She will speak at 11:20 a.m. Saturday.
About Michaela Wheatley
Michaela is a journalist and digital marketer, originally from Germany. She loves telling good stories and hanging out with her three daughters who are a great excuse to stop whatever she's doing, turn up the music, and dance in front of an open window.