73% of Customers Buy Based on Experience—Here’s How One Casino Turned That Into a Strategy

Casinos sell chance... This past Friday night, Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel just outside Traverse City, MI sold surprise... and that’s what customers remember.

I was in Northern Michigan visiting my parents (and escaping the Texas heat) for the holiday weekend. When I’m up north, I’ll admit... I love playing poker. So much, in fact, that Turtle Creek Casino invited me as part of their recent VIP experience.

I thought I was just cashing in some poker time... Instead, I found myself front row at a live culinary event with Cat Cora—the first female Iron Chef, Culinary Hall of Fame inductee, global restaurateur... and a mom of six boys. SIX. 

But her journey runs deeper. Cat Cora broke through trauma, bullying, and the glass ceiling of a male‑dominated industry to find her purpose and become a global culinary icon. “Life isn’t fair... I had to find my purpose,” she reflects, and that resilience shapes everything she does.

Balancing global restaurants, TV fame, philanthropy, and six kids? That’s not just multitasking... it’s superhuman.

She’s not just a chef. She’s a brand. She’s a movement. And Turtle Creek brought her story, and her food, right to Northern Michigan.

It was more than just a three-course dinner. It was theater. It was brand strategy disguised as braised short ribs.

The Power of Experience

We talk a lot about customer journeys in marketing. Awareness... consideration... purchase.

But what keeps people coming back isn’t just a product or service... it’s the memory attached to it.

• 73% of people say experience drives their purchasing decisions
• 65% of U.S. customers say a positive experience matters more than great advertising
• Companies that improve end-to-end journeys can lift revenue 10–15% while cutting cost-to-serve 15–20%

Cat Cora and Turtle Creek understood this. They didn’t just serve a meal. They created a moment:

• A live demo filled with laughter, storytelling, and Iron Chef-level charisma
• A menu where every course told a story (Greek salad, braised short ribs, cherries jubilee)
• And even local wine pairings that tied a global celebrity to the Michigan community

When I think back on the evening, it wasn’t just about tasting food; it was about being part of something.

Why Casinos (and Every Brand) Should Care

Casinos know how to sell adrenaline: flashing lights, jackpots, the rush of a poker hand.

But Turtle Creek leaned into a different kind of loyalty... hospitality and surprise.

Brands should take note:

1. Surprise and delight wins. Customers don’t remember the ordinary... they remember the unexpected.
2. Cross-pollination builds loyalty. I came for poker... I stayed for Cat Cora. Now my association with Turtle Creek is richer than just a blackjack table.
3. Local anchors matter. Michigan cherries and wine made the experience authentic... not imported.

Angela Ahrendts once said, “Everyone talks about building a relationship with your customer. I think you build one with your employees first.”

I’d add: and with your community.

The JACKPOT™ Framework

Join unlikely audiences (collide communities)

Anchor to place (local partners > generic vendors)

Choreograph shareable beats (moments with a beginning, middle, and “wow”)

Keep it scarce (limited seats, first-to-know lists)

Personify the brand (bring in people—founders, chefs, creators)

Offer a take-home (artifact, recipe card, digital playlist)

Track and tell (follow-ups, highlights reel, invite to the next one)

How this plays out across industries:

1. SaaS → Skip another webinar...(SO overdone!)... and host a Build Lab where customers walk in with a real problem and leave with a working dashboard, workflow, or automation live in your product. Tangible wins create instant loyalty.
2. Manufacturing → Run “factory open kitchens” where engineers show how things are made... then collaborate with chefs or artists to turn raw materials into something surprising. Specs become stories.
3. Financial Services → Stage “Money Dinners” pairing each course with an investing theme... compounding, diversification, legacy. Storytelling makes complexity edible.
4. Healthcare & Wellness → Offer stress-reset days with yoga, brain-food cooking, and biometric checks... healthcare stops being scary and becomes empowering.
5. Retail / Fashion → Go beyond launches... create backstage-style styling nights with designers, live music, and photo shoots. Shopping becomes a shareable story.

Why This Was Cool

For a casino brand, hosting Cat Cora is a bold move. It says: We’re not just a place to gamble. We’re a destination.

People don’t line up to take selfies with slot machines, but put them in the same room as a world-famous Iron Chef plating cherries jubilee, and suddenly you’ve created a story they’ll tell—and retell—forever.

That’s the holy grail of marketing today: moments that turn customers into storytellers.

Closing Thought

Cat Cora’s menu ended with her cherries jubilee, a nod to Northern Michigan’s roots. Turtle Creek could’ve played it safe... another slot tournament, another happy hour.

Instead, they bet on experience.

And just like in poker... sometimes the boldest bets pay off the biggest.

Related: Why ‘It’ll All Work Out’ Is the Most Dangerous Thing a Leader Can Say