Case Study / LA Philharmonic

A Modern Take on an LA Classic

Fireworks behind orchestra on stage

Brand

LA Philharmonic

Reintroducing a Timeless Cultural Icon, Deeply Rooted in LA

Anyone who has ever been to the Los Angeles Philharmonic knows that it’s a progressive, artistic and forward-thinking institution. However their website needed a refresh to better reflect LA Phil’s image and also support its business objectives in time to celebrate the Centennial.

Here’s how we established LA Phil as a vibrant, dynamic, source of inspiration with a cutting edge web presence.

Challenge

A Centennial Season to Remember

LA Phil saw their Centennial season as a chance to celebrate their legacy and, more importantly, reposition themselves as part of the future of live music experiences. Audience subscriptions had been declining, and attracting new, younger attendees was an ongoing challenge. LA Phil knew that their most important marketing tool, their website, had to do more to capture the innovative spirit of the organization.

Insights

Awareness as an Opportunity

The perception of the LA Phil was the place where you could see “the shows at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.” Few people were aware that they did much more for the people of Los Angeles. From music education to innovative programs, so many of their efforts were going unnoticed — including the operation of the Hollywood Bowl. We saw the lack of awareness as an opportunity for the LA Phil websites and apps to better promote LA Phil’s commitment to Los Angeles and improve conversion.

Solution

Welcome to LA Phil

To showcase LA Phil as a living, breathing entity on a mission to push the boundaries of music and entertainment, we started right on the homepage. We transformed LAphil.com into an inviting, dynamic page that introduces symphonic adventures to audiences, young and old.

But it isn’t just a pretty face, the site navigation prioritizes ticket sales and the super-nav makes a clear connection between the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl.

UI/UX

A Simplified Journey

Based on audience research and personas, we completely rethought the user journeys. In doing so, we were able to solve for challenges like: navigating ticket purchasing options and locations, filtering shows based on preference, understanding member benefits and discovering the wide range of education programs and events.

The new, integrated calendar makes it simple for users to see and learn about all the events happening across the venues and quickly purchase tickets

Community
Relationships

LA Phil’s Philanthropy

LA Phil’s Philanthropy

To establish LA Phil’s relationship with the community and encourage contributions, we implemented donation nudges throughout the purchase flow. This led to a 600% increase in donations.

A Stress Free Experience

Our “Planning Your Visit” section on the site helps reduce the intimidation factor that many newer patrons and younger audiences often experience at their first LA Phil concert. Our conversational tone guides users as they explore and learn all they need to know, from where to park, to what to wear and even when to clap.

Your Concert Companion

The LA Phil and the Hollywood Bowl apps are designed to be the concert-goers’ personal guide to the event. In addition to providing immediate, convenient access to their tickets, it also provides detailed information leading up to the big show.

The app also uses push notifications to introduce value-added content and post-concert recommendations to help grow repeat visitors and future members.

One year after the launch, LA Phil saw the following results from their digital and mobile activations.

+600%

Increase in donations

+10%

Increase in conversion

+8%

Increase in revenue

Let's start something great