Site: http://www.ringling.com/
What was the core goal of the redesign, and how does the new site accomplish that goal?
Vicki Silver, CMO, Feld Entertainment, says:
A Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey show is a full sensory experience, especially in the largest arenas. The goal of the new Ringling Bros. website is to present the brand and the shows (Ringling Bros. has three touring units) in a way that is fun, exciting, and captivating -- ultimately to convince "mom" (our primary target) that the circus is simply "unmissable" and the best entertainment choice she can make for her entire family.
We accomplished the goal by combining web development technology (Flash animation) to capture the spirit of the Ringling Bros. brand with a powerful animation of the circus train traveling through the country, and then allowing visitors to navigate via fun train cars. The site allows a glimpse into each show and is only a ZIP code entry and a click away from purchasing tickets on our ticketing partners' sites.
A redesign is a big undertaking. How do you know when a site needs a redesign and when it just needs to make a few changes? Is it always part of a larger campaign, or can the redesign happen in isolation?
Silver says:
For Feld Entertainment, we kept a close eye on how technology was evolving along with its penetration rate among our audience. We wanted the Ringling Bros. site experience to be as exciting as the show itself, and to do that, we had to ensure the majority of our site visitors had the bandwidth to enjoy the site versus having a frustrating experience.
A site design can either be done as part of a larger campaign or in isolation. The specifics of that answer lie in your business model. Ringling Bros. is one of America's best-known brands, but we market our shows locally versus nationally. We also have several different campaigns running concurrently based on the specific show coming to your hometown. Given those two parameters, launching the website independent of other activity was an appropriate decision. However, each show is represented within the site in aesthetic and strategic harmony with its offline and online marketing campaigns.
What we liked
While moms may be the target audience in terms of the purse strings, it's pretty clear that the brand's primary advocates are children of all ages. In that sense, the site works on two levels, but the key is that technical details like scheduling and tickets rest in the lower portion of the screen, close enough for mom to make use of those tools, but distinct from the fun, which makes up the bulk of the experience. One particularly nice touch is a repeating audio file that delivers the circus experience. While adults may get their fill of the music in a minute or two, it's one of those things kids are likely to enjoy until... well, the circus comes to town.
What we'd love to see in 2.0
Video, video, and more video. While there's some video on the site already, there's certainly room for more, and it should definitely be in a full-size, high-resolution player next time around so that circus fans can see what's in store and re-live their favorite moments.