White Paper. Ektron as the Centerpiece of the IMA Enterprise Performing Arts Framework

Transcription

1 White Paper Ektron as the Centerpiece of the IMA Enterprise Performing Arts Framework

2 Content Management a historical overview The need for enterprise-wide systems to manage paper-based documents, which included printed and published documents as well as photos and other media, became evident in the 1980s. This grew to encompass electronic documentation as more and more documents were originated and stored online. With the advent of the Internet, users were challenged by the need to create documents using the various mark-up languages of SGML, HTML, and XML. There grew to be a need for Web Content Management Systems (CMS) that did not require technical expertise. In the mid-1990s, several commercial software products were introduced in the market. Most of these were only partially successful in addressing the needs of non-technical users, particularly when content origination was shared across the enterprise. In 1998, Ektron was founded, and introduced their first product, ewebeditpro. Headquartered in Nashua, N.H., the company employs over 200 people in five offices worldwide, has over 340 partner channels, and has more than 20,000 customer implementations. Ektron s flagship product is CMS400.NET, currently in version 7.6, which was released on September 30, Interactive Media Associates (IMA) has utilized the Ektron CMS as part of its Web solutions since Issues in integrating applications Most corporations face multiple challenges when attempting to integrate the various applications that are used to create their enterprise Web site, particularly those who require an ecommerce system along with backend fulfillment or organizationally specific applications such as ticketing systems. These can be categorized as user issues, marketing/promotional issues, and resource/financial issues. User Issues ecommerce applications are often presented in a different look-and-feel than the main site, resulting in confusion and fulfillment challenges. The user experience in certain ecommerce and other applications that include online APIs can be rigid and not intuitive. Personalized content delivery and product is difficult to achieve online. Complex orders, like Create Custom Season Subscription are difficult to present and fulfill online. Marketing/Promotional Issues Sites lack conversion opportunities in merchandising such as cross-sells and up sells. Content on ecommerce screens is difficult to manage. It often requires IT support and is not integrated with the content management system. Payment handling is constrained by the limitations of the system. Because they adopt weak analytics platforms, many sites lack insight into user behavior. Resource/Financial Issues Regular updates require considerable programming hours, making the associated costs extremely high and creating difficult lead time requirements. ecommerce content updates require programming changes and result in content inaccuracies. To solve these issues, a more inclusive, solution-rich approach had to be created. Ektron as the Centerpiece of the IMA Enterprise Performing Arts Framework Page 1

3 Devising a strategy toward a full Enterprise Performing Arts Framework While engineering an approach to resolve the various issues and create a holistic application that is fully viable online, several points were considered: It is short sighted to assume that one software platform can achieve best-ofbreed functionality across multiple disciplines Organizations had already made considerable financial investments by adopting enterprise software packages such as ticketing and fulfillment systems, Marketing, and merchandising platforms. It is short sighted to assume that one software platform can achieve best-ofbreed functionality across multiple disciplines. The solution must be scaleable and flexible. Content management, ecommerce, merchandising, marketing, business intelligence, and box office management software companies all contain thought leaders and offer outstanding solutions. The market demands compelling user experiences across all of these areas while organizations seek efficiencies in delivering new features. Conversion is critical. All organizations are seeking new ways to increase revenue, increase interest in their offerings and services, and continuing to grow their business. The IMA Enterprise Performing Arts Framework History Interactive Media Associates, Inc. (IMA) has worked for performing arts clients since 1998, when it transformed New York City Ballet s initial, stagehand-built Web site into a professional venue with ecommerce capabilities. Revenue at the online box office grew from year to year, along with an influx of new patrons who had never attended the Ballet before. New York City Ballet (NYCB) made the strategic decision to move to the Tessitura Arts Enterprise box office application in IMA retrofitted NYCB s existing ecommerce Web site to interface with the Tessitura box office system, but the overarching vision was much larger. Boston Ballet wanted to create a Web site experience that better reflected the Ballet s professionalism NYCB experienced many of the same issues facing other performing arts companies and wanted to bring new features to its audience. So in the spring of 2009, IMA and NYCB introduced the first iteration of the IMA Enterprise Performing Arts Framework. Upon completion of this installation, IMA worked with Boston Ballet to integrate the framework into their Web site. In the fall of 2009, the Boston Ballet moved from its long-standing home in the Wang Center to the Boston Opera House. It used that opportunity to reinvent their brand, and wanted to create a redesigned Web site experience that better reflected the Ballet s professionalism and art. Ektron as the Centerpiece of the IMA Enterprise Performing Arts Framework Page 2

4 Conceiving the Framework The key to success is to allow enterprise solutions to leverage existing assets, thereby maximizing current financial investments, while allowing each component to succeed in its particular role. In the NYCB and Boston Ballet implementations, the framework is the same, but the solutions look quite different. NYCB s solution weaves the benefits of Ektron CMS, Tessitura Arts Enterprise box office system, Elastic Path ecommerce, and the Bronto Marketing platform. Boston Ballet s integration leverages Ektron, ElasticPath, Tessitura, Tessitura Messaging Service (TMS), and the Microsoft Retail Management System. There is tremendous value in providing organizations the flexibility to choose how they implement compelling user experiences for their audience without taking a oneplatform-fits-all approach. The ElasticPath ecommerce component brings enterprise ecommerce functionality: calculation, promotions, cross-sells and up sells, and integrates gift shop and other transactional items in a single, seamless shopping cart. Seat selection is enabled, and the ecommerce portions of the site can be designed as an integral part of the rest of the site. By allowing NYCB and Boston Ballet staff access to ticketing screens via the Ektron CMS, a content management system already adopted across the organization, the time required to set up each season is considerably reduced and no longer requires outside intervention and expense. In addition, content can be reused throughout the site, allowing staffers to enter content once and reuse it many times. While both Boston Ballet and NYCB share similarities in Ektron CMS and ElasticPath, the system is flexible enough to integrate any CMS, emarketing platform, merchandising system, or analytics platform. The framework takes full advantage of Tessitura. The online ticketing system is completely in synch with the theatre s box office and phone ticketing systems, allowing for transparent, up-to-date account management and online/offline order history. Tessitura s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is utilized to its fullest extent. Enterprise ecommerce Architecture Users Web Server ecommerce Application Server ecommerce Application Server ecommerce DB Tessitura API Seamless Up-to-Date Account Management Order Placement Accurate Online / Offline Order History Just One Shopping Cart Mini Sites Multiskin Intelligent Best Available Seating / Seat Selection Cross-Selling Upselling Gift Shop Inventory Management Order Fulfillment Marketing Real-time List Management Integrates with Any emarketing Platform Integration Layer Fulfillment Houses Real-time Shipping Payment Gateways Tax Calculation Services Integration Package A collection of classes that loosely couple the Web commerce system from Tessitura and other integration points Content Management Reusable Structured Content Throughout Store - Repertory Freedom to Edit Any and All Content of Entire Store and Web Site Centralized Menu / Breadcrumb Management Content Authoring Approval Chain Blogs, Forums, Social Media Document Management Integrates with Any CMS Enterprise Business Intelligence Automated Event-driven Marketing Shopping Cart Abandonment Reduction Optimize Video Performance Increase Conversion/ROI Ektron as the Centerpiece of the IMA Enterprise Performing Arts Framework Page 3

5 A key option of the solution is Enterprise Business Intelligence through IMA s partnership with Omniture giving these organizations real-time actionable intelligence about their customer s response to their Web offering. With Omniture, digital transactions, as well as offline channels, such as point-of-sale and call centers and Tessitura data can be captured, stored and analyzed under one platform to: Measure trends and gain actionable intelligence on customer behavior in real-time Increase conversions and reduce abandoned shopping carts Provide real-time, high-performance analysis and reporting for all levels of business users Automate the delivery of content and marketing offers Test site design and navigational elements Optimize the user experience and revenue opportunities for our customers Optimize critical online processes How the CMS integrates with the ecommerce The following illustrations demonstrate how the framework resolves many of the traditional issues performing arts companies experience online. Content that appears in one screen can be automatically incorporated in a second screen, as shown in this example from Boston Ballet. The ballet, No More Play, is incorporated as part of a subscription series, Black and White. A Boston Ballet staff member enters information about this ballet one time. The system can re-use and re-skin the content as part of the series, providing tabs for users to browse additional details. Ektron as the Centerpiece of the IMA Enterprise Performing Arts Framework Page 4

6 Even though this is an ecommerce screen, it can be edited using the Ektron CMS. And integrated site search can be used to locate both the informational and ticketing portions of the screen. This screen is a seamless blend of CMS-driven features the header, footer and right and left navigation menus while the ticketing information reflects real time box office availability and CMS-managed performance content and imagery. The same Black and White series title and images are brought over from the original content block and present only the limited amount of information required by the shopping cart. The same approach is utilized in New York City Ballet s Web site, as shown in this Subscriptions page. Ektron as the Centerpiece of the IMA Enterprise Performing Arts Framework Page 5

7 A user who wishes to learn more about a specific Ballet in the cart, does so by clicking the title. The repertory note is shown in a modular window, which can be closed without pulling patrons away from their ticketing session. Content can be authored in one place across the entire ecommerce and content-driven site. Happy patrons, happy performing arts staff With the launch of IMA s Performing Arts Framework as part of the NYCB Web site in the spring of 2009, and of Boston Ballet s redesigned Web site in August 2009, it quickly became apparent just how advantageous the new application framework can be. Among the features of the new framework: The Ektron content management system is fully integrated into the framework, allowing performing arts companies to maximize their current financial investments and work with a tool with which they are comfortable. Content can be authored in one place across the entire ecommerce and content-driven site. This allows marketing teams to be in control of the message, and takes advantage of a single approval workflow. Organizations can now increase conversion with cross-selling, up selling, You may also like recommendations, recently viewed items, and other standard ecommerce features. Staff can now create complex, customized packages for sale online, such as Build Your Own Subscription, while non-ticketing items can be quickly and cost-effectively developed within the framework. Patrons now enjoy a personalized shopping experience. By logging in, they immediately see customized pricing (e.g., based on subscription or membership level) and targeted messaging. The companies are poised to quickly and easily offer special promotions to defined segments. Patrons can self-select their seats, satisfying a long-standing, pronounced market need. Customers can use debit gift cards, even splitting the debits into tickets, donations, and merchandise, which also maximizes the patron s spend. Bump pricing, where prices change based on house demand, is easily implemented, allowing the organization to flexibly customize and maximize their offering based on current circumstances. The checkout flow is completely customizable, allowing the performing arts staff to reflect their own box offices processes on the site. Ektron as the Centerpiece of the IMA Enterprise Performing Arts Framework Page 6

8 Payment handling is extremely flexible, with full integration of any payment gateway chosen, giving the consumer multiple payment options. Any point-of-sale (POS) system can be integrated, or the organization can opt to use ElasticPath as the POS. Any marketing platform, such as Bronto Mail, Exact Target, Constant Contact, TMS or others, can be easily integrated into the system, allowing the organization to stay top of mind with reminders and promotions, as well as using the addresses of those who have opted in to receive blasts via the Tessitura system. Through the inclusion of Omniture, digital transactions, as well as offline channels, such as point-of-sale and call centers, can be captured, stored and analyzed to increase conversion. Improved financial performance Simpler, quicker, and less technical interface. IT intervention is no longer required, resulting in significant cost savings when preparing each season s online sales. Current financial investments in software are maximized. The system accommodates a variety of software packages, and does not insist upon oneplatform-fits-all approach. System redundancy makes the platform flexible and safe. The IMA framework introduces a level of system redundancy that prevents the accidental loss of ticket sales. A strong and reliable framework. The system easily adapts to ongoing market demand and is ready to change and grow with the performing arts organization. Software links Learn more about the software packages IMA utilized in its Enterprise Performing Arts Framework: Interactive Media Associates Ektron Content Management Elastic Path ecommerce Tessitura Network Omniture Analytics Bronto Tessitura Messaging System Microsoft Retail Management System About IMA Interactive Media Associates, Inc. (IMA) is a digital agency specializing in the planning, development and marketing of Web services. The company provides expertise in strategy and planning; Web site branding and design; content management; Web application development for ecommerce and portals; and interactive marketing, including SEO/ SEM, marketing, social media, and reputation management. Through its ReliaServe subsidiary, IMA also offers site hosting. IMA is an agency partner of such leading Web software providers as Omniture, Ektron, Elastic Path, and Bronto. For additional information, info@imediainc.com or call (973) , extension 1. Ektron as the Centerpiece of the IMA Enterprise Performing Arts Framework Page 7

9 Interactive Media Associates, Inc Route 10 Parsippany, NJ Tel Fax