Case Study : Branding

THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
  CONDUCTING A BRAND. . .
  TO PLAY THE RIGHT NOTES

Situation: The Philadelphia Orchestra, one of the greatest cultural treasures in the United States, and certainly Philadelphia, was in need of the strongest possible brand to connect with new audiences of varying ages and backgrounds, and re-affirm their connection with longtime stakeholders. As a world-famous Orchestra for the past 105+ years, yet one whose brand didn’t resonate with the strongest possible messages, they chose AgileCat to develop a brand promise to last for the next 100 years, brand attributes, and aspirations.

Agile Action: AgileCat held Brand Therapy™ sessions with many groups associated, and in some cases disassociated with the Orchestra. This included tailoring questions specifically for the groups with whom we explored the Orchestra brand. Board members, musicians, executive-level staff, support staff, audience, and individuals who rarely, if ever, attended Orchestra clients. The sessions were intense and revealed many positive and negative elements that surrounded the Orchestra. As with any AgileCat brand discovery, the key was getting to the heart of the Brand Truths that enveloped the Orchestra and ensuring these truths could create their ultimate Brand Promise and what surrounded it that could be leveraged to create the right kind of marketing to win over everyone potentially touched by this international brand.

Agile Result: The Brand Promise and Branding & Positioning Catalyst received an “encore” by the Philadelphia Orchestra’s stakeholders for its depth and levels of tangible discoveries and highly-usable information. The brand attributes and brand aspirations have served as a platform from which a full-scale marketing plan has been born, including an advertising campaign focused on the new brand. As the creative work takes shape, and the energy around the Orchestra gains momentum around the brand discoveries, a new day dawns for one of our nation’s greatest exports. In addition, other recommendations that AgileCat has developed as a result of the Brand Therapy sessions will have lasting long-term affects on the way the Orchestra is marketed and presented, and on the audience’s overall experience from the time they walk in the door to long after they leave a concert – humming all the way.