Eventbrite evolves by staying close to customers

Eventbrite, the global ticketing and event technology platform, has survived the pandemic and lockdowns by getting closer than ever to its customers. 

Why it matters

Businesses often claim to be customer-centric but it’s rarely the immediately existential matter it became for many during the pandemic when in-person gatherings were banned. Go virtual is the obvious answer, but this requires taking a different approach, as MIT Sloan Management Review heard, and constantly adjusting that in the light of new data. 

Key insights 

• Eventbrite increased its connection to its customers in the early months of the pandemic as it sought to get feedback in near-real time. That prompted a rethink of the data and reporting being used in order to become more customer-centric.
• Part of this process entailed zeroing in on the data points that were most actionable, such as tweaking online journeys in response to changing search behaviour.
• Speed, flexibility and driving audience have been important points of focus given the need for organisers and creators to revive and rebuild their audience and their communities.
• Data – from external metrics, like COVID-19 rates, to internal metrics, like the number of searches on the platform for in-person events – were monitored down to city level to help predict when people would start to feel safe to gather again.
• Organisers need to adapt to a hybrid model that can accommodate virtual events alongside a new appreciation for in-person connection.

Final thought

“What’s most critical or actionable now might not always be. The data points that are the most meaningful to our business are constantly evolving as our business evolves” – Tamara Mendelsohn, chief marketing officer at Eventbrite.

Sourced from MIT Sloan Management Review