Hallmark Stars Live Microsite Drives Engagement and Ticket Sales

The Challenge

Hallmark’s beloved Christmas Experience panel discussions were such a hit that they decided to take the Hallmark Stars experience on tour. To support this tour, Hallmark needed a microsite that captured the excitement of the live event, reflected the star-studded atmosphere, and drove ticket sales.

The goal? Build and launch the site in just 20 days while coordinating with multiple Hallmark teams, each with evolving design, content, and functionality requirements, all while maintaining the site’s integrity, user experience (UX), and polished aesthetic.

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The Solution

Given the tight deadline, we worked quickly but efficiently to build a WordPress site that was both flexible and robust enough to meet Hallmark’s needs. The key to success was our approach to iterative development and stakeholder collaboration. 

• Design and Build: We collaborated closely with Hallmark throughout the design process to keep the project on track, leveraging out-of-the-box (OOTB) WordPress block formatting to simplify execution and stay within budget. This ensured we could achieve desired layouts and meet content requirements without resorting to extensive custom development. 
• Content Setup: We maintained momentum during the content development phase by taking an agile, parallel approach. While the client finalized copy and assets, our team built out pages in WordPress using placeholder content. This allowed us to focus early on layout, formatting, and user experience, and to gather stakeholder feedback on structure and design without waiting on finalized content. Once copy and assets were approved, we seamlessly swapped them in—keeping the project on track and supporting a timely launch.  
• Strategic Deployment: We soft-launched on a Friday to allow DNS changes to propagate, and then performed a hard launch on Tuesday night, just ahead of pre-sale announcements and national advertising, ensuring the site was ready for its big debut.  

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The Results

Thanks to careful planning and a well-paced timeline, the Hallmark Stars Live microsite was brought to life in just 20 days, becoming an online extension of the excitement and energy surrounding the Hallmark Stars Live tour and offering a smooth, engaging experience that connected fans with their favorite Hallmark stars in a meaningful way. 

• Strong Traffic and User Engagement: In the first week, the microsite attracted 90,000 views, with 57,000 active users engaging with the site, and 9,500K clicks to purchase tickets, directly supporting ticket sales and fan participation. 
• On-Time Launch: Despite a tight timeline, the Hallmark Stars Live microsite launched right on schedule, just ahead of the tour’s presale announcements and national advertising push.  
• Efficient Execution and Collaboration: Through clear communication and close collaboration with Hallmark’s teams, we ensured the site’s launch was smooth, functional, and true to the Hallmark spirit. Together, we made it happen.