Live Nation Entertainment
Defining the purpose of one of the world’s great entertainment companies
Issue
Just prior to its famous merger with Ticketmaster, Live Nation Entertainment had gone on a buying binge, acquiring hundreds of concert promotions companies in multiple markets to achieve 50% market share in its category globally. This created its own problem, with new offices and employees around the world now unclear as to what the company stood for and why they should become an active part of its company culture.
Idea
Strategists at L’Institut Idée led a series of workshops with the senior leadership team in Los Angeles and in major offices around the world, to map the brand through the Structural Mapping Process® and identify what Live Nation was providing beyond “just selling tickets.” In other words, we wanted to find the prevalent “mantra” of the brand. The workshop allowed Live Nation’s leaders to get a clear picture of its DNA for the first time ever, and it led us to craft a new purpose for the organization: “Legendary Moments”. Legendary Moments of live music that fans and industry alike would remember for the rest of their lives became the rallying cry for the organization – and it resonated powerfully with employees and fans alike.
Impact
Company-wide, the new purpose statement was met with huge enthusiasm, with employees noting, “for the first time, I know what I belong to and why.” “Legendary Moments” became the singular idea behind a series of successful improvements in service and operations at venues around the world. Most importantly, leaders and HR reported that the Live Nation culture was strengthened and preserved, both during and after the merger with Ticketmaster – a huge achievement in itself.
Moral of the story
Uniting people around a common purpose is essential to the survival and success of an organization.
