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These days, capturing and maintaining audience attention can be a near-impossible task. 

For Ripley Entertainment, an attraction company that’s been astounding audiences since 1918 with its bizarre facts and oddities at Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, and Ripley’s Aquariums that provides guests with a fun, interactive, educational experience while building an understanding of the natural world, this challenge was amplified by an aging digital infrastructure.

From its humble beginnings as a newspaper cartoon to a global entertainment company with over 100 attractions in ten countries, Ripley’s has consistently evolved to meet audience expectations. 

However, their online presence was struggling to keep pace with their innovative spirit.

The company’s web ecosystem, spread across multiple WordPress multisite installations, had become a patchwork of inconsistent designs and user experiences. This digital fragmentation was at odds with Ripley’s legacy of captivating audiences with unified, engaging content.

For a brand that prides itself on leaving lasting impressions on visitors, it was clear that their digital presence needed to be just as remarkable as their attractions. 

Suzanne Smagala-Potts – Senior Manager of Digital Development at Ripley’s – led her team as they embarked on a search for a modern, flexible content management system that could unify their digital assets and set the stage for future growth.

The Search for a Solution

Ripley’s digital team faced a monumental task. They needed to consolidate multiple websites, improve brand consistency, and enhance the user experience across all their digital touchpoints.

“We decided to go scorched earth, get rid of everything, and build from scratch,” recalled Smagala-Potts. “We needed more robust tech stacks to really accomplish the goals that we wanted.”

The team’s wishlist was extensive. They needed a platform that could:

• Consolidate all content under a single domain for improved SEO
• Support multiple languages to cater to their global audience
• Provide granular user permissions for different teams and roles
• Offer a flexible content management system for their vast library of oddities and stories

Ripley’s issued an RFP and began evaluating various content management systems with help from their agency partner, EY Design Studio. Many vendors offered standard demos, but one stood out from the crowd.

“When we had our demo with Directus, they absolutely incorporated everything I had asked for, explaining how it can be accomplished,” Smagala-Potts recalled. “It was definitely a personalized one.”

This attention to detail and customer-centric approach resonated with the Ripley’s team, and – along with the robust feature-set – was ultimately the deciding factor to go with Directus. 

Implementation and Migration

With Directus selected as their new CMS, Ripley’s embarked on a digital transformation journey that would radically reshape their online presence.

The implementation process was a collaborative effort between Ripley’s, their agency partner, EY Design Studio and the Directus team. 

“Whenever we had questions, we would get on calls and bring in tech experts from the Directus side,” Smagala-Potts noted. “They would always get us in the right direction for how best to incorporate what we were looking for.”

Key features implemented included:

• Unified Domain. All Ripley’s content was consolidated under ripleys.com, improving SEO and brand consistency. 

• Multilingual Support. The new system enabled easy translation and management of content across multiple languages.

• Granular Permissions. Directus’s robust roles and permissions system allowed Ripley’s to give appropriate access to different teams and departments.

• Enhanced Content Management. The team leveraged Directus’s flexible content structure to manage their vast array of oddities, stories, and attraction information.

“The standardization and templating is making it very useful for our end-users, and it’s easy to use for a non-tech user to be able to go in and create content,” Smagala-Potts said.

The transition from their old system to Directus was smooth, with the team quickly adapting to the new platform. The implementation not only solved Ripley’s immediate challenges but also opened up new possibilities for their digital strategy.

Results and Impact

The implementation of Directus has transformed Ripley’s digital presence, delivering impressive results that even Robert Ripley’s himself might find hard to believe.

📈 Quantitative Improvements

Ripley’s saw significant improvements in key performance metrics. 

“Since we launched our site, our conversion rates have improved by 7 percent compared to the prior year,” Smagala-Potts revealed.

Even more impressively, “Engagement times saw a 53 percent lift,” she added.

These numbers underscore the dramatic impact of their digital overhaul. The new platform is serving their business more effectively and allowing them to market more confidently.

💬 Qualitative Improvements

Beyond the numbers, the Directus implementation has revolutionized how Ripley’s manages and presents its content.

“It’s very easy to learn Directus and get competent on it quickly,” Smagala-Potts notes. The user-friendly interface has empowered both technical and non-technical staff to contribute effectively.

The unified platform has also enhanced brand consistency across all of Ripley’s digital properties. 

“We wanted to call it ‘digging down the rabbit hole.’ We wanted them to keep exploring,” Smagala-Potts explains, describing how they can now seamlessly guide visitors through their vast array of content.

Content creation and management have been streamlined, with the team now able to update information across multiple channels from a single platform. This efficiency has been particularly crucial for managing time-sensitive information about their various attractions.

Ongoing Evolution – Expanding the Unbelievable

True to their spirit of constant innovation, Ripley’s isn’t resting on their laurels. The team continues to explore new ways to leverage Directus and expand their digital capabilities.

Expanding User Base

“We’re about to onboard about 40 to 50 new users with limited roles specific to their markets,” Smagala-Potts said. This expansion will empower location managers to update critical information like operating hours and ticket prices, ensuring visitors always have the most up-to-date information.

Ecommerce Integration

One of the most exciting developments on the horizon is the integration of ecommerce functionality into Directus.

“The biggest project that’s coming down the road is incorporating ecom into Directus,” Smagala-Potts said. This integration will allow for a seamless ticket-buying experience that matches the visual appeal and functionality of the main site.

“We’re going to be building upsell capability into our ticketing portal. So as visitors buy tickets, we offer things like: ‘Oh, you bought this, would you like to add on a penguin painting experience or a stingray experience?'” she added, highlighting the potential for increased revenue through a more engaging purchase process.

Continuous Improvement

The team at Ripley’s has embraced a culture of continuous improvement, regularly identifying new ways to enhance their digital presence.

“We have a whole list of goals that we’re looking to accomplish within the next couple of months like adding new components or adding new connections,” Smagala-Potts says.

These improvements range from implementing editorial workflows to creating more dynamic content displays, all aimed at further engaging their audience and further simplifying internal processes.

Partnership for the Future

Throughout this ongoing evolution, the partnership with Directus continues to be a key factor in Ripley’s success.

“Directus gives us the technology backbone that we need, but allows us the ability to make it customized for our experience,” Smagala-Potts notes.

This flexibility and support position Ripley’s to continue pushing the boundaries of digital engagement, ensuring their online presence remains as captivating and unbelievable as the attractions they’re known for.

A New Chapter for Ripley Entertainment

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! has always been about pushing boundaries and showcasing the extraordinary. With Directus, they’ve brought that same spirit of innovation to their digital presence.

The transformation has been nothing short of remarkable:

• A 7% increase in conversion rates

• A staggering 53% lift in engagement times

• A unified, cohesive brand experience across all digital touchpoints

• Empowered teams with streamlined content management processes

But perhaps the most significant outcome is how this digital transformation has positioned Ripley’s for the future. 

With plans for ecommerce integration, expanded user bases, and continuous improvements, Ripley’s is set to keep amazing audiences in the digital space just as they have in their physical attractions for over a century.

“Directus is definitely making us a lot more capable than we would be trying to go it alone,” Smagala-Potts said.

The partnership between Ripley’s, EY Design Studio, and Directus demonstrates the power of the right technology in the hands of an innovative team.