Sandra Miller Kinge, Cirkus

When Sandra explains why working with Pigment works so well, she starts with the people. Micke, Dan, Fredrik — the whole team, in fact — are “incredibly knowledgeable and solution-focused”, she says. But what she keeps coming back to is something else: their technical expertise.

“It’s very easy to choose a CMS and build a website. But for us, it’s been about integrating several different backend systems. Plenty of people can build good-looking websites, but there’s so much more going on behind the scenes.”

Cirkus is more than a venue. It’s an entire destination, with ticketing, restaurant bookings and hotels. Each part has its own system, and several are complex in their own right. The hotels have different room types and lengths of stay. The venue has its seating plan and different ticket types, and everything needs to work smoothly and securely.

“All of these were developed for their own sector, not to connect with other systems. There are very few systems designed around destinations”, says Sandra.

For guests, that meant a lot of steps. Tickets were bought through a third party with its own checkout. Then it was back to Cirkus for hotel recommendations, on to Hasselbacken and into yet another shopping basket.

The aim is the exact opposite.

“We want you to be able to check in at one of our hotels and easily book a table at the restaurant or buy a few tickets to Cirkus if there’s something good on.”

To get there, Cirkus needed more than a new website. They needed a technical architecture that could connect the entire ecosystem.

Cirkus always compares at least two or three suppliers before commissioning any work. Pigment had worked with Cirkus before, so they were on the list from the start. But it was the discovery phase that made the difference.

“Pigment did a really thorough discovery phase that went beyond what we could reasonably have asked for. We quickly realised there was real depth to their technical expertise. That was very interesting to us, because the backend side is so incredibly complicated. That was probably the deciding factor, actually.”

What stands out most, according to Sandra, is that Pigment doesn’t settle for delivering what’s in the brief.

“They’re given a brief, but then they have the confidence to challenge it and say, we think you should do it this way instead. It might cost more at the time, but in the long run it’s a better solution.”

Throughout discovery, planning and development, Pigment has solved problems that weren’t their responsibility and weren’t part of the original scope. Often at very short notice.

“There’s been flexibility and trust, and they’ve really lived up to that trust. They’re solution-focused and effectively take responsibility for the entire system architecture. That’s incredibly important.”

The same goes for Cirkus’s work on its CRM systems, where Pigment has provided technical advice on a range of issues.

“They’re always willing to look beyond their brief and explore solutions that benefit us.”

Sandra points out that Cirkus also has strong expertise in-house, which she believes has made things easier for both sides. Their team includes a head of IT who not only knows his field but also has exceptional business insight.

“Micke challenges us with solutions we hadn’t originally considered, and we find that exciting. We mostly challenge him with tight deadlines. Poor man.”

The design collaboration has been just as important as the technology. Cirkus Creative Director Anton Jonsson defines the brand hierarchy and the wider ecosystem, always with the guest in mind. Having him involved throughout the project, working closely with Pigment’s designer, has been essential. 

“We probably get a bit more involved than a typical client would. It’s been really important to us that he can stay involved throughout. An agency that just takes a brief and then finalises the design on its own wouldn’t have worked for us. They’ve worked almost like an in-house agency, which has been great.”

The new Cirkus website is live and delivering. Data is now collected more effectively, although Cirkus has yet to fully measure the impact. But what impresses Sandra most is what’s happening behind the scenes.

“We now have a system architecture that will do what we need. An integration platform that lets us work with essentially all our products and systems, and ultimately create a better client journey.”

The vision is for each guest to have an account where they can see their Cirkus ticket and any other products they add.

“We haven’t seen the full benefits yet. There’s been a lot of technical work to get us to where we want to be. The really exciting part is still to come.”

The relationship between Cirkus and Pigment goes back at least five years, with earlier work for Pop House too. That shared history matters.

“You know our organisation well. You’ve worked with us for a long time, and that’s been essential.”

Cirkus is owned by a family business that wants to build for generations, so every solution needs to stand the test of time. Sometimes cost-effectiveness is the priority, and Pigment has been responsive to that. The trust they’ve built has, in turn, allowed the scope to grow.

“The original brief was nowhere near as extensive as what we’ve done now. But I think Micke felt confident enough to really commit to it.”

Short lead times are part of life in the entertainment industry, and quick turnarounds are an everyday reality. Just the day before the interview, Cirkus sent a request for an integration between two systems that needed to be ready within a week.

“Micke doesn’t close the door, but he doesn’t throw it wide open either. Still, we know that if he can make it happen in time, so can we. We feel the whole team is fighting our corner, and we really appreciate that.”

Today, Micke works closely with Cirkus’s head of IT and digital manager, and together they’ve found a way of working that runs smoothly.

Asked if there’s anything else she’d like to add, Sandra comes back to what may be the heart of the partnership.

“What matters is that there’s psychological safety within the project. Pigment doesn’t need to impress us with fancy dinners or Christmas presents. You impress us with your knowledge and solutions, and a genuine interest in listening to challenges and problems and solving them.”

Cirkus is a small organisation, a bit like a startup, with a culture of solving problems for guests rather than sitting in unnecessary meetings.

“Someone who just wanted to take us out for lots of lunches wouldn’t have been right for us.”

There’s a long digital roadmap ahead, and Pigment is described as Cirkus’s own development team.

“As long as we get to work with Dan, Micke and Fredrik, we’ll be working with you for a long time.”