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In this Issue:
- From the Editor
- Zoo Membership Profile
- Making Impressions: An Integrated Approach to Marketing and Membership Programs
- Free S&W Zoo Client Demographic Report
From the Editor
About Us |
Schultz & Williams helps support your mission and maximize your income potential from all sources by offering integrated management, marketing, fundraising and membership services that deliver results. Request information on how we can help you reach your business and fundraising goals. And visit us at www.sw-inc.com today! |
Good Morning,
We are delighted to bring you Schultz & Williams' quarterly e-newsletter featuring updates and insight into the world of zoo membership and direct marketing campaigns.
In 2005, Schultz & Williams profiled some of our zoo clients’ membership files to better understand who a typical zoo member/family is and to enhance our acquisition efforts on their behalf. The information has been instrumental in helping us craft more targeted messages and identify new list sources. This information is not only critical to improving the overall success of acquisition campaigns, it is essential for developing any successful zoo-wide marketing campaign and building a corporate sponsorship program.
We are, therefore, sharing some of this information with you through abbreviated graphs. While this only represents a small sampling of the profile information we uncovered, we hope it will give you a glimpse of what our zoo clients’ members/families look like across the nation and in zoos large and small.
Following the profile information, Dell Fascione, Account Executive for Schultz & Williams, talks about how to successfully integrate your membership acquisition and renewal program to your zoo-wide marketing efforts. With 20 years of senior level membership and marketing experience at the Philadelphia Zoo, Dell understands very well how these dynamic programs must work together to maximize membership results and generate zoo attendance.
Best,
Jessica Harrington
Vice President, Direct Response
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Submit your request for a complete profile report, including zoo members’ occupations and most popular interests/activities. |
Schultz & Williams profiled some of its zoo clients’ membership files to better understand who a typical zoo member is. Using a database of self-reported consumer lifestyle data (judged to be the most accurate data available), we matched membership files with the database’s 24+ million households.
What we found was that zoo members are highly educated, own their own homes and donate to charitable causes. Some specific highlights include:
- Most of our zoo clients’ members have household incomes above $75,000+.
- For most of our zoo clients, the average age of the children at home is between 2-7 years.
- In general, most zoo members have 1 to 2 children, although there was one market where the number of children increased.
- Members have lived in their same residence for a long time.
- Most zoo members have attended college.
Making Impressions: An Integrated Approach to Marketing and Membership Programs
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Tell the whole story of your zoo through integrated marketing and membership campaigns. Then integrate your new exhibits, feature animals and special events as the compelling and urgent reason to visit or join today! |
by Dell Fascione
Together, a zoo’s membership base and annual attendance make up the bulk of its earned-revenue, either directly (through dues and ticket sales) or indirectly through food and gift shop sales, the purchase of attraction tickets, program/event fees, etc. In fact, membership probably makes up 30-45% or more of your zoo’s annual attendance and, therefore, a significant portion of its visitor-related sales revenue.
It’s easy to see why these two essential programs can and must be integrated to maximize your zoo’s impressions, drive attendance, build membership and effectively communicate your mission.
Your zoo’s brand and unique characteristics should make up the platform upon which all of your marketing and membership materials are developed. Don’t lose sight of this important principle!
Create a storyboard of your marketing and membership materials (brochures, acquisitions, renewals, fliers, ads, newsletters, acknowledgements, invitations, etc.) and make sure that collectively they tell the story of your zoo. Create compelling messages and graphics that complement each other in voice and style and that grab people's attention. Most important, these components must become a familiar brand to targeted audiences and prospects in order to make impressions and, ultimately, drive attendance and sell memberships!
With that being said, however, we recognize that your marketing and membership efforts each year must also highlight or focus on a particular program, exhibit, animal, event or opportunity. Seasonal promotions are essential to the success of any zoo. They give people a reason to come back year after year and, hopefully, multiple times throughout the year--creating the perfect membership-sales scenario.
While your overall marketing and membership platform should sustain a certain level of consistency, it should also set the stage for showcasing these seasonal promotions in engaging and compelling ways.
Zoos spend a lot of time and resources each year communicating to a variety of important audiences. Make sure the vehicles you use to reach your constituents, members and public work as one comprehensive campaign, which gives rise to the seasonal or special opportunities and family experiences only your zoo can deliver.
In other words, create your marketing and membership platform to build a (long) lasting impression. Then integrate your special events as the compelling call to action!
If you do not wish to receive further mailings, please send a message to
Schultz & Williams Inc., 325 Chestnut Street, Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA 19106, Phone: 215-625-9955, Fax: 215-625-2701, E-mail: mail@sw-inc.com