Austin Zoo & Sanctuary Media Planner

Austin Zoo and Sanctuary

Media Planner By: Jennifer, Allison, Casey, Tavy, Kristan, and Veronica

Table of Contents Situation ………………………………………………………………….. 2

What We Learned ………………………………………………………. 3

SWOT Analysis ………………………………………………………….. 4

Services …………………………………………………………………… 5

History ……………………………………………………………………. 6

Visitors …………………………………………………………………... 7

Social Media …………………………………………………………….. 8

Goals & Objectives ……………………………………………………. 9

Target Audience ……………………………………………………….. 10

Strategy …………………………………………………………………... 11

Messages …………………………………………………………………. 12

Channels …………………………………………………………………. 13

Video Process ………………………………………………………….. 14

Logistics ………………………………………………………………….. 15

Appendix …………………………………………………………………. 16

1

Situation

MISSION:

The Austin Zoo and Animal Sanctuary is a nonprofit rescue zoo

whose mission is to assist animals in need through rescue, rehabilitation,

and education. To accomplish its mission, the Austin Zoo takes in aban-

doned, injured, neglected, or illegally owned animals and provides them

with compassionate, individualized care. The Austin Zoo serves as a sanc-

tuary and a forever home for animals who have nowhere else to go.

PROBLEM:

One of the problems the Austin Zoo faces is a lack of awareness. Not

only do many people not know the zoo exists, but the zoo also does not

emphasize its position as a nonprofit entity and rescue zoo. Those that do

know the Austin Zoo exists may still be unaware of the zoo’s mission to

rescue and rehabilitate animals from all over the country. The only indica-

tion that the Austin Zoo is not a conventional commercial zoo is its hill

country setting. We hope that highlighting what the Austin Zoo can offer

as a nonprofit organization in our promotional video will help increase

visitor numbers and overall community awareness.

With repeated instances in the media of animal maltreatment and a

growing concern over animal confinement, it is important for the Austin

Zoo to detach itself from the negative stereotypes surrounding commer-

cial zoos today. Through our video, we hope to encourage more people to

visit the Austin Zoo by showing that the zoo serves as an animal sanctuary

and forever home and is not another commercial zoo that exists only for

profit.

2

What We Learned

WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE INTERVIEW:

We learned from our interview with Director Patti Clark that the Aus-

tin Zoo plans to build an on-site vet clinic. Many of the animals the zoo res-

cues need immediate medical attention and continued rehabilitation. Cur-

rently, animals that need medical checkups or operations have to be trans-

ferred to specialized veterinarians outside of Austin, Texas. With an on-site

vet clinic, the zoo can provide more convenient and timely care. While this

addition will surely benefit the zoo, building an on-site clinic is expensive

and needs additional funding to become a reality.

Because the Austin Zoo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, the zoo

relies on money from visitors and donors to fund its projects, take care of

the animals, and pay the staff. Many factors affect how many people visit

the Austin Zoo, including time of week, the weather, and overall knowledge

that the zoo exists. Primary funding comes from admission fees which

makes increasing the number of zoo visitors essential. The Austin Zoo

works to increase zoo attendance through social media, special events, and

even Groupon.

3

SWOT Analysis

Strengths:

Wide variety of animals - both

domestic and exotic

Offers up-close, personal expe-

riences with animals

Educational classes, special

events, holiday themed celebra-

tions

Has well-educated, dedicated

staff members

Weaknesses:

Lacks financial funds for on-site

vet clinic

Far location from Central Austin

Relies on donations to keep zoo

running

Transferring animals outside of

Austin for vet care

Opportunities

Appeal to tourists through pro-

motional means (do512.com)

Clarifying stance as non-profit

organization, unlike most zoos

Increased social media pres-

ence, especially Instagram

Threats:

Overcoming negative stereo-

types about zoos

Bad weather and seasonality

Competition from Capital of

Texas Zoo in Bastrop

4

Services

SERVICES:

The Austin Zoo offers daily tours all year long and offers the oppor-

tunity for private tours as well. The zoo also welcomes small children to

join them for the Tiny Tots Class. This programs consists of a personal

tour and a fun, educational animal lesson. The Austin Zoo’s Senior Safari

Adventure also gives special tours to senior citizens and their caregivers

when they visit the facility.

Complementary to each tour, the Austin Zoo provides a train ride service

for guests to experience the scenic route through the hill country. Aside

from the tour, visitors are able to see the zoo’s off-display animals that in-

clude emus, alpacas, and longhorns. The train ride is 20 minutes and runs

every hour every week day.

As one of the most popular and requested animal educators in the country,

Safari Greg performs over 250 programs each year at zoos, school, librar-

ies, and other special events. Safari Greg is an animal educator who teaches

children about different zoo animals.

5

History

HISTORY OF THE AUSTIN ZOO:

Originally a family-owned goat ranch, in 1990 the ranch became

known as Good Day Ranch, taking in primarily goats, pigs, fallow deer,

donkeys and ponies who needed a home. By 1994, the ranch had grown to

include exotic animals, and to reflect this change the Good Day Ranch be-

came the Austin Zoo. Now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, a Board of Di-

rectors has operated the Austin Zoo since 2000. Patti Clark, the current di-

rector of the zoo, has served as director for over seven years.

The zoo currently owns over 350 animals representing more than 100

different species and includes older animals, animals seized in animal cru-

elty cases, retired laboratory research animals, and even rehomed, exotic

pets.

6

Audience

WHO VISITS THE AUSTIN ZOO:

The Austin Zoo attracts a diverse crowd of visitors, including families,

school-age children, senior citizens, and even international travelers. Offer-

ing a wide array of tours and activities, the zoo makes sure that each visi-

tor has a unique, enjoyable experience no matter their age. The zoo caters

to its diverse visitors through child educational programs, train rides, op-

portunities to create enrichment toys for the animals, a Senior Safari Ad-

venture, and birthday parties. In addition, many schools in and around the

Austin area take weekday educational field trips to the Austin Zoo, and out

of the 200,000 individuals who visit the zoo annually, tens of thousands

are students and teachers visiting on these field trips.

7

Social Media

SOCIAL MEDIA AND MEDIA COVERAGE:

The Austin Zoo has a presence on social media, but its presence could

be stronger. With over 14,000 likes and 35,000 page shares on Facebook,

Austin Zoo has a fairly strong presence on Facebook. Most of the zoo’s in-

formation on special events, promotions, and new animal arrivals are post-

ed and shared via Facebook. Because Austin Zoo focuses their communica-

tion efforts mostly on Facebook, its following on Twitter and Instagram

suffers, with only a little over 1,000 followers on Twitter and roughly 200

followers on Instagram. Though the Austin Zoo posts regularly each week

on both Facebook and Instagram, likes on Instagram pictures are minimal

because of a lack of followers. Conversely, the zoo receives anywhere from

15 to over 500 likes when the same pictures are posted on Facebook.

In terms of media coverage, the Austin Zoo receives a decent amount

of coverage on its special events, which include animal birthday parties,

holiday themed events, fundraisers and the arrival of new animals. When

Ruby, Corbin, and Tilly, the three rescued black bear cubs from Oregon, ar-

rived at Austin Zoo, local Austin news stations like KXAN covered the story.

The Austin American Statesman covered the annual Easter Egg Hunt that

occurs on the Saturday before Easter Sunday. We believe that increasing the

Austin Zoo’s social media presence and increasing overall awareness of the

zoo through our promotional video will help foster more positive media

coverage for the zoo.

8

Goals & Objectives

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:

Our main goal is to increase attendance at the Austin Zoo through our

promotional video. We also want to increase overall awareness about the

Austin Zoo and emphasize its rescue, rehabilitative, and educational com-

ponents. In order to achieve our goals within one year, we have established

specific objectives including:

Increasing overall attendance by 15.

Increasing the number of Instagram followers by 10%.

Reaching 10,000 views, 500 likes and 50 tags and shares on the

zoo’s Facebook page

Having at least 15 shares on Twitter

9

Target Audience

TARGET AUDIENCE:

Our video targets families with young children, specifically parents

of the age 40 or younger, that reside in Austin, Texas. Families make up

the majority of visitors at the Austin Zoo and are likely to visit the zoo at

least once. The parents actively use Facebook and frequently share pic-

tures of their children in order to keep up with close friends and family.

They are very family oriented and prioritize spending time with their chil-

dren in entertaining and unique ways. Since families often live in neigh-

borhoods consisting of other families, we hope to create a chain reaction

with our video that will help generate positive buzz about the Austin Zoo

to other families in Austin.

10

Strategy

STRATEGY:

Our video strategy involves highlighting the best aspects of the zoo

through interviews, voiceovers, and footage of children and animals in order to

inspire our target audience to visit the zoo. Because our target market will have

easy access to our promotional video on the Austin Zoo’s website and Facebook

page, they will most likely view the video, especially if it contains valuable in-

formation and exciting footage. Parents, especially those with young children,

are more likely to enjoy a video that is crisp, clear, and straightforward. Includ-

ing interviews from small children will also attract parents and help them see

the Austin Zoo as a fun place for their children to visit. Our strategy will effec-

tively reach our target audience because the video is specifically catered toward

parents and will be available on easily accessible social media platforms.

We also plan to keep our viewers’ attention with a short video, less

than one and a half minutes long, so they will not feel bored with dragging

content. Each small clip is engaging, presents vital information about the

zoo, and will help educate viewers about the Austin Zoo. When parents

watch our short but engaging video that features cute, small children, dif-

ferent Austin Zoo animals, and basic but unique information about the zoo

itself, we know it will encourage them to visit the zoo.

11

Messages

MESSAGES:

Our video will show the Austin Zoo as a rescue zoo and encourage

families with young children to visit. We want to frame the Austin Zoo posi-

tively, showing a variety of happy animals along with several satisfied visi-

tors. Supplementing interviews with voice-overed content will further in-

form our target audience of what makes the Austin Zoo unique and hope-

fully help inspire them to visit. We included testimonials from young chil-

dren in the video to emphasize the fun and interactive aspects of the zoo.

Adding humorous but endearing interviews from children and the

professional perspectives from the Austin Zoo staff adds credibility to our

video. This authentic approach will help garner future visitors. Content-

wise, we focused on using words like “rescue,” “home,” and “non-profit” in

order to position the Austin Zoo as a rescue zoo, not a typical commercial

zoo. Even though our video’s purpose is to encourage more visitors, it will

also emphasize the Austin Zoo as a non-profit rescue zoo.

12

Channels

CHANNELS:

We will post our video on the Austin Zoo’s Facebook page, embedding the

video on the homepage, as well as on the zoo’s website. Posting the video on

Facebook gives future visitors the opportunity to learn more about the Austin

Zoo has to offer as a zoo. Not only does an engaging video help encourage site

viewers to visit the zoo, but it provides easy access for viewers to share on

their own social media platforms.

In addition, we can share the link via email or newsletter with previ-

ous zoo visitors. Since we hope past visitors are also repeat visitors, we can

encourage them to pass along information about the Austin Zoo to other

families they know who may also enjoy the zoo experience. Generating dis-

cussion about the Austin Zoo across different communities will help reach

potential new visitors and even encourage repeat visits.

13

Video Process

VIDEO PRODUCTION PROCESS:

We first interviewed Patti Clark, director of the Austin Zoo, to gain initial infor-

mation about the zoo. Our interview with Patti focused primarily on general infor-

mation about the Austin Zoo’s situation, so we were only able to use a small portion of

this footage for our video. We noticed that in the interview Patti did not specify that

the Austin Zoo was a non-profit organization. Instead, she described the zoo as a res-

cue zoo. We think it is important for viewers to understand how the zoo operates, so

we added a voiceover that explains that the zoo is a nonprofit organization that focus-

es on rescuing animals in need through rehabilitation and education.

While getting footage of the animals at the zoo was easy and fun, getting footage

of visitors proved more difficult. With verbal and written permission from legal guardi-

ans, we were luckily able to include small children in our video. We believe that includ-

ing testimonials and interviews are crucial for our video because they provide credibil-

ity to visitors’ attitudes towards the Austin Zoo. To add personality to our video, we

asked a few small children what they loved most about the zoo.

During the editing process, we wanted to ensure the video did not drag or was

too lengthy. We planned to incorporate as many animals as possible, so we decided to

keep each animal action shot for two seconds at the most. We found this worked well

because we were able to show a wide variety of animals and also make room for small

snippets of Patti’s interview. While we were pleased with Patti’s interview, we decided

to add one more interview with someone that works at the zoo to add more credibility

and insight. We scheduled another time to visit the Austin Zoo and interviewed Amy,

store and guest relations manager. She talked primarily about the animals, so we decid-

ed to incorporate her in the video since we wanted to mention more about how each

animal has a unique background story

If given another chance, we would have interviewed Safari Greg, the Austin Zoo

entertainer and education leader, and possibly include some B-roll footage of his

shows. Including him would been shown more of what the Austin Zoo offers to its visi-

tors and provide viewers with an additional reason to visit. Given his busy schedule

and privacy of special events, we were unfortunately unable to obtain any such footage

for our video.

14

Logistics

LOGISTICS:

As soon as we finalize the video, we intend to post the finished prod-

uct on the Austin Zoo website and Facebook page. There the video will re-

main a continuous feature on the website, and a pinned post on the Face-

book page. We will also encourage users to post about their experiences

with the zoo and share the video in order to increase exposure. We will

measure our success through the increased number of visitors over the

year, as well as by the number of new Facebook likes and shares. Addition-

ally, the video will serve as a focus piece on the Austin Zoo website to pro-

vide greater insight into what the zoo has to offer.

A year from when we post the video, we will measure the objectives

we set earlier. We will determine our success by number of likes and

shares, as well as by zoo attendance numbers. To gain further insight into

customer experiences at the zoo, we will encourage visitors to fill out a

quick survey when leaving or entering the zoo. The survey will ask how

they heard about the Austin Zoo and what inspired them to visit. This exer-

cise will help us learn how we can further advance our efforts in the future.

15

Appendix

ADVOCACY BLOGS:

The Black Bear Cubs Who Found Their Home

There’s a lot of negative connotation about zoos in general, but here’s why Austin Zoo

is different—the mission of Austin Zoo is to assist animals in need through rescue, re-

habilitation and education. This is unlike your traditional zoo since most zoos are built

for profit.

Austin Zoo is a rescue zoo that provides a forever home to the animals they save. For a

public relations class at The University of Texas at Austin, I’ve had the amazing oppor-

tunity to work with Austin Zoo and craft a promotional video, and I’ve heard fascinating

stories about the zoo and the animal rescues.

A lot of animals suffer from malnutrition out in the wild or even in other zoo facilities.

Austin Zoo is the one who takes them in, restores them to their healthy self, and keeps

them happy. Every animal at the zoo has their own unique story of how they got there,

and it’s amazing how well each animal is doing at their new home.

About a year ago, a mama-bear and her three black cubs were found in Oregon during a

logging activity. Like any other animal in this world, mama-bear fled for her life as her

habitat was being destroyed, leaving her cubs alone. The cubs were only two weeks old

and weren’t even able to walk or open their eyes! Since the mother was clearly not com-

ing back to claim her babies, the Oregon state veterinarian sent the cubs to Austin Zoo

for rehabilitation and further care. Austin Zoo is now a home to Ruby, Korben, and Tilly.

Today, you can see Ruby, Korben, and Tilly rough-housing with one another just like

your typical siblings wrestle. They’re happy and full of energy, and they’re always

climbing around having a fun time. Austin Zoo even threw them a first birthday party in

January. The bears weren’t able to have their own cake, but I’m sure they received some

extra lovin’ and donations from the public.

Yes, a zoo may not be an ideal home for a bear, (and in this case three of them), but if

not here, then where? Austin Zoo does such a great job in taking care of their animals,

and the bears are pretty happy. All of the zoo’s donations and admissions don’t go to

improving the zoo itself, but it goes to the animals’ needs.

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16

Appendix ADVOCACY BLOGS:

“Ohana” Means Family

“Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten,” Lilo

from Lilo and Stitch.

What do you think of when you hear Austin Zoo and Animal Sanctuary? Well, “zoo.”

When I hear that word, I flash back to my childhood field trip to the Dallas Zoo. Walking

trough elaborate biospheres filled with lions, cheetahs, monkeys, zebras and much

more (all in different areas, of course). Pretty close right? Commercialized zoos like the

Houston, Fort Worth, and Dallas Zoos are for-profit, meaning they purchase animals and

make money from visitors and souvenir sales. The Austin Zoo, on the other hand, is a

nonprofit, and its mission expands far wider than the entertainment and exploration

that the typical zoo hopes to provide.

When talking with friends about working with the zoo I got mixed responses. Most were

opposed to zoos for exploiting animals and making a spectacle of them. While I cannot

say that an animal has never been mistreated at a zoo, I can say that the Austin Zoo is

very different form the zoo you are thinking of, both in terms of facility and overall

treatment of animals. I got the opportunity to learn more by partnering with the zoo on

a project for my Public Relations Techniques course at The University of Texas at Aus-

tin. Through creating a promotional video for the organization, I have been able to talk

with the zoo director, Patti Clark, and gain first-hand insight into what the zoo has to

offer.

One thing I learned is that “animal sanctuary” often gets cut out of the title, but for me,

that encompasses the organization more than “zoo” ever could. The mission of the Aus-

tin Zoo is to provide a forever home for animals that have been abandoned, harmed or

illegally possessed. Rather than placing them back in the wild or letting Mother Nature

take her course, the zoo takes them in. By providing them care, rehabilitation, and ulti-

mately a forever home, Austin Zoo makes sure each animal receives the proper treat-

ment and individualized care they deserve.

- more -

17

Appendix

ADVOCACY BLOGS:

The zoo staff treats each animal as a child. They name each one and make sure each

creature’s story is told. One in particular that comes to mind is Lily the Arctic fox. Her

former owner purchased her while living in Canada, but when he moved to Texas, her

possession became illegal. He called the Austin Zoo and told them about the fox. Ra-

ther than waiting for them to return the call, he took matters into his own hands. The

next day he shoved her in a crate and left her on the doorstep of animal control. Upon

discovery, they immediately contacted the Austin Zoo. Staff members brought her to

the zoo and quickly realized she had a severe hip injury, which she had been enduring

for months now. Immediately taking her to their vet facility, Lily was treated and given

the much-needed care she deserved. She has since been restored back to health and

currently resides with her new family at the animal sanctuary. And as for the man that

abused her, he has since been charged with animal cruelty and neglect.

Stories like Lily’s are not uncommon around the zoo. Every animal has a story and the

trainers are well versed on each to provide a personal connection with the patrons who

enter the facility. I think that’s what makes the zoo so special. It is focused on caring

for the animals first. Getting to go see them is simply an added bonus.

While the Austin Zoo is not as grandeur as the zoos you might be used to, the experi-

ence is much more personal. So, don’t judge a book by its cover or a zoo by its title…

see what it really means to be a part of the Austin Zoo “ohana” and get involved today!

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18

Appendix

ADVOCACY BLOGS:

Lions, tigers, and…kangaroos? Rescue stories of the Austin Zoo and Sanctuary

When we first decided to choose the Austin Zoo for our nonprofit video project in our

Public Relations Techniques class, I was immediately excited because of my love for ani-

mals. Little did I know the Austin Zoo wasn’t just the Austin Zoo, it was the Austin Zoo

and Sanctuary, which is a lot different from regular zoos. It is different because not on-

ly are all of the animals rescues, it is also a nonprofit zoo. In our first meeting with Pat-

ti, the director of the zoo, she said something that really stuck with me. When she ex-

plained what the Austin Zoo was, she called it a “forever home” for the animals. Calling

it a “forever home” perfectly summarizes its mission to assist animals in need through

rescue, rehabilitation and education.

The zoo holds about 350 different kinds of animals. Each animal has its own personal

story of how it came to be there, whether it be a rescue from a failing zoo or someone

who bought an exotic animal that shouldn’t have. A great rescue story Patti told was

about a mix up they had when they first received Jason the kangaroo. One day Patti got

a call from Animal Control asking if they could take in a wallaby they had rescued out

of San Angelo, Texas. The Austin Zoo had cared for wallabies before so Patti agreed to

take it in. Two mornings later, she received an email titled “red roo?…wallaby?” with a

picture of the kangaroo. Much to their surprise, what at first seemed to be a little cute

wallaby was really a red kangaroo. The red kangaroo is the largest species of kangaroo

that can jump up to 6 feet high and up to 25 feet in one leap. Luckily they were able to

quickly build a sanctuary for the kangaroo, but this story certainly shows that you nev-

er know what new animal will make the Austin Zoo their “forever home.”

A particularly touching rescue story Patti told us was about Lily the artic fox. One Friday

morning, they received a call from a man that had just moved here from Canada. Unlike

Canada, in the United States most exotic animals you cannot own without special per-

mits. The man didn’t realize this, and left a message asking if they could take an artic

fox he owned.

- more -

19

Appendix ADVOCACY BLOGS:

Unfortunately Patti didn’t see this message till Monday morning. Shortly after she re-

ceived another call from Austin Animal Control asking if she could take in an artic fox

they had found abandoned. She told them not only could she take the fox in, she could

also tell them who the fox belonged to. At the time, Lily had a broken hip and wasn’t be-

ing fed well. Fortunately after a surgery and some recovery time, Lily is better than ev-

er. Her past owner was also tracked down by Austin Animal Control and charged with

animal cruelty.

From being a volunteer at the Austin Zoo and Sanctuary I have learned just how differ-

ent it is from other zoos. Hearing stories like Lily’s and Jason’s showed me the true

compassion Patti and the Austin Zoo staff have for the animals. No matter where the an-

imal is coming from or what situation they have been in, it is really all about the ani-

mals. The Austin Zoo is very focused on caring for all the animals and making it a forev-

er home for each and every animal that comes into their zoo.

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20