The Wierd and Wonderful World of Zoo Branding

pendraig_milnerae

pendraig_milnerae

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
I was recently thinking about the San Diego Zoo Global rebrand that happened back in 2010, and it got me thinking about the branding of zoos. How do they present themselves? What do they focus on and, depending upon it, is this done to attract visitors? Which zoos have the most successful theming, logos and slogans? Is branding as important as species list to the average zoogoer? Can the same be said for zoochatters?
What this thread is, is essentially a discussion on these questions and more. I will be posting my thoughts on the matter but I’d love some addition input from you marvellous people if possible.
 
I think there is something to be said about if a zoological facility brands themselves as a zoo, sanctuary, wildlife park, safari park, nature center, aquarium, marine park, theme park, etc. IMO, there is little difference between them other than what they may put most of their focus on and who they are marketing to. There is also a wide variety in quality between facilities regardless of what they call themselves even if the general public may think of a sanctuary in a different light than a traditional zoo.
 
I remember when Miami Metro Zoo became Zoo Miami back in 2010 and how Lowry Park Zoo became Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park a few years back. I get that they want to be cool but to me, it sounds grammatically incorrect; but hey if it brings in crowds then I guess it's not a big deal after all!
 
It is interesting to note how branding changes over time with attitudes of people and focus. The one that comes off the top of my head is West Midlands Safari Park (technically West Midlands Safari and Leisure Park, but if you call it that you have way too much time on your hands), as a few years back it’s slogan was ‘fantastic family fun, fantastic family value’ which was essentially a hollow attempt to bring people in, after all the British public love a bargain. But after the new owner bought the park it was changed to ‘discover it all’, which is much more in keeping with the Conservation and educational values of the modern zoo, especially the parks new developments and plans. Interestingly this seems to focus more on education, as they don’t display much info on their conservation projects (at least when I last visited) such as Ongava Reserve and the SSSI lowland Heath, as the displays for them are not totally obvious. Not really a point, just an observation.
 
Most zoos are single zoos in their 'catchment' area so the animal picture itself is better than special branding (if you mean logos, symbols etc.). And it is always expected to be a family attraction first, no matter whether it calls itself 'an adventure center' or 'a conservation sanctuary'.

Some years ago a marketing company in Warsaw offered to make a new logo for the Warsaw zoo for free. Simply to advertise itself. They proposed 10 designs for the public to vote for. At the end, Warsaw zoo did not use any logo.
 
The one thing I will say about branding is it is important for a zoo to have a professional-looking logo and website. Of course not important to zoochatters, but I think the more professional a zoos image is the more average people will attend.
 
Neil chace said:
The one thing I will say about branding is it is important for a zoo to have a professional-looking logo and website. Of course not important to zoochatters, but I think the more professional a zoos image is the more average people will attend.
Click to expand...

Yes, I totally agree.

Not just relevant to zoos but also deeply relevant to conservation NGO's working in-situ or ex-situ too.
 
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