A Magic Mix for Success

AMMC 2013

Mission – Marketing - Membership

• Dana Hines, President and CEO, Membership Consultants - Moderator

• Karin Jaros, Head of Membership and Annual Fund, The Morton Arboretum

• Rosie Siemer, Principal, fiveseed• Maureen McCarthy, Manager, Membership

Programs, Saint Louis Zoo

Presenters

Dana HinesPresident and CEO

A Magic Mix for Success

Mission – Marketing – Membership

Introduction

Membership Department Positioning

Where do we fit? Are we marketing? Are we fundraising? Are we the promoters of our organization’s mission?

We are all of that!

Mission – Marketing – Membership

How is Membership Positioned in Your Organization?

Does Membership planning occur with and do you have the support of the following Departments? (check all that apply)

• Membership is out in front of other departments with graphic needs

• Membership can’t “fit into” Marketing or IT’s email communications schedules

• Institutional marketing messages and Membership marketing messages are disparate

• Marketing databases and Membership database don’t talk, overlap but no one coordinates

• Members expect to “know first” – and should!• Member online communications are not specific to their

membership status• …and many other scenarios!

Common Challenges

Karin L. JarosHead of Membership and Annual Fund

A Magic Mix for Success

Mission – Marketing – Membership

Membership and Marketing

Full color vintage illustration of the Three Bears discovering that someone has eaten their porridge.Drawing was scanned from a 1933 children’s fairy tales book.

Membership and Marketing can be like Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

The porridge is too cold. It’s too warm. Or – if you’re lucky – it can be “just right”!

The Three Bears

Or, Membership and Marketing can be like the Goldilocks Zone – an area of space in which a planet is just the right distance from its home star (or sun) so that its surface is neither too hot nor too cold.

For example, Venus roasts in a runaway greenhouse effect and Mars exists as a frozen, arid world. But in between - on Earth - the conditions are just right (so that liquid water remains on the surface of the planet without freezing or evaporating out into space). Planets that may be “just right” are in the Goldilocks Zone.

The Goldilocks Zone

How does this analogy play out for Membership and Marketing?

It’s a bit like standing around a campfire on a very cold night. Stand too far away and you freeze, stand too close and you catch on fire and burn to death.

If the Membership and Marketing departments are too far away, then the relationship freezes and life can’t emerge. If they orbit too closely the relationship can be roasting hot and nothing can live.

It gets a bit more complex than this, of course! And it also has some pretty significant implications for the search for extraterrestrial life . . .

Just Right

How do you get it “just right”?

• Process

•Communication

•Communication

•Communication

•Communication

•Communication

•Communication

•And More Communication

Just Right

Mission – Marketing – Membership

Mission – Marketing – Membership

Make Membership and Marketing your Goldilocks story.

If the porridge is too cold. If the porridge is too warm. If the bed is too big. If the bed is too small.

It’s your job to . . .

Make it “JUST RIGHT.”

Get into the Goldilocks Zone!

Your Goldilocks Story

Rosie SiemerPrincipal

A Magic Mix for Success

Mission – Marketing – Membership

Digital Integration

• Content Strategy• Authority and Responsibility• Advertising/Promoted Posts

Facebook

• Special Promotions

Facebook

• Membership Tabs

Facebook

• Raise awareness, drive traffic to membership webpages, capture prospect data

• Highly targetable• Thread in mission-oriented messaging• Capture member stories• Integrating online/offline• Earned and paid media• Adherence to TOS

Contests

• Shared goals, metrics, schedules & reporting• Google Analytics (traffic and conversion goals)• Google AdWords/Targeted Display Advertising• Tailored email campaigns and landing pages

A Seat at the Table

• QR Codes• Text Campaigns• Mobile Optimized/Apps• SoLoMo

The Mobile Imperative

Mission – Marketing – Membership: A Magic Mix for Success

Saint Louis Zoo Overview Brand Messaging Media Campaign 2012 Media and Membership

Saint Louis Zoo

Mission of the Saint Louis Zoo

To conserve animals and their habitats through animal management, research, recreation and educational programs that encourage the support and enrich the experience of the public.

Animals: 19,000 Acres: 90 Forest Park: 1,371 acres, 7th largest

urban park in the U.S. Annual Visitors: 3,000,000+ 2012 Record Year : 3,500,000! 2nd only to Arch in Tourism Attendance AZA – Association of Zoos and

Aquariums Named America’s #1 Zoo in 2004

Saint Louis Zoo

Organization Structure

27

President & CEO

Organization Structure Vice President of External Relations

• Responsibilities include Marketing and Membership

Membership reports into Director, Marketing

Manager, Membership Operations and Programs

Saint Louis Zoo

Manager, Membership Operations and Programs • 40 Employees – Full time, Part time, Seasonal• Welcome Desk “Front End Staff”• Membership Services “Back End Staff” – Data

Management, Fulfillment, Communications• Zoo Friends Services – Donor phone calls• We support donors, visitors and events• Seasonal peaks exist in all areas

Saint Louis Zoo

Membership Department benefits from being part of the Marketing Department

Membership messages are consistent with overall Zoo media plans

Media may feature new Exhibit,Theme, Animal News or a Zoo Event

Saint Louis Zoo

Strong Marketing, Public Relations, Development and Membership Departments have existed for many years

Core Brand messages remain consistent

Animals Always Zoo logo

“It is all about the animals…”

Saint Louis Zoo

Can You Come Out and Play? Launched in 1997

Based directly from brand position:• The Zoo is a great place to spend the day outdoors

with your family• Always features animals and families• Campaign is always TARGETED to women 25 – 54• Tone is always fun; reminder that a Zoo visit is fun

Can You Come Out and Play?

• Research Based

• Part of our Brand Message

• Emotional Connection with Visitors

Saint Louis Zoo

Billboards

Web Banner Sample

Web Banners These appear on other

web sites Clicks take user back

to Zoo site.

Web Banners Sample

Membership Marketing Can You Come Out and Play?Featured on Direct Mail

Membership Marketing – Can You Come Out and Play?Animals + Attractions

Membership Department benefits from being part of the Marketing Department

Membership messages are consistent with overall Zoo media plans

Sea Lion Sound exhibit opened in 2012

Saint Louis Zoo

Sea Lion Sound 2012

First Major Exhibit Since 2009 Sea Lion Show

rated among top value attractions

Sea lion basin among original exhibits

Sea Lion Sound - Plans

Creative Strategy• “Immerse yourself in the new Sea Lion Sound

exhibit as sea lions swim over and around you for a one-of-a-kind experience.”

Strategic Direction Internal Communication Critical for Success

Communication

44

President & CEO

Sea Lion Sound The Living Promise

Campaign $18 million investment Underwater viewing tunnel Opened June 30, 2012 Member preview week

prior

Sea Lion Sound New Sea Lion Show

Arena

Sea Lion Show Tickets are a Member Benefit

Sea Lion Sound

Change in Promotional Calendar

April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Can You Come

out and Play

Can You

Come out and

Play

Can You

Come out and

Play

Sea Lion

Sound

Sea Lion

Sound

Sea Lion

Sound

Boo at the Zoo

Wild Lights

Wild Lights

Tunnel Delayed Scheduled for June 30 opening rather than early May Adjusted New Member Mailing schedule accordingly

Billboards

Billboards

Bus Shelters

Membership direct mail campaign coincided with opening of exhibit

Media coverage of exhibit opening

Delayed Mailing from May to June

Shared photography

Sea Lion Sound Extended to New Member Campaign

Sea Lion Sound New Member Direct Mail Program

Sea Lion Sound New Member Direct Mail Program

Media Excitement

Sea Lion Sound New Member Onsite Brochure

Sea Lion Sound

Sea Lion Sound Great Public

Excitement! TV Radio Print Membership• Show tickets• Extended “New Member

Season”

Saint Louis Zoo 2012 Great new Animal Experience Media Support Great Weather Record 3.5 Million Visitors Membership – Record Year

with 48,000 Members!

Lessons Learned

Marketing Support of Membership Efforts is critical

Zoo Support is important

Feature your logo • – Reinforce brand message

Saint Louis Zoo

Lessons Learned

Aim for consistent messages to Consumer

Share Imagery, Headlines when it makes sense

Stay consistent with core brand messages • Animal Imagery• It’s all about the animals!

Saint Louis Zoo

THANK YOU

To conserve animals and their habitats through animal management, research, recreation, and educational programs that encourage the support

and enrich the experience of the public.

THANK YOU

Maureen McCarthyManager, Membership Programs and Operations

Saint Louis Zoomccarthy@stlzoo.org

THANK YOU

Maureen McCarthyManager, Membership Programs and Operations

Saint Louis Zoomccarthy@stlzoo.org