Every holiday season, the Fort Worth Zoo gives people two ways to give something more meaningful— 1) memberships that unlock a year of Zoo adventures and 2) adoption packages that support the care and feeding of Zoo animals. But keeping the campaign fresh, relevant, and exciting year after year—while still driving results—is no small feat. In 2024, the Zoo leaned on Schaefer once again to make that magic happen, and this time, we focused even more on the impact behind every gift.
Rooted in Purpose, Refined by Data
We took a more mission-driven approach, focusing on the deeper impact of each gift. With the campaign headline “Share the Wonder, Support the Wild,” we highlighted the joy of giving and the tangible support each purchase contributes to the Zoo’s conservation efforts.
To reach more high-intent gift-givers, we employed a full funnel media plan, including OOH, paid search, paid social, email, display, and publication placements, while layering in new strategy — including, but not limited to:
Addressable geofencing to target households based on census and demographic data
An extra Cyber Monday email to tap into deal-seeking holiday shoppers
Mid-campaign budget and media optimizations to boost performance
Making the Mission Tangible
We led with gifted memberships as the hero offer, positioning animal adoptions as the cherry on top — complete with an animal plush and coloring kit. Creative assets leaned into emotion and mission, from dynamic carousel ads to emails that reinforced the dual benefit of every gift.
Behind the scenes, we monitored performance daily and weren’t afraid to adjust in real-time. When we saw a dip mid-flight, we reallocated dollars, refreshed messaging, and fine-tuned our media approach to finish strong.
Impactful Messaging, Strong Results
Ultimately, the campaign rallied to deliver big:
Gift membership sales exceeded goal by 13%
4% YoY revenue increase
283K+ clicks and 9.7% CTR across all channels—well above industry benchmarks
Meta carousel ads drove 1.17M impressions, 14.5K clicks, and 14.7K engagements
At Schaefer, we like to stay nimble and take a hands-on approach to managing media campaigns. And with this Holiday campaign, our team made fast, strategic adjustments that pushed the campaign across the finish line—and then some.
Rising to the Challenge: Exceeding Ambitious Goals for TBT’s The Nutcracker
Texas Ballet Theater set higher-than-ever ticket goals for their 2024 performance of The Nutcracker, creating an exciting challenge for us at Schaefer. With increased expectations compared to the prior year, our task was clear: exceed these ambitious targets. Adding to the complexity, fewer pre-Christmas performances were scheduled, making it more difficult to hit our goals during the critical early sales period. Despite these challenges, we knew that The Nutcracker ticket sales are vital for funding TBT’s year-round productions, and rose to the occasion.
Optimizing Strategy for Maximum Impact
We crafted a strategic plan that balanced tried-and-true tactics with new optimizations to drive results. By targeting the right audience through paid search, social media, display, TV, and email, we ensured that every marketing dollar worked harder. Our focus was on refining audience segmentation and utilizing retargeting strategies, especially with urgency-driven messaging designed to boost conversions. We also placed a strong emphasis on media optimization, ensuring that our tactics captured valuable prospects. With creative content across social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, we aimed to maximize engagement and reach the right people at the right time.
Transforming Media Strategy into Unmatched Results
Our media strategy paid off in a big way. Paid search, the star of our campaign, generated an impressive $730K in revenue with a stellar return on ad spend (ROAS) of 13:1. Social media efforts made a significant impact as well, driving over 7.3 million impressions and 77,000 clicks with a 1.86% click-through rate. On TikTok and Facebook, ads resonated with the audience, while display and streaming video ads kept engagement high. Email and text campaigns also played a crucial role in pushing conversions, achieving a remarkable 18.28% CTR for text messages and a solid 13.94% for emails. Through strategic optimization and a combination of media channels, we created a seamless experience that kept sales momentum strong, even in the face of the slower start.
Delivering Historic Success: The Nutcracker Exceeds all Expectations
The results were nothing short of remarkable. We exceeded our revenue goals by 19%, with total tickets purchased near 52,000 (120% to goal). Not only did we surpass our original ticket sales targets for both Fort Worth and Dallas, but we also delivered the highest sales for The Nutcracker in TBT’s history. This campaign not only demonstrated our ability to rise to the challenge but also set a new benchmark for success. With our creative strategy, smart targeting, and optimized media plan, we helped TBT achieve its most successful Nutcracker season ever.
For the first time in Zoo Run history, the event sold out before the early bird deadline—an unprecedented achievement that highlighted the power of creative storytelling and strategic media execution. Zoo Run is a beloved annual event that brings families and the community together for a fun and unique experience, and this year, Schaefer was tasked with generating results that were bigger and better than ever. The challenge was to not only maintain strong engagement but to expand the event’s reach beyond typical Zoo attendees of families and children, drawing in audiences like millennials and Gen Z.
Blending Nostalgia with Modern Appeal
Schaefer developed creative that embraced a nostalgic, vintage-inspired look—featuring hand-drawn illustrations of iconic Zoo animals seen along the race path. The campaign’s warm color palette of cream, forest green, and pops of orange created a visually striking identity that stood out across all platforms. The tagline and pun, “At Run With Nature,” tied everything together, reinforcing the event’s unique charm and appeal.
Executing a Full-Funnel Media Approach
To ensure the message resonated with the right audiences, we executed a full-funnel media approach, leveraging out-of-home placements, paid search, paid social, email, text, streaming video, and local publication advertising. By starting the campaign earlier than in previous years, we maximized visibility and engagement right from the start.
Capturing Attention and Driving Engagement
The campaign struck a chord with families, fitness enthusiasts, and younger audiences alike. The nostalgic yet fresh creative direction resonated with attendees, while our precisely targeted media strategy guided users seamlessly from awareness to registration. The results? A historic sellout and an overwhelming response from the community. Even more, over 2,000 people indicated via a form on the website that they would have signed up if spots had still been available.
Unprecedented Demand and Community Excitement
Sold out before the early bird deadline—a first in Zoo Run history!
118% to goal for revenue
48% increase YOY in landing page visits
+13% increase YOY in Paid Search clicks, with a 43% CTR
3.24M impressions on Paid Social, with a +63% YoY increase in clicks
Pushing Boundaries Year After Year
Zoo Run 2025 wasn’t just another successful event—it was a record-breaking one. Year after year, Schaefer finds new ways to elevate the campaign, keeping it fresh, engaging, and more effective than ever. After selling out for the first time in 2024, we took it even further in 2025—proving that a bold creative vision and a smart, strategic media plan can drive unparalleled results.
Creative That Captivates, Strategy That Delivers
By blending a standout, retro-inspired creative approach with a meticulously executed media strategy, Schaefer helped Zoo Run achieve its most successful year in 26 years. The combination of visually compelling design and precision targeting didn’t just fill the race—it created excitement, expanded the audience, and set a new benchmark for future events.
Featured Case Study
Racing to New Heights: Historic First Time Sell-Out for Zoo Run 2024
Zoo Run 2024 marked the event’s 25th anniversary, and it was the perfect moment for a creative campaign to bring the excitement of this beloved event to life. The main goals included driving awareness and filling registration spots, with an…
Zoo Ball is the Fort Worth Zoo’s premier fundraising event, bringing donors together for an unforgettable night in support of wildlife conservation. For over a decade, Schaefer has been entrusted with establishing the theme and creating an invitation suite that sets the tone for the event, which includes a save the date, invitation, and auction guide. Every year, Schaefer embraces the opportunity to push creative and production boundaries—ensuring that each year’s invitation surpasses the last.
For 2024, Zoo Ball embraced the energy of Latin nightlife with the theme ¡Bailemos!, a celebration of rhythm, energy, and movement. The challenge was to craft an invitation that didn’t just inform, but immerse, recipients in the event’s vibrancy before they even arrived. The team set out to create a piece that would surprise, delight, and demand attention.
Bringing the Theme to Life Through Design
Rather than a standard invitation, Schaefer envisioned an interactive piece that unfolded like an experience, building intrigue with each layer—just like stepping into a dimly lit nightclub or walking through a forest at dusk. The design needed to be bold yet elegant, moody yet vibrant, immersive yet refined. The black jaguar—mysterious and powerful—became the focal point, symbolizing the intrigue of the night and connecting back to the Zoo’s animals.
To execute this vision, the team developed a multi-layered, tactile print piece using specialty production techniques, custom illustrations, and premium materials. This wasn’t an invitation to simply open—it was meant to be discovered, revealing hidden details as recipients engaged with each element.
A Bold Vision Brought to Life
The final invitation was an experience in itself. A custom-converted envelope introduced the theme with rich illustrations and a soft-touch laminate finish, inviting engagement from the start. Inside, an intricate laser-cut outer shell framed the invitation, offering glimpses of the vivid red interior beneath.
Opening the gatefold invitation, the jaguar’s piercing eyes appeared first through die-cut typography, creating an air of mystery. As recipients unfolded the piece, the full jaguar emerged, surrounded by lush, hand-illustrated foliage in deep blues and greens. Clear foil detailing on the jaguar’s eyes enhanced the dramatic effect, reflecting light as if the animal itself was watching.
Meticulous attention to production ensured the invitation felt as premium as it looked. Schaefer collaborated with expert print partners to perfect paper stocks, die cuts, and layering techniques, using Neenah Classic Crest linen paper and laser die-cut detailing to create a high-end experience that was as stunning to hold as it was to see.
Beyond an Invitation—An Unforgettable Experience
From the moment recipients received it, the invitation sparked intrigue and excitement, mirroring the energy of ¡Bailemos!. The layered unfolding process and striking red interior left a lasting impact, making the invitation more than just an announcement, it became a keepsake. Schaefer’s dedication to precision, storytelling, and craftsmanship ensures that each year’s invitation is more ambitious than the last. Schaefer continues to push the limits of creativity and execution, proving that an invitation can be an experience in itself.
Bringing a Historic Fort Worth Attraction into the Future
The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History unveiled its newly transformed Jane & John Justin Foundation Omni Theater in December 2024, featuring the world’s largest LED dome ever installed in a museum. This state-of-the-art theater boasts an 8K LED display, offering unparalleled visual clarity and a truly immersive experience. The challenge? Generating excitement and ticket sales for a venue that was still under construction, making it difficult to showcase its groundbreaking features to potential visitors. The Museum enlisted Schaefer’s expertise to craft a compelling campaign that would not only captivate audiences, but drive ticket sales ahead of the grand opening.
A Full-Service Approach to a Flawless Launch
From strategic vision to effective execution, Schaefer provided:
Strategy: Developing a go-to-market plan that ensured maximum awareness, engagement, and conversions.
Creative: Concept development, art direction, copywriting, and design to capture the Omni’s brand new, immersive experience.
Media: Media planning, buying, execution, and real-time analytics to optimize performance throughout the campaign.
Creating a Vision for an Unseen Experience
We were challenged with making viewers feel the thrill of the Omni Theater before they could experience it in person. Using AI-generated imagery, we crafted visuals that transported audiences into the other worlds. Paired with compelling headlines like “Don’t Just Watch. Discover.,” we built anticipation and excitement in the market.
Blending Digital Precision with Emotional Storytelling
Through a carefully orchestrated media mix, targeting DFW and outer drive-markets in Texas, we generated strong awareness before ticket sales launched in November. Our full funnel approach combined paid search, social, and targeted publication partnerships in the arts, culture, and family entertainment space to create excitement and drive ticket sales prior to the opening.
Big Impact, Bigger Results
In just over a month, we drove $168,249 in online ticket sales.
Of the total revenue, 39% was driven directly from paid media.
We surpassed Paid Search benchmarks, with 24% higher CTR and a $1.25 lower CPC than the industry standard.
Paid Social generated 4 million impressions, driving massive awareness for the duration of the 4-month campaign.
Publication e-blasts drove open rates as high as 62%, click-through rates up to 20%, and 26K+ clicks across media placements.
More Than Marketing—Creating a Movement
At Schaefer, we don’t just market attractions—we create anticipation, showcase experiences, and drive results. The success of the Jane & John Justin Omni Theater launch proves that a strong blend of storytelling, media strategy, and bold creative can turn any challenge into a success.
Famous for its trailblazing history, Fort Worth still embraces its reputation as a “City of Opportunity.” Quickly becoming an epicenter of growth and innovation, Fort Worth offers an inviting community, talented workforce, and incredibly low cost of living, attracting people and corporations from all over the world looking to move or expand into one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities.
The goal of every city on the rise is to attract new business and talent while strengthening the industries already established. To accomplish that, the City of Fort Worth Economic Development team selected Schaefer as the agency of record for a three-year partnership to create the city’s first-ever economic development and business attraction initiative. The partnership is part of the city’s five-year strategic plan and plays a key role in positioning Fort Worth as a place of purpose where businesses and people can leverage the city’s incredible potential to create the future they want to see.
Goals:
Establish a story that connects Fort Worth’s heritage with its future
Develop a multi-phase, multi-year campaign to drive awareness and attract new business
Highlight Fort Worth’s economic incentives and competitive edge in business, culture and community
Reach key business decision-makers to advance economic development
Elevate Fort Worth on a national and international stage
Foster collaborative conversations between key stakeholders in the public and private sector
We started with a question: what makes Fort Worth and its people so unique? The answer was simple. A pioneering spirit that dated back to the 1800s and still stood strong today. As the first-ever economic development campaign for the city, Schaefer was in a unique position to lead strategy from inception.
We recognized the importance of storytelling in establishing the city’s position in the eyes of our target audiences. A good story would amplify the message, build credibility, create a strong sense of community and offer nuggets of authenticity and purpose that truly make Fort Worth stand out.
Known as the point where the west begins, Fort Worth has always promised possibility, innovation and prosperity. Unlike some of the larger, competitive cities, opportunity isn’t a new promise, it’s woven into the very fabric of Fort Worth. To communicate that, we built messaging around the idea that no matter what you’re looking for — relocation, expansion, opportunity – it can successfully begin in Fort Worth.
Building equity through identity
In order to build equity, Fort Worth Economic Development first needed an identity. We leveraged their voice, tone and values to create an independent identity that was flexible enough to work alongside the city’s existing branding, and strong enough to communicate the impact of their initiatives.
Schaefer then crafted a multi-faceted campaign that unified strategy, creative and media to promote Fort Worth’s business advantages among corporate decision-makers, site selection consultants and local business owners. The campaign further cemented Fort Worth as a city of growth and opportunity, while highlighting its competitive edge as a leader in innovation who works hard to meet the needs of the businesses who chose Fort Worth.
Solution: Fueling growth and connections online
Revamping the website to reflect the new brand campaign was vital to communicate key messaging. As the central platform that business leaders, stakeholders and prospective residents visit to find relevant information about the city, the website confirmed Fort Worth’s proven economic landscape with tangible proof points our audience would find attractive.
With this in mind, we included demographics, workforce statistics and other data points that leverage Fort Worth’s resources against competitor cities. A strategic mix of traditional and digital media, including paid search targeted prospects helped drive traffic back to the website. Knowing our target audience sets and strategically placing ads in places they frequented (in person and online) expanded Fort Worth’s presence on the list of key business destinations in the US.
After 8 months in market, our team identified a list of top engaged companies. The insights we gathered included a list of prospects from target industry sectors with the potential to increase the size of the labor force and generate millions in economic output for the city of Fort Worth. These key insights have helped us to strengthen our marketing approach in more specifically targeting like prospects.
Results
Overall Impact:
31.5+ million impressions delivered, driving substantial visibility across key target markets, including Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and New Jersey, yielding a very strong engagement rate of 38%.
Email Marketing Success:
1.25+ million emails were sent, contributing nearly 40% of total traffic during the campaign’s lifetime.
56% average engagement rate across email campaigns.
31,000 unique clicks generated.
14% Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR), far exceeding the industry average of 2.5%.
Digital Advertising Results:
Paid Search:
Delivered a 7.5% CTR, surpassing industry benchmarks.
Programmatic Display:
Achieved a 0.4% CTR, well above the industry average of 0.05%.
Business Outcome:
Based on these exceptional results, City Leadership approved a 50% year-over-year budget increase for a three-year campaign extension.
Fort Worth continues to receive organic recognition as a top place in the U.S. for starting a business. This is a direct result of the growing widespread awareness of Fort Worth as a great place to live, work, and do business.
Texas ranks as the best workforce in the United States for its highly educated population, high concentration of STEM workers, and robust career education pipeline. – CNBC
DFW ranks as a top U.S. market for new and expanding facilities. – Site Selection
Fort Worth ranks as the #1 Large City in Texas to start a business. It’s also the #7 Best Large City in the United States to start a business based on office-space affordability, labor costs, and five-year business survival rates. – WalletHub
According to Bisnow, Fort Worth has more than $2 billion in projects under development, marking a major milestone in the city’s economic development.
With its new downtown Fort Worth campus, the Texas A&M University System set out to create a lasting legacy of innovation, workforce development, and economic transformation. Schaefer was tasked with creating a campaign that not only communicated this ambitious vision but also inspired a diverse audience of donors, influencers, and industry leaders to take action. The result? A dynamic campaign and communications platform that became the spark that became the spark to ignite progress in North Texas.
Challenge
The Texas A&M–Fort Worth campus initiative was more than just another university project. It represented a bold vision to integrate education, industry, and entrepreneurship under one roof, creating an innovation hub in the heart of one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities.
However, this ambitious vision presented a significant challenge: how do you communicate such a multifaceted initiative to a broad audience, ranging from loyal Aggie alumni to non-affiliated donors, corporate sponsors, and community leaders? Each audience needed a tailored message that spoke to their values while maintaining a unified narrative about the campus’s transformative potential.
Solution
Schaefer helped position this launch and developed a messaging platform and key stone collateral anchored by the theme and a keystone brochure anchored by the theme: “Progress Requires a Spark.” This concept was designed to convey the new campus as a catalyst for transformative change—where education fuels innovation, industry drives economic growth, and collaboration propels Fort Worth into a prosperous future.
This approach positions Texas A&M–Fort Worth as a “once-in-a-lifetime catalyst” that would reshape the local and national economic landscape, making it clear that supporting this initiative was not just an opportunity but a responsibility.
The collateral material was designed not just as an informational piece but as a catalyst for action, inspiring recipients to see themselves as part of Fort Worth’s bright future.
Results
The campaign’s impact was immediate and measurable:
Catalyzing Donations:
In February 2024, the Sid W. Richardson Foundation committed a $2.5 million grant to support engineering programs at Texas A&M–Fort Worth.
In May 2024, the Amon G. Carter Foundation committed $10.75 million to support the construction and development of the Texas A&M–Fort Worth campus.
The Potishman Foundation committed $2 million to the project, a testament to the campaign’s ability to inspire high-level donor engagement.
Community Engagement: The collateral material became a central piece in conversations with local influencers and corporate sponsors, generating excitement and aligning stakeholders around a shared vision.
Momentum for the Future: The campaign laid a strong foundation for continued fundraising efforts, positioning Texas A&M–Fort Worth as a game-changing initiative for North Texas.
Conclusion
The Texas A&M–Fort Worth campaign is a prime example of the power of storytelling to inspire action. By crafting a narrative that was equal parts ambitious and accessible, Schaefer helped turn a bold vision into a tangible reality.
The new campus stands as a beacon of progress for Fort Worth and beyond, proving that with the right spark, anything is possible. As Texas A&M–Fort Worth continues to take shape, it will undoubtedly become a cornerstone of innovation, education, and economic growth for generations to come.
Menninger Clinic, a nationally ranked mental health facility, first asked Schaefer to help develop a patient-facing campaign. However, business conditions quickly shifted and the team agreed the best strategic approach was to target HCPs. This provider audience needed to understand Menninger’s complex service offering and its value as an in- or out-patient treatment facility for mental health services. Schaefer stepped in to concisely communicate and highlight the factors that differentiated Menninger among a broad audience of mental health professionals and referrers.
Goals
Develop a simplified and streamlined brand messaging that resonates with professionals
Cut through the clutter of a crowded communications landscape
Drive awareness and website traffic and, ultimately, requests for information
Strategy
Focusing on the big picture and keeping long-term objectives in mind, Schaefer formulated creative that promoted Menninger’s ‘path for every patient’ in the complex field of mental health. Messaging centered on the nuances and differentiating factors of the client’s service offering.
From there, our team crafted an eight-month media strategy designed to maximize the client’s budget and resources and reach a new audience of providers.
Solution
The campaign integrated digital, online, print, display, and social media elements to reach key audiences that were most likely to convert. The use of highly targeted media – such as electronic medical record (EMR) display ads that reached providers at a point of engagement when referring would be top of mind and media that targeted prescribers of specific medications – ensured that Menninger would get through to the right people.
In addition, the creative humanized a very complex and critical subject matter, building a messaging platform that also supported Menninger’s long-term growth and evolution goals.
The effort launched during Mental Health Awareness month to leverage the audience’s heightened interest in mental health issues and solutions.
Results
Almost immediately after launch, the campaign met or exceeded all performance goals. Over the duration of this 11- month campaign, our efforts generated:
Over 62,000 unique new users
Engaged over 197,000 targeted providers
Drove 191 direct primary conversions
The rapid and directly attributable results stand as proof that the campaign delivered a relevant message to the right audience.
Summary
Our work for Menninger illustrates the importance of understanding the messages that will best resonate with the target audience. It is a clear demonstration of the importance of getting the right message to the right people at the right time – when they are highly receptive and most likely to respond.
Icon Golf is a premier luxury golf and travel club that offers its members exclusive access to some of the world’s most prestigious courses and destinations. With a focus on camaraderie and unparalleled experiences, Icon Golf provides a white-glove touch that transcends traditional golf memberships. The organization prides itself on creating a community where members can enjoy the finest in golf, travel, and connect with like-minded individuals.
Despite its exceptional offerings, Icon Golf faced challenges in effectively communicating its unique value to potential members. The existing website needed an update that improved UX and better aligned with the luxury aesthetic the brand embodies. Additionally, the absence of a member portal created a segmented experience for both prospective and existing members. Icon Golf partnered with Schaefer to develop a comprehensive digital solution that would enhance membership sales and streamline internal operations.
Goals
Develop a clear positioning strategy
Improve web navigation, responsiveness, and intuitiveness
Update the design to align with the luxury and sophistication of the brand
Unify the member experience through a member portal
Streamline the conversion funnel by integrating CRM platforms and Hubspot
Approach
Schaefer designed a visually stunning website that instantly connects visitors with the brand’s lifestyle and identity. We began by formulating a clear positioning statement that emphasized Icon Golf’s unique selling proposition, highlighting the camaraderie and exclusive experiences offered. This foundational messaging was crafted to resonate with the target audience and integrated across all communications for a synergistic effect.
As the primary gateway for potential members, the site was developed with intuitive navigation and responsiveness across all devices, ensuring shorter paths to essential information and a better user experience. The dark color palette and sleek typography elevate the brand’s luxe feel, while high-quality imagery showcases the more intangible benefits of membership, like adventure and connection. Engaging visuals further focus on Icon Golf’s four key offerings, piquing curiosity and encouraging deeper exploration.
To unify the user experience, we equipped the website with a robust member portal platform. This enhancement allows for seamless interaction, improved communication, and personalized content for members.
On the backend, we improved internal operations by integrating the website with Icon Golf’s CRM system, HubSpot. This update streamlined the sales funnel, automated prospecting efforts, and improved internal efficiencies.
Results
The new website’s intuitive design and navigation led to longer visit durations and higher engagement rates, effectively communicating the brand’s value proposition to potential and current members.
66.9% increase in sessions
68.3% increase in engaged sessions
62.8% increase in new users
By integrating the website with HubSpot and the new member portal, we were able to streamline internal processes and reduce the time and cost spent on manual updates, allowing the Icon Golf team to focus on enhancing member experiences.
In the summer of 2023, the Fort Worth Zoo unveiled its highly anticipated Predators of Asia & Africa habitat, a stunning new home for lions, tigers and other apex predators. Partnering with the Zoo, we embarked on a mission to build excitement and drive attendance for this remarkable attraction in advance of the opening and throughout the following year.
Situation
Schaefer recommended a comprehensive campaign to promote the Fort Worth Zoo’s new exhibit, aiming to re-engage guests and boost summer attendance. The lions and tigers, which are visitor favorites, had been off-exhibit during construction, and it was crucial to highlight their return alongside the introduction of new species.
Our Approach
We began with a collaborative naming exercise, unifying the two distinct sections of the habitat under one name, Predators of Asia & Africa. This cohesive identity set the stage for our creative strategy. From there, our team developed bold visuals that captured the fierce essence of the animals. The campaign featured striking imagery of lions and tigers, with claw-mark graphics to grab attention and convey the powerful nature of the predators.
The “Feast Your Eyes” headline led the campaign, playing on both the predatory nature of the animals and newly enhanced visibility of the experience This was complemented by headlines such as “The Pride Has Returned” and “On the Prowl Again,” emphasizing the return of the big cats. Equal focus was given to lions and tigers based on years of visitor data showing their popularity. We highlighted these hero animals to capture attention and strategically showcased additional species to convey the habitat’s diversity and breadth. This approach used the hero animals to attract interest and the variety of animals to convince visitors to explore the new exhibit.
We generated excitement with teaser billboards that featured the claw marks and a “Coming Soon” message, quickly followed by the launch of an omnichannel campaign designed to captivate and engage. The Schaefer team employed a full-funnel media strategy, ensuring broad awareness and driving conversions through a mix of paid search, social media, programmatic display and video ads, email, and SMS texts. This comprehensive approach maximized our reach and engagement.
Results
Over one million landing page sessions, indicating high engagement and interest.
28% click-through rate on paid social, showcasing the effectiveness of our targeted ads.
42% year-over-year attendance growth, a testament to the campaign’s success in attracting visitors.
Our campaign for the Fort Worth Zoo’s Predators of Asia & Africa was a resounding success. By combining strategic creativity with a targeted media approach, we effectively highlighted the return of the Zoo’s beloved big cats and introduced new species, driving significant increases in attendance and revenue, and elevating the Zoo’s profile within the DFW metroplex and beyond. This project not only celebrated the Zoo’s commitment to conservation and education but also reinforced its position as a premier destination for family fun and learning.
