A Cornerstone of the Fort Worth Zoo
Membership is one of the backbones of the Fort Worth Zoo—fueling conservation efforts, enriching guest experiences, and ensuring the Zoo remains a world-class attraction. But driving membership growth isn’t just about listing perks; it’s about creating an emotional connection that makes people want to be part of something bigger.
At the start of 2024, Schaefer Advertising launched new creative for the Membership campaign designed to increase awareness, drive engagement, and boost both new memberships and renewals. With ambitious goals and a highly competitive digital landscape, the challenge was clear: how do we communicate the full value of a membership in a way that is concise, eye-catching, and actionable?
Compelling Creative Built for Every Platform
To captivate potential members, we developed a simple yet powerful creative concept: Members Zoo More. This central idea wasn’t just a tagline—it was a clever turn of phrase that encapsulated all the incredible benefits of membership in a way that was fresh, fun, and deeply engaging. Across different channels, we brought the message to life:
- Members Zoo More for friends – emphasizing guest passes and memory making.
- Members Zoo More across the U.S. – showcasing benefits you can find at other zoos nationwide.
- Members Zoo More for conservation – reinforcing the direct impact members have on wildlife conservation.
The campaign was designed to be as dynamic as the Zoo itself, using bold colors, playful typography, and stunning imagery that immersed audiences in the marvel of membership. But great creative is only half the battle. To ensure maximum reach and impact, we deployed a full-funnel media strategy, spanning:
- Paid search
- Paid social
- Streaming video
- Display
- Email marketing
- Print and out-of-home
- Publication-sponsored content
We also took a strategic, always-on approach—adjusting our flighting throughout the year based on seasonal trends, to reach potential members when they were most likely to convert.
Stronger Engagement, More Members, Bigger Impact
The campaign delivered measurable, year-over-year (YoY) success:
- 287% increase in page sessions
- 198% increase in new users
- 8.1 million impressions from paid social (61% increase YoY)
- 4% increase YoY in total members
- 6% increase YoY in total membership revenue
Perhaps the most telling stat? New users to the Zoo’s membership page skyrocketed from 452 in December 2023 to 4,454 in January 2024. A clear indicator that our fresh creative and strategic media approach was hitting the mark.
At Schaefer, we don’t just create ads—we craft campaigns that move the needle. By combining bold, audience-driven creative with a media strategy designed for impact, we helped the Fort Worth Zoo turn awareness into action. The Members Zoo More campaign is proof that when storytelling meets strategy, the results speak for themselves.
