innovations in membership - aza 2016 session

Innovations in Membership

Friday, September 9

MODERATOR:Dana Hines, President and CEO, Membership Consultants, Inc.

PANELISTS: John Lewis, Director of Membership & Guest Experience, Franklin Park Zoo

Rosie Siemer, CEO, FIVESEED

Donna Powell, Business and Administrative Manager, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium

Jeff Spitko, Director of Membership, San Diego Zoo

Adding Digital to the Membership Marketing MixCampaigns that Complement your Traditional Tools

John Lewis, Director of Membership & Guest Experience

Background

• 2014: Focused on email list building– From 29,545 in 2014 to 90,595 active subscribers in

2016 • 2015: Aggressively added email marketing• 2016: Added digital to membership acquisition– 16,989 member households

Challenge: Closed major exhibit for construction and decrease in attendance

Campaign Overview & Goals

• Display ads included behavioral targeting, website retargeting, and CRM retargeting

• Carried direct mail promotion into digital campaign – Save up to $20, plus get two FREE guest admission

tickets• Establish a baseline for using digital marketing

for membership• Implement best practices for multi-channel

Creative

Landing Page

• Full customization of layout• Join and Save! Button• Nothing to do but click!

• Highlight “Best Value”• Emphasize savings

• Grand opening messaging

Results

FY2014 FY2015 FY2016 12,500

13,000

13,500

14,000

14,500

15,000

15,500

16,000

16,500

17,000

17,500

Membership Households

• 583 view through conversions • 12% growth in membership revenue

Next Steps

• Re-invest in display ads for grand opening of Children’s Zoo/Zoo Lights

• Gift membership campaign• Social media contest with co-branded partner

Digital DNAEmail, Digital and Social Membership Innovation

Rosie Siemer, CEO, FIVESEED

Background

San Antonio Zoo• 1 Million Annual Visitation • 23K Members• Winter 2015: ZooLights, Giraffes

Challenge: Grow gift memberships and increase revenue during holiday season

Campaign Overview

2015 Holiday Gift Membership Campaign• Digital advertising and social media• Email to in-house audiences• Cyber Monday• Giving Tuesday: Adopt-an-Animal• Content Stories

Creative

Creative

Results

• 1.4% CTR on Facebook• 230 view through conversions• 122% increase in membership revenue• Established baseline for digital

marketing

Background

Saint Louis Zoo• Free Zoo• New Polar Bear, Kali• Summer 2015: Expanded Email and Email

Append

Challenge: Allocate new budget toward additional channel late season; missing member email addresses

Campaign Overview

• Expanded email reached 50,000 new prospects• 4x deployment over a 2 month period• Email append to 100k records in member

database

Creative

Results

• ROI of $5.93 for Expanded Email Program

• 357 NEW members; 626 total memberships

• 30% increase in member email addresses

(Opt-In Rate = 99%)

• Estimated value between $1.00 and $1.06 per opt-in

email (ROI ≈ $4.00)

Loyalty and Mission: Enhancing the Visitor-Member Experience for a Good Cause!

Donna Powell, Business and Administrative Manager

• Collectively, 21,000+ member households• 35% have a combo membership for both parks• 62% renewal rates• Using the member base for loyalty program to

provide a controled group to test success

Challenge: Looking to drive new revenue for us and our partners, and having a way to connect and measure engagement in our conservation programming

Background

• Support mission• Motivate behavior • Encourage repeat visitation and boost

engagement • Capture valuable data• Understand passions and interests• Reward members• Keep the institution top of mind

Why Loyalty?

• Rapid adoption of social media • Always connected; multi-device• Seek instant gratification • Desire rewards that emphasize experiential

benefits• 80% will choose an organization with a loyalty

program

Millennials care about “belonging,” “supporting,” and “impact.”

Millennials

Integrates with:–Ticketing–Food & Beverage–Merchandise–Social media–Email–Mobile app–Website–CRM/Data warehouse

The Glue

• Visitors Services• Membership• Marketing• Development • Retail• Food and Beverage• Curatorial• Programming and Education

Conservation Engagement

Who Contributes

Point Defiance Zoo and Northwest Trek

Enticing, Upgrading and Nurturing your Members and Donors

Jeff Spitko, Director of Membership, San Diego Zoo

$50 $125

$170 $199

$5,000

$1,000

$300 $500

$2,500

$10,000

• Approximately 500,000 members • Membership structure includes 10 tiers

Challenge: San Diego Zoo Global’s membership program spans 10 levels. One for children, one annual pass, 4 mid-level donor groupings, and 4 major gift levels.

Upgrading presented a challenge due to the labeling of the introductory mid-level membership titled Diamond Club. The positioning presented a communication challenge due to members assuming the label made it more prestigious.

Background

$50 $125

$170 $199

$5,000

$1,000

$300 $500

$2,500

$10,000

$50

$50 $125

$170 $199

$5,000

$1,000

$300 $500

$2,500

$10,000

$50 $125

$170 $199

$5,000

$1,000

$300 $500

$2,500

$10,000

$50 $125

$170 $199

$5,000

$1,000

$300 $500

$2,500

$10,000

Onsite Fundraising

MODERATOR:Dana Hines, Membership Consultants, Inc. dana@membership-consultants.com

PANELISTS: John Lewis, Franklin Park Zoo jlewis@zoonewengland.com

Rosie Siemer, FIVESEED rosie@fiveseed.com

Donna Powell, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium donna.powell@nwtrek.com

Jeff Spitko, San Diego Zoo jspitko@sandiegozoo.org