Congratulations on being selected as BluePRint agency’s client for this semester. We are excited to provide our services and knowledge in strategic communications to better pinpoint the audience and recognition of the North Carolina Zoological Park.  We plan to present the strategic communications campaign in the Reynolds School here at the University of Nevada on Tuesday December 10, 2013 at 3 p.m. Professor Felts will be in contact with you shortly to help facilitate your travel. Also, it would be wonderful if Dr. David Jones would be able to make this trip.  During the presentation we will provide you a few things. - An overview our research and suggested techniques to implement at the NC Zoo - A copy of the presentation - Contact information of our team to provide additional assistance afterwards- Electronic versions of all social media strategies, press releases, and other ways to engage your audiences. Over the past month we have conducted multiple types of research about the NC Zoo. We believe these key facts create a unique position for the NC Zoo to communicate its messages because they are coming from a large, well-established organization with support from a government entity. Quick Facts: NC Zoo is the largest walk-through zoo in the world.One of two state owned zoos nationwide.First zoo in America to incorporate the “natural habitat” philosophy.Home to over 1,100 animals from more than 250 species; 48 of those species are critically endangered.Part of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural resources. 

emo

To: NC ZooFrom: Nick Gapp, etcDate: October 29, 2013Re: Research

M

Picture/Graph

2

We have pinpointed three key pieces of research which will be crucial in aiding the NC Zoo. These three pieces of research revolve around one idea, the conservation efforts. We have also found that will play a key role in aiding the NC Zoo: 1. Engage with conservation advocates Conservation advocates are writers, conservation programs, leading scholars, the NC zoo society, and the international conservation staff in Africa, and other parts of the world. The NC Zoo has both regional and international conservation efforts. Regionally, you work to improve the quality of the environment and health of the state through a number of activities. For example, conducting field surveys of hellbender salamanders in Western North Carolina with the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission will allow a better understanding of the amount of salamanders in the state so you can begin to investigate causes of population decline.  Internationally, you work to protect animal habitats in the Savannas of tropical Africa to the tundra of arctic Canada. For example, the conservation research on the Cross River gorilla works to develop a geographic information system for conservation. This will provide tools and training to allow for better protection of the population. Working directly with people who live in the area and internationally, your programs promote conservation through the protection and management of wildlife and wild places. You also encourage people to get involved by planned giving. You reach to people for donations and support and are willing to work with them financially as well.   The NC Zoo has both regional and international conservation programs where they communicate with advocates in order to succeed in their efforts to protect wildlife and wild places. People who write about conservation efforts on a regional and international level. This is a story that is best told by the advocates of the NC Zoo; having them share your story.To improve, the NC Zoo should communicate with conservation advocates, Scientists, researchers, bloggers, and other individuals linked to social media sites to let them know what they can do to help in their efforts. They should connect with collegiate at the University, people who want to write about their efforts and people who want to learn more about their conservation program. 

3

2. Sharing achievements, recognition and your story  We believe the NC Zoo could be getting more national and international recognition. In our research we found many zoological conservation awards the NC Zoo should apply for. By applying for awards you will be sharing your brand with different societies, scholars, and media outlets. The top two pages of stories on Google and other search engines were either about the death or birth of animals. When we searched other zoos, for example the San Diego Zoo, we found that the main website links were: their website, Trip Advisor, Wikipedia and a story about one of their panda bears. The main media outlets focusing on the animal death stories were national news organizations. For example, Fox News and CNN, within the past year, have only written stories about animals passing away.  To gain more of a national and international awareness about conservation efforts the NC Zoo should be applying to at least twenty awards per year. The zoo should apply to awards that have to do with their national and international conservation efforts. There is a lot going on with the zoo that could be shared with the public. When we searched reviews for the NC Zoo on Yelp! and Google we found one of the main things discussed were how much your visitors enjoyed your conservation efforts.  

4

One Yelp! review said, “the habitats particularly for the large North American and African animals is superb. They have plenty of room to roam, as they should. Also like the Sonoran habitat. They almost do too great a job of providing natural habitats.” We believe capitalizing on the conservation efforts will gain you more awareness and help you show off your achievements, nationally and internationally.

We plan to help you overcome this problem by creating a list of awards to apply for, giving application advice, further development of media lists and developing a relationship with media outside of North Carolina.  3. Become a primary “Conservation Destination”     You’re park does not only have endless fun for families, but it is undeniably one of the biggest drivers for conservation. We propose that you combine these two ideas in order to draw attention from two kinds of audiences. The zoo offers a wide range of family friendly activities, as well as beautiful hiking trails around the park.  We don’t only want conservation advocates to find your key successes but also to engage visitors who come out to the NC Zoo with a conservation perspective and leaves with a greater appreciation for wildlife of the world. The park has a strong presence with the state, but it lacks a strong regional presence. Family reviews of the park enjoy the breadth of animal exhibits, and are surprised by the amount of conservation knowledge they took away from the experience. For example, expanding the “Zoo Filez” to new platforms and educational outlets could get others to begin sharing your conservation message. We need to bring the conservation and family fun aspect to the same level, and then connect it with popular sites, articles, and bloggers who will promote the zoo’s message beyond the state. To become this “Conservation Destination”, The NC Zoo must fully engulf itself in the idea of conservation and sharing the story; expanding beyond the bubble to educate. The fact is, The NC Zoo could be leading the world in conservation efforts but without these messages being solidified across the web and on key social media sites, your hard-work is in vain. Our recommendation will help you unearth existing successes while showing efforts that are easily optimized, shared and publicized.We believe that the primary audience include scientists, researchers, bloggers, scholars and advocates – these people who lead the discussions on conservation. We believe that with the right communication and relationship building they will begin to tell your story for you and create examples that will resonate across the internet.

 

5

 These stories and awards will then appeal to a secondary audience. Many families look for outings that reflect their own values of sustainability, environmental awareness, and conservation. Essentially, we know that using the primary audience to speak to the secondary on your behalf could have tremendous benefit to the NC Zoo We would like to get your feedback on these initial points of research to begin building a successful campaign around conservation efforts. Our team’s account executive will be contacting you shortly to set up a meeting (via phone or video conference). If you have any comments or questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact us.  We are looking forward working with you and we’re confident that our partnership will prove to be a success and overall an improvement to the North Carolina Zoo experience. Thank you.Sincerely, Katie Moses, Account Executive & (share something personal about yourself so they “know” us)Topher Cuellar,Danielle Christensen,Nick Gapp,XXXXX,XXXXX,  SHARING ACHIEVEMNETS, RECOGNITION, AND YOUR STORYCONSERVATION EFFORTS“GAIN A LARGER FOLLOWING THROUGH MORE RECOGNITION, THERFORE, HELPING US SPREAD OUR STORY”“THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND SHARE OUR STORY IN THEIR OWN UNIQUE WAY TO THOSE WHO MAY NOT UNDERSTAND”“WE SHARE OUR STORIES & GET RECOGNIZED FROM THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND”BECOME A PRIMARYCONSERVATION DESTINATIONENGAGECONSERVATION ADVOCATES