We’re all (not) going to the Zoo tomorrow, so donate to the animals you love

A joint team from =mc consulting and Edinburgh Zoo had begun working on a project to improve visitor income onsite. But in March 2020 the Zoo had to shut because of the Covid and so the team decided to pivot and respond to the emerging situation, applying some simple behavioural principles to an emergency online appeal. The appeal raised £500K in the first three months. Appeal donations continued for the rest of the year, reaching a total of £1.3M by May 2021, more than 65 times the amount raised in 2019. Most of this came in small donations, with an average gift of £29.

This blog explains what we did and how it worked.

What we originally wanted to do

The original collaboration between =mc consulting and the Zoo involved a beautifully designed series of experiments which would:

• Increase awareness that the Zoo is a charity in need of support by offering appropriate nudges on the visitor journey.
• Persuade more visitors to opt for gift aid and/or membership of the Zoo, rather than simply paying a one-time entry fee.
• Engage more visitors to make gifts for conservation work in a variety of ways – especially through larger gifts and legacies.

The basic framework for the project was developed over a number of weeks – going from initial web contact to visiting the entrance foyer, moving though the Zoo, and exiting… via the giftshop. This project was based on behavioural science and designed in a series of workshops and onsite research. At each point in the journey there were a number of ‘nudges’ designed to encourage various kinds of behaviour. For example, at different animal enclosures there would be the names and images of other visitors who had supported the Zoo with a gift, and a Call to Action to do the same. The image nudge was to normalise the action.

We had just competed the preparation for this work and were about to test the initiatives in March 2020 when the impact of the coronavirus pandemic hit the UK and a lockdown was announced. At this point the Zoo, like all ‘non-essential’ organisations, had to go into the first of a number of visitor-free periods. ‘Visitor free’ was a serious challenge for the Zoo since almost all of its income came from ticket buyers.

We had to very quickly pivot around a new purpose and completely redesign the approach and focus. There were three drivers underpinning the change:

• Visitor numbers dropped off early with concerns about virus transmission. And then Government restrictions meant the Zoo had to close completely. No visitors=No income!
• While the Zoo could access some furlough funds, take out loans, and use reserves, this was not enough. The animals had still to be cared for and fed. So more or less full running costs.
• The demographic of Zoo visitors is not that of ‘conventional’ charity donors. Many visitors saw the Zoo as an attraction, not as a good cause to support. I’m a customer not a donor.

There was a very real financial crisis.

The tiny fundraising team – only three – led by Celia Brady, did a great job approaching foundations, institutions and corporate supporters. But, of course, there was enormous competition for these funds from other charities and other visitor attractions such as theatres, museums, botanical gardens and more. Generating unrestricted income was urgent, and the only channel available to do that was online. The challenge was to identify people who cared about the Zoo and the animals even while they were unable to visit in person.

Some background about Zoos

Zoos are unusual. Some are animal sanctuaries or even private visitor parks. Many of the largest, like Edinburgh, see themselves as conservation agencies and are registered as charities or not for profits. However, as indicated above, they make most of their money as visitor attractions. As such:

• They charge visitors a transactional ‘market’ rate for each entrance – but are keen to sell the idea of membership based on a regular subscription which helps guarantee income.
• They have to maximise income at key times of year – in Scotland, typically the spring and summer months when the weather is kinder.
• While they are there, visitors are encouraged to make add on purchases: to eat in Zoo cafes and purchase gifts and souvenirs from the Zoo shop.

The visitor demographics of Edinburgh Zoo are interesting. Many visitors are not from the affluent middle classes who might typically visit, and perhaps support, a cultural attraction. Most see coming as ‘a day out with the kids.’ Most don’t know the Zoo is a charity. Few donate during their visit.

Going back to our new approach, our first idea was to launch a Save Our Zoo campaign – playing to the potential loss and urgency heuristics well established in behavioural science. This kind of ‘existential loss’ campaign was a tactic that two other major zoos, London and Chester, adopted. However senior leadership in the RZSS made an early policy decision not to say the Zoo itself was at risk of closure. We had to live with that.

We decided to develop alternative ideas for a campaign. Since the team was familiar with the MINDSPACE model we used this to scope out the key messages we might consider. We developed ideas through series of Zoom calls and emails. Below is a brief introduction to the framework, followed by an outline of our initial thinking.