Indianapolis Zoo

RESEARCHERS:

ELLIE ATCHLEY
KATE GOLDING
CELESTE ALEXANDER
MARY JAMES
J382: MEDIA RESEARCH AND CONSUMER BEHAVIORS
BALL STATE UNIVERSITY
APRIL 23, 2015

to determine the correlation of activism and low attendance in zoos. However, we had
trouble determining what Millennials thought would help bring in higher attendance from
their generation. To find out what Millennials wanted from zoos, we used a combination
of research methods including focus groups, surveys and interviews, in addition to
secondary research.

Introduction

Studying the Millennial population was effective in collecting the data we needed

Problem Statement

Decline in attendance and engagement by the general public. WHY?

Public opinions (especially those of Millennials) of zoos and aquatic

parks have been on the decline due to the ethical questions of animals
in captivity

Communication failure

Main demographic for primary visitors is women and new mothers

between the ages 25 to 35 who are more engaged in the entertainment
value of the zoo, rather than the educational value

SWOT
Strengths

Weaknesses

- Empowers community

- Lack of hands-on educational opportunities

- Animal conservation efforts

- Limited number of paired animals

- Nations largest privately funded zoo

- Limited media communication regarding conservation efforts

- Rides, shows, entertainment options

- Limited reach of culturally diverse audiences

- Provides educational family and youth experiences

- Limited technology integration

Opportunities

Threats

- Teachers and student field trips

- Competition from museums, theaters and exhibits in the area

- Reaching the Millennial Generation

- Analytical media (Blackfish documentary etc.)

- More relevant event sponsorship within the community

- Increasingly critical view of zoos by society

- Host events catered to the Indianapolis community

- Project funding issues

- Strategic business partnerships

Internal Factors

- Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram coverage

- Recently in the news for the orangutan exhibit and for using 100% green power
- Orangutan exhibit named the winner of the 2014 Indiana Innovation Award
Industry Data & Trends
- Zoos are becoming more interactive with a shift toward issue-based content
- Future trends include the use of handheld devices for increased audience interaction
- Digital displays
Stakeholders
- Individuals who purchase tickets to attend the zoo
- List of staff donors, contributors, companies

External Factors

Media Coverage

Audience Analysis
Demographics
- Primarily women, ages 25-35 with a HHI of $50,000-$75,000
- Families with children
- Indiana has over 6,000,000 residents and Indianapolis has over 800,000, with 24.1% under the age
of 18
Personality Preferences
- Consumers want to continue the zoo experience with their own families as they grow
- Couples come to the zoo to share the experience together
- Many individuals interested in conservation come to experience the zoo

Secondary Research
Keywords For

Role of Communication Efforts on Education and Conservation Perception :

Education- Millennials value and require the educational aspects of zoos to combat the negative stigma they
currently hold. With the release of documentaries such as Blackfish, education should play an important part.

Conservation- Zoo conservation efforts happen behind the scenes, so people are unaware of these efforts
unless they actively seek out information.

Public Awareness of Indianapolis Zoo:

Millennial Perceptions-The Millennial generation is at the forefront of the environmental conscious movement

Social Awareness- The Millennial generation values social awareness and is the leading force in many cause
marketing efforts.

Demographics:

Donors- The Indianapolis zoo relies heavily on donors both from individuals and corporations. It remains the
largest privately funded zoo in the country.

Consumers-The zoo attracts individuals and families both locally and nationally. In 2014 it experienced record
breaking attendance.

Methods of Choice
Focus group
Interviews
Surveys

Protocal
Held in focus group conference room
Integrated a gender diversification protocol

Why we did it
Utilized a variety of research methods to capture opinions in a variety of formats.
Focus groups can provide a more comfortable environment for participants who feel at
ease about sharing ideas with others

How we did it
Comprised of 8 females and 6 males
Used an icebreaker to familiarize the group members with one another
Presented questions in a funnel format

Focus Group

Interviews

Protocal
Interviewed participants in an ethnographic setting
Started every interview with same questions

Why we did it
To gain greater insights that were uncovered during the focus group
Strengthen the reliability of data
Give new insights

How we did it
Interview took place at library participants living room and Starbucks
Comprised of 4 women and 2 men
Ages range from 21-28

Surveys

Protocol
Handed out a specific set of questions after the focus group was concluded
Had participants put age, gender and name on survey

Why we did it
Provide insights into why people perceive things the way they do and how that impacts
their viewpoints
Used surveys to narrow questions that we deemed as more important

How we did it
Participants were between the ages of 19 and 22
Face-to-face survey method

Study Population

Study Population

Millennials: anyone that is born between

1980-1999

Study Population

Local Millennials and tourist

Millennials
in the
Indianapolis
area, area
Millennials
ingreater
the greater
Indianapolis
both local and tourist
Diverse Population
Studying
a diverse subset of the group allows us to apply the

results
to theand
whole
population.
Both Male
Female

Sample group selected based on:

Age
Ethnic background
Geographic location

We used quota sampling to gather the sample group for this survey
We also chose people that were from different locations, so there was no
chance of bias towards the Indianapolis area

Sampling & Recruitment Strategies

Survey Questionnaire
For this survey, we utilized the Likert scale to collect insights from respondents

Psychographic Questions
Demographic Questions
Used to review and
triangulate the demographic
data of the tested
population to gain
information on specific
population.

Motivational Identification
Questions
Likert Scale Questions:
Used to find what motivates
and encourages Millennials
to continue to attend zoos
and what aspects will
further an increase in
attendance.

Used to determine how our

target audience receives
information and help
determine the best mediums
to connect with our target
audience.
Also used to determine what
experiences our audience
has in regard to zoos and
aquariums and how they
have reacted to
documentaries, like
Blackfish.

Research Findings
Original Research Problem: Lack of
attendance due to poor perceptions of
animal captivity in zoos and aquariums
Formulated Research Problem: The gap in
attendance is due to the lack of Millennial
participation in zoos and aquariums
because of the ambiguous and almost nonexistent communication to this generation

Proposal
Goal
Regain the declining public opinion held by Millennials
Achieve the mission to empower the community by advancing marine and land animal conservation
Strategy
Increase communications targeted at Millennials, informing them of the work the Indy Zoo does
Enhance the opportunity for a more educational and interactive experiences while at the Indianapolis Zoo
Create programs that specifically target the average consumer
Educate the public on the Zoos ethical practices to improve perception