Working closely with the Oakland Zoo’s Marketing Director and a marketing expert on the board, I designed and conducted a large-scale Visitor Satisfaction and Marketing research study. We examined familiarity with the institution, visit motivations and patterns, visit highlights, membership participation, membership and programming preferences, and satisfaction with the institution and the membership program. Studies included structured interviews and self-completed surveys with visitors on-site. We also made use of the Zoo’s relationship with a local radio station to promote an online survey to the public throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. In total, over 2,800 respondents participated. Findings provided management with a vast amount of detailed information about how the public, visitors, and members perceive of and use the Zoo. The nuanced understanding of people’s motivations to buy or not to buy a Zoo membership, which this research provided for management, has informed their marketing efforts.

Visit Museum