CASE ANALYSIS I: CINCINNATI ZOO and BOTANICAL GARDEN

Company Background:

The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden is one of the most popular attractions and a Top
Zoo for Children according to Parent’s Magazine. Each year, more than 1.3 million people
visits its 71-acre site, which is home to more than 500 animal and 3000 plants species.
Although the Zoo is a non-profit organization and is partially subsidized by Hamilton County,
more than two-thirds of its $26 M annual budget s generated through its own fundraising
efforts.

Cincinnati Zoo takes pride in the fact that it has the lowest public subsidy of any zoo in Ohio
and generates more than two thirds of its $26M annual budget through its own fundraising
efforts. In challenging economic conditions, the Zoo wanted to reduce its reliance on
subsidies even further by increasing visitor attendance and revenues from secondary
sources such as membership, food and retail outlets. This would secure the Zoo’s future and
enable it to continue its pioneering work in conversation, preservation and research.

Currently, Cincinnati Zoo makes use of four separate legacy point-of-sale systems with a
single platform to provide data on all admission, membership, retail and food service sales.
To monitor the number of visitors in certain areas, the zoo staff members make their rounds
to observe.

You have been hired by Cincinnati Zoo to provide them a solution that will enable them
achieve their business objectives.

Business Objectives:

 Increase attendance and revenues by enhancing the customer experience for each
visitor.
 Boost sales for food and retail outlets through more effective marketing and
promotions.
 Optimize labor cost by gaining a better understanding of demand patterns throughout
the year.
 Maximize the workforce by identifying areas of the park that are in need of more staff.

QUESTIONS:

1. What are the problems with the existing system of the Cincinnati Zoo?

ANSWER:

The problems with the existing system of the Cincinnati Zoo are the absence of a
central information system. Zoo is an industry that is very weather-dependent. The
executives only had a limited understanding of what was going on in the zoo on a
daily basis. Developing concepts and techniques to lower costs and boost revenue
from areas including purchases, food and retail outlets, admissions, membership,
and product control. According to the point-of-sale system, only the administration
may evaluate it without taking into account the fact that the zoo's employees are
unable to obtain the information they need to make wiser operational
decisions. Finally, the goal they are aiming to achieve is also not typically for a non-
profit organization; rather, it is something related to mid-market enterprises.
According to (Animal Welfare, Blog, Conservation, Zoos & Parks, 2014), The three
 main facets of conservation that zoos focus on are practice, advocacy, and research.
Captive breeding, species reintroduction initiatives, species survival plans, and the
utilization of zoo earnings for conservation initiatives in the wild are all examples of
conservation practices. Public involvement, awareness-building, stewardship
advocacy, and fundraising activities are all part of conservation advocacy. The
"Adopt an Animal" program at the majority of contemporary zoos is an excellent
example of the latter. Additionally, zoos produce publications on animal care and
captivity, and conservation research is undertaken on wildlife biology, population
dynamics, animal behavior, health, and welfare.

2. What are the data that are available to the Zoo management and staff?

ANSWER: The data that are available to the Zoo management and staff are the area
of the zoo, number of visitors, and current financial status of the zoo. The Cincinnati
Zoo uses four different historical point-of-sale systems on a single platform to offer
data on all admission, membership, shop, and food service sales. The data is
available to the zoo management. Furthermore, more than two-thirds of its $26
million annual budget is generated through its own fundraising efforts. Staff from the
zoo make their rounds to observe. As per (Zoo Management, Zoo Marketing, 2019),
being financially dependent on visitors is the challenge that all zoos encounter. Zoos
still need to draw enough repeat visitors in order to remain open despite the fact that
society values them as important organizations for wildlife protection.

3. How can these data be used to help the following perform their work better to
achieve the business objectives of the Cincinnati Zoo?
a. Zoo Administrator

Zoo administrators will have an overview on the things that should be focused
on the zoo. As stated by (Zoo Management, Zoo Marketing, 2019), there are
many chances for zoos to develop sustainable practices as a result of the recent
wave of conservationist pressure on larger zoos. Administrators on the zoo will
focus on the main objectives as well as considering other factors such as making
the zoo have a greener business practice. The information on having a point-of-
sale system would assist the Zoo's management in easily surveying the deals
and incomes. They could create a behavioral pattern based on their visitors'
records.

b. Zoo Staff

Zoo staff will be able to set their proper expectations not only on improving
the current state of the zoo but also aid in providing new ways that will make the
management achieve the goals for the zoo. Some of the ways a zoo staff can do
includes educational and informative programs, particularly those involving
children, are ideal approaches to strike a balance between conservation and
entertainment and the loss of smaller but more accessible living areas will be
lessened by offering a variety of events throughout the day where visitors can
interact with these animals, as suggested by (Zoo Management, Zoo Marketing,
2019). The information can be used to help them improve the services they
provide to their clients. They could identify or pinpoint the problems encountered
by guests during the visit in zoo and develop a quick response or solution.

4. What solutions can be provided for the following stakeholders so that the business
objectives of Cincinnati Zoo are achieved? Explain in detail the proposed solutions
for each stakeholder.
 a. ZOO VISITORS

ANSWER: Visitors could complete a survey about the zoo's administration to

provide feedback on how to continue improving and providing meaningful
experiences.

b. ZOO MANAGEMENT

ANSWER: Using the previous data as reference, the zoo management could
study the data from guests in order to improve their service. They could analyze
on how the weather affects the number of visitors, what are the food and needs
that the visitors are looking for, and could also be the souvenirs or other stud that
are being sold inside the zoo in which the management could see what are the
products that sold the most or sold the least. The products that were sold the
most will be developed while the items that are sold the least will be removed.

c. ZOO STAFF MEMBERS

ANSWER: The staff are the first encounters of the guest. The goal of the staff
members is to make the guest comfortable and well-assisted. This could be
achieved through providing a great customer experience. It is usually the service
that will make a long-lasting impression to the guest.

References:

Animal Welfare, Blog, Conservation, Zoos & Parks. (2014, May 6). The Conservation
Mission of Zoos | Wild Welfare. Wild Welfare. Retrieved January 30, 2023, from
https://wildwelfare.org/the-conservation-mission-of-zoos-nabila-aziz/

Zoo Management, Zoo Marketing. (2019, June 1). Zoo Marketing Strategy and Plan. ACME
Technologies. Retrieved January 30, 2023, from
https://www.acmeticketing.com/blog/zoo-marketing-strategy-and-plan/