Case Analysis | 1

Case Analysis 1: Cincinnati Zoo

Introduction
The conservation of animal and plant life remains at the forefront of sustainability
efforts, and is a mission and core focus of many Zoo’s around the globe that are responsible
for the lives and well being of animals.
At the Cincinnati Zoo, the main vision is inspiring passion for nature and saving wildlife
for future generations. [Their commitment to conservation is showcased through [their]
global science and wildlife conservation programs, sustainable approach to the management
of our facilities, and dedication to education and public engagement in science and
conservation at [their] exhibits. The Cincinnati Zoo features more than 500 animal and 3,000
plant species, making it one of the largest Zoo collections in the country, and [they] continue
to set the standard for conservation, education and preservation of wild animals and wild
spaces.

Problems with the existing system of the Cincinnati Zoo

Major problem: Cincinnati zoo needs ways to increase attendance, boost membership and
maximize sales because they wanted to reduce its reliance on subsidies even further for it to
continue its pioneering works.
Sub-problems:
 Management had limited knowledge and understanding of what was happening in the
Zoo on day-to-day basis.
 All 4 income streams had different point-of-scale platforms
 For example, the food service business still relied on manual cash registers where
management had to shift through paper receipts.

What did they do:

1. They compiled a spreadsheet that collected visitors' zip codes to use the data for
geographic and demographic analysis
2. They replaced the four legacy point of scale systems with a single platform - Galaxy
POS from Gateway Ticketing Systems
3. It then enlisted IBM and BrightStar Partners to build a centralized data warehouse to
provide real-time analysis and reporting.
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The Challenge
 Combine data from 4 revenue streams, admission, membership, retail and foods service.
 Improve Reporting capabilities
 Improve decision-making
 Increase revenue & reduce cost

The four (4) TPS presently used by Cincinnati Ohio with the data that are captured by
each TPS and the decision can be made from those data
TPS DATA CAPTURED
Paper Receipt for Manual Cost of the food, quantity,
Cash Register date etc.
Spreadsheet Visitor’s Zip Code
Galaxy POS from Gateway Entrance number, entrance
Ticketing Systems information, Zoo’s Loyalty
Rewards, the Zoo’s system
etc.
Enlisted IBM Numbers, date, names etc.
DECISION MADE
POSSIBLE
Knowing the price or
quantity of the product are
correct to provide customer a
proof of billing
Knowing the zip codes of
visitors to come up with
geographic and demographic
analysis.
Knowing that visitors are
allowed to enter the zoo on
Zoo’s entrance, exit,
attractions, restaurants, and
stores, or use the Zoo’s
Loyalty Rewards card, the
Zoo’s system for them to be
happy.
Knowing that company
provide real-time analysis
and reporting.

Solutions that provided for the following stakeholders to achieve the Cincinnati Zoo’s
objective.

Visitors
By sharing their experiences to their companion or close friends. They can even invite
people who will go there to experience also what they have experienced. So with this, they
can maximize the attendance of that company, they can help them improve their sales to
maximize their profit.
Problems Management
1. How to maximize Management are the one
attendance who make company's
overall strategy to appeal to
their customers. They need
to come up with a marketing
strategy that will ensure the
Cincinnati Zoo to become a
well known to everyone not
only in their location but all
over the world. they should
come up with a good
promotional/advertising
strategy. In luring visitors to
come you should have an
idea how to pursue or attack
them.
 Have a television
advertisement
showcasing the
beauty of the
Cincinnati Zoo.
 Have an online page
or public accounts
where everyone can
share it online to
anyone and
anywhere
Case Analysis | 3
Staff members
Staff members are the
executor of every strategies
that the management will
make. The appropriate
implementation of the
overall strategy are in the
hands of staff members. The
following are things they
need to do to help
maximizing the attendance
of visitors coming in
cincinnati zoo:
 Staff members
should be aware to
anything that is in the
zoo and every
happenings there
(different activities)
for them to perform
well their work. They
should have at least
enough knowledge
about the zoo for
them to do their
responsibilities
better. In achieving
those knowledge
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 Make everyone they may be able to

familiar to your it. share it to the visitors
Especially your staff that come in and
who'll work for this build a good
zoo in order for them relationship with
to be able to share to them. The indication
others how awesome of this is that they
the Zoo is. will have a positive
(Information appeal to everyone.
sharing) Giving trivias or
 They may also plan simple information
to produce attractive will make you
flyers to be communication to
distributed by the everyone and may
staff members. give youthe
oppurtunity to make
them come again in
the future or you may
be able to make them
share what they learn
in the zoo to their
friends, families and
others.
 Staff members may
also promote the Zoo
through social media
using their own
accoun. They may
become a Shill
whom will act as a
loyal visitor or guest
of this zoo and may
give positive
feedbacks. If they

2. Boost membership What management can do
about this is to have a
membership fee with a
reasonable price and every
1-7 years old should have a
free membership fee. This
will make everyone
especiallythe parents to be a
member of this zoo. The
membership should have
atleast 2-3 benefits that
visitors can get. And some
twist like earning points and
can be redeem whenever
Case Analysis | 5
will be able to share
their own experience
to others not only the
visitors, then it will
be a big help to the
Cincinnati zoo.
 Staff members may
also distribute flyers
promoting the zoo.
 Doing a great job, or
doing your
responsibilities right
is a big factor that
visitors may notice
and may give
positive view. You as
a worker, how you
do your job will
reflect the company's
image.
What a staff can do about in
boosting the membership of
this zoo is to support the
strategies that management
will make. Like:
 Persuading everyone
to have a
membership by
mentioning the
benefits they can get.
 Giving a supporting
details to
everypositive effevt
of being a member.
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they visit the zoo.

 In relation to the free
membership fee, 1-7
years old must be
free for any fee for
they are still kids and
what they want is to
have fun seeing
different animals.
This way may give a
positive view to the
parents especially to
those who are less
fortunate than others.
Every kid deserves
to be happy.
 Benefits: being a
member to this zoo,
you will have atleast
5-10% discount in
visiting this place for
being a member
means you patronize
the place. This will
attract everyone to
have a membership.
 Being a member to
this zoo will also
give points to every
time that a member
will visit, as they
earn points they may
claim or redeem it in
exchange for a

reward like having a
free snacks to a
specific food outlets
inside the zoo.
3. Maximize sales Management must come up
with a clear financial
reviews that the Zoo needed
or used in order for them to
come up with a good
strategy in expanding the
sales they may have
everyday. If they achieve to
maximize attendance then
they will have an expanded
sales.
4. Limited knowledge Management should
distribute manuals to their
staff in order for them to
become familiar in every
terms and conditions in the
zoo. Management should
undergo seminars or
meetings at least two times
in a month to talk about
everything that is happening
in the Zoo. They may also
have monitoring staff who
report everyday to them
about the details they need
and circulating in the zoo.
Simple information yet
useful.
Case Analysis | 7
Staff must do their
responsibilities well to
satisfy their visitors so that
they may still come in the
future and make them share
the extraordinary experience
in the Cincinnati Zoo. If they
perform well then it will
give a positive result
especially in the sales of this
Zoo.
Staff should also undergo
whatever management want
them to. They should have
monitoring device also like
the number of people inside,
going outside, the places
which are the people wanted
the most to visit and others.
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Marketing Strategies, the process and the IT to be used to help the Park achieve its
over-all objective which is to increase revenue.
 IBM Cognos:
Business Intelligence(BI)
-Databases and information management that solves problems of data redundancy, data
inconsistency, lack of flexibility, lack of data availability and sharing Use non-relational or
cloud-based data management services.
Solution: Replace Legacy point of sale (Paper Receipt) and Implement data warehousing
(Soft Ice cream).
Business Analytics (BA) Products
-Tools and techniques businesses use to analyze and understand data in a meaningful
way. To gain insight into past performance and to drive decision-making and planning. To
involve queries, reports, data mining and OLAP - online analytical processing.

 To keep the facility running in a sustainable fashion, we needed to make sure we were
maximizing the resources properly. We came to the conclusion that technology was an
issue and this is when we turned to what some might think of as a non-traditional helping
hand for a Zoo – business analytics.
 Increase in-park spending by as much as 25% by utilizing 360 degree customer views.
Turn that information into customized offers and perks for visitors that keep them happy
and coming back, and are now able to arm managers with real-time data that allows them
to react to a dynamic and fluid business driven by seasonal weather patterns.
 Business analytics also allows to integrate operations. This will help free up the staff’s
time so they can focus on the day-to-day operations in a more meaningful way, while
also focusing on the larger picture of ensuring animals continue to receive the best care.

Others:
Let moms know that the zoo is opened every day of the year and that there is always
something to do. Remind them to not think of the zoo as just an occasional destination, but as
someplace they could take their kids any day of the year. We grabbed the attention of moms
through creativity and unique ways like, pole and bus shelter displays and billboards
promoting “Everyday Amazing Zoo”, just to name a few.
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RESULTS:
The strategy paid off, in the first year of PMG’s relationship with the zoo, attendance
surpassed the goal on its way to an astounding 1.2 million patrons for that year.
“It was an incredible year for us. PMG proved to be a great partner for the zoo. They were
committed to our goals, flexible and always willing to come to the table with new ideas. We
couldn’t have hit our attendance figures without their passion and enthusiasm for the zoo.” –
Chad Yelton, Director of Marketing Cincinnati Zoo

References

Mission to Protect Wildlife. Retrieved January 2011 from http://asmarterplanet.com/

Lisa H. Cinncinnati Zoo Case. Retrieved February 24,2014 from www.prezi.com/