Boosting Foot Traffic
Developed a campaign that turns passive awareness into active visitation through immersive storytelling and engagement.
Objective: Drive visitation.
Challenge: Zoos feel like a kids-only experience.
Insight: People are drawn to stories and feel a stronger connection when animals become characters.
Solution: Turn the zoo into a social-first, “wild” hangout through story-driven content.
Objective.
Make the Bronx Zoo a go-to city experience.
Challenge.
The Bronx Zoo ranks relatively low compared to top New York City attractions, drawing around 2 million visitors annually—far fewer than sites like Times Square or Central Park, which attract tens of millions each year (NYC & Company, 2023). This gap highlights how the zoo is less central to the city’s tourism economy and visitor priorities.
More broadly, zoos are experiencing declining attendance and ongoing financial losses in some regions, with visitor numbers still below pre-2019 levels and critics pointing to shifting public attitudes about animal captivity (EcoPark SF, 2026).
High awareness but low urgency to visit in a crowded leisure landscape.
Audience.
Primary Audience
NYC residents: Locals looking for fun and educational outings.
Families with kids (3–12): Hands-on, engaging experiences.
Gen Z & Millennials: Active content streamers, drawn to shareable, social-media-friendly experiences.
Secondary Audience
Tourists visiting NYC: Seeking family-friendly and iconic attractions.
Opportunity.
The Bronx Zoo, one of the largest and best zoos in the US and the world yet often under appreciated, can attract NYC residents, tourists, and younger audiences by positioning itself as a fun, educational, and shareable experience. By embracing interactive, social media friendly offerings, it can better engage Gen Z and Millennials.
Insight.
People are drawn to animals because they inspire wonder, spark joy, and create unforgettable moments. Nearly 98.5% of social media users report they’ve seen animal videos on these platforms, showing how common and engaging animal content is online (Stumpf et al., 2024).
The unpredictable nature of animal behavior makes every encounter feel unique and compelling. Over 90% of people have seen videos of animals doing something extraordinary or unexpected, which often leads to strong emotional reactions and sharing among viewers (Stumpf et al., 2024).
Animal encounters inspire awe and moments that people love to experience and share.
People love animals because they inspire wonder, spark joy, and create unforgettable, shareable moments. Audiences also connect deeply with stories and characters—92% of consumers prefer content that feels narrative‑driven, and story‑based posts are shared up to 26 times more than non‑narrative content (Amra & Elma, 2023). Animals that become internet sensations show how powerful character‑like storytelling can be: the baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng went viral on social media, inspiring fan art, merchandise, and doubling zoo visitors after her online fame spread (Moo Deng doubled visitors after viral fame, 2024).
Viral animal stories like Punch the Monkey, a baby Japanese macaque emotionally connecting with a plush toy, have generated global social media attention and wide‑spread emotional engagement, demonstrating that audiences project narrative and empathy onto real animals (Punch the monkey viral story, 2026). This shows that character‑driven animal content not only entertains but also fosters deep emotional connection and encourages sharing, making storytelling an ideal strategy for the Bronx Zoo.
When we put a name and story to a face, a stranger becomes familiar.
Strategy.
The campaign turns five animals into story-driven characters, each with a distinct personality, letting audiences see themselves in the zoo’s adventures. Instagram and TikTok share short videos and reels, X features quotes and polls, and Facebook posts longer stories, behind-the-scenes content, and educational tie-ins.
The Big Idea.
A social media campaign that brings five chosen Bronx Zoo animals to life as characters, unfolding through a serialized story that builds an engaging, interactive, and emotional connection with audiences.
Meet.
Romeo the Lion
His personality is bold, confident, inspires others to act.
Her personality independent, challenges norms, sparks growth.
Ophelia the Tiger
Bruno the Bear
His personality is playful, approachable, adds humor and warmth.
Xavier the Giraffe
His personality is calm, thoughtful, the narrator.
Nadia the Gorilla
Her personality nurturing, protective, emotionally intelligent.
Sample Monthly Mockup
Posted on Instagram, TikTok, X, and Facebook daily.
Expected Results.
KPIs
☑ Shifted perception among target audiences
☑ Increased repeat visits
☑ Elevated cultural relevance
☑ Strengthened brand loyalty through consistent audience engagement
☑ Expanded reach within key demographic segments