Volume 3, No. 5. March 14, 2003
Naming
rights
So, you want to
name your baby gorilla. You want to get the public involved in selecting the
name. You want to use the naming contest to prompt inquiries into your conservation
and education programs, not to mention your zoo. Oh, and a major media empire
at the same time wants to launch a new zoo feature for its customers.
Here is an equation for success: The Bronx Zoo plus America On Line equals 441,000
individual votes. Of that number, 33 percent liked Zola for the zoo’s newest
Congo Gorilla Forest resident. “Zola” outpaced “Juma” (25
percent), “Kuchimba” (21 percent), “Njoku” (14 percent)
and “Matunde” (7 percent). The most important figure, however, was
12 percent; that’s the percentage of those 441,000 voters who clicked through
the AOL page to the Bronx Zoo’s own web site, a total of some 54,000 visitors.
Zola is Swahili for “quietness,” but her naming was anything but quiet,
thanks to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s partnership with AOL. The
Society, which owns the Bronx Zoo and other New York City zoos and aquariums,
began working with AOL a year ago to provide a series of photo essays for the
web host’s Research & Learn Channel. “It was doing fine, but wasn’t
having the breakthrough we wanted,” said Julia Mair, vice president for
TV and media at the Bronx Zoo. “We started talking about ways we could
introduce audiences to the Bronx Zoo, ways suited to AOL, which has immediacy,
fluidity and interactivity. We started talking about regular features tied to
days and dates.”
The first opportunity came when Tuti gave birth on November 1 in Congo Gorilla
Forest (silverback Zuri is the father). AOL posted pictures of the baby gorilla
on its Welcome Screen and on its Research & Learn Channel with an invitation
to vote for her name and an opportunity to learn more about gorilla conservation
and Congo Gorilla Forest. The campaign started February 28 and concluded Monday.
“To offer this contest was a great opportunity for both parties, and for
AOL members to name an animal was an opportunity usually reserved for donors,”
said Elizabeth Cleary, senior programming manager for the Research & Learn
Channel at AOL. Mair was surprised at the response, though she immediately pinpointed
the reason for the campaign’s success. “Why did it work? Because we
have a photographer, Dennis DeMello, whose photographs were just fantastic.”
Cleary said she expected the high click-through rate. “I just know how
much AOL members love animals,” she said. “Who can resist the picture
of Zola that we had up? We were certain AOL members couldn’t.”
That love of animals among its membership has prompted Cleary to launch a new
feature—the Zola vote being the first installment—called “What’s
New @ The Zoo.” Though developed in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation
Society, it will feature other zoos, Cleary said. “We started this feature
to bring the delight of zoos to AOL members,” she said. “We plan to
bring baby animals and new exhibits that will make you feel like you are walking
through the zoo.” The feature will be regularly promoted on the Welcome
screen “based on the response we’ve seen,” Cleary said, and will
reside on the Research & Learn Channel.
Aside from learning a little gorilla lore through the naming campaign, AOL members
also got a lesson in Swahili, as all the nominated nomenclatures were translated
from Swahili to English: “Juma” is “born on a Friday,” “Kuchimba”
is Doug (the baby’s caretaker), “Njoku” is yams (the baby’s
favorite food) and “Matunde” means fruit. Zola, therefore, is greatly
indebted to AOL’s membership; had the vote resulted in “Matunde”
Zola would have been hereafter known as Tuti’s Fruit.
THE LOOP is written and produced by Eric Minton, Minton Enterprises, LLC. To see more examples of Eric Minton's work and Minton Enterprises services, visit www.ericminton.com.
©2003, Minton Enterprises
LLC
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