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Case Study: Griffith Observatory
Nonprofit / GovernmentSituation Griffith Observatory holds a special place in the hearts and minds of Angelenos. A true icon that has literally dominated the Los Angeles landscape for more than 70 years, it is the most visited public observatory in the world. As such, the venue was expected to generate high visitor demand upon its reopening after being closed for more than four years for much-needed renovation and expansion of its planetarium and exhibit space. Objective Fewer parking spaces and concerns about traffic congestion led the City of Los Angeles and its Department of Recreation and Parks to create a timed entry and shuttle reservation system that would ensure a smooth reopening and the highest quality visitor experience. The objective for the advertising, then, was to educate the public on the need for advance planning and drive potential visitors online to make their reservations. Friends Of The Observatory (FOTO), the nonprofit membership organization dedicated to supporting and promoting Griffith Observatory's educational programming and capital development needs, turned to Zeesman Communications to create an impactful advertising campaign that would both inform and change long-held behaviors. Challenges Geographic and Cultural Breadth of the Marketing Outreach and education are already complicated endeavors against the complex backdrop that is Los Angeles. The City's expansive geography and cultural diversity were factors that needed to be considered in the advertising effort's creative development and media planning. Managing Dollars and Expectations Any nonprofit marketing initiative - especially one where the target audience is every Los Angeles resident, plus a large number of Southern California residents outside the City limits - runs the risk of being seriously under funded. Why? Because there is always a limited budget to allocate, the amount of which usually has little to do with the desired reach, and unlimited expectations to manage, which usually has little to do with the actual budget. Approach Broaden the Outreach at Every Level The advertising for the Griffith Observatory public access education advertising campaign had to be broad in terms of its geographic reach, as well as the variety of advertising vehicles utilized as part of the overall program. Cultural considerations were also key to its successful execution. Per the 2000 U.S. Census, the Los Angeles City population was 3.7 million, of which 46.5% are Hispanic, 30% Caucasian, 11% African American and 10% Asian, all of which had to be factored into the final media plan. Investing in a Successful Outcome Part of the attraction in working with Zeesman Communications was the firm's experience with City entities and knowledge of available City resources. That being said, it was also extremely important to understand that leveraging those resources had to be seen as a tactic for saving money, not an overall strategy for meeting the requirements of the program. Quite simply, the Observatory would not be able "save its way" to a successful reopening. For what needed to be accomplished in terms of public education, a realistic budget had to be set for both creative and media. Execution The "By Reservation Only" advertising campaign that Zeesman Communications created was single-minded in its focus on educating the public and changing ingrained behavior. It was designed to be a "quick read" - where the eye-catching visuals and concise, attention-grabbing headlines work together to make an immediate connection for the consumer. The campaign also had to have broad appeal in order to ensure its reach into every part of Los Angeles' diverse community. Following extensive research, the firm determined that a combination of advertising vehicles in a variety of languages was required. Based on a $1 million budget, Zeesman created a media plan that included billboards, bus sides, bus shelters, radio advertising on 32 stations, Internet banner ads, an e-blast campaign, and print advertising in 40 community newspapers. Creative was delivered in English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, Thai and Armenian. Results According to Mark Pine, deputy director of Griffith Observatory, the advertising campaign "did the job" in terms of educating the public and "worked miraculously, even better than anyone could have expected" in preventing the anticipated gridlock. Griffith Observatory was ecstatic with both the traffic-free reopening and the "By Reservation Only" campaign that supported it. Said Camille Lombardo, executive director of FOTO: "Zeesman Communications was an innovative and collaborative partner. They listened to our needs, were flexible in their execution of the program and, most importantly, were highly strategic in their approach to both the campaign creative and the media selected for the public outreach. We were thrilled with the results."       |
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