Driving Footfall and Awareness for Twycross Zoo 

Challenge

Twycross Zoo has long been recognised as one of the go-to days out for families in the Midlands and is generally considered a household name in this area.  

Whilst well-known in the Midlands, Twycross Zoo is also recognised nationally as the only zoo in the UK, and one of few worldwide, which is home to all four great ape species — chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and bonobos. 

Thanks to its reputation as a brilliant day out for families and its heritage in animal welfare, the team at Twycross Zoo did not struggle to land media opportunities, particularly with regional media. 

As part of Twycross Zoo’s brief to us at the start of this year, we were asked to help take their PR activity to the next level by focusing on three key areas: 

• Amplifying zoo news with regional and national media. 

• Securing a stream of conservation-focused coverage to support the zoo’s wider conservation efforts. 

• Raising brand awareness through lots of TV coverage. 

Solution

When thinking about how to approach Twycross Zoo’s brief, we tapped into our wealth of experience delivering award-winning consumer and leisure PR.  

After considering the brief, we recognised that the three key focus areas included were influenced by two main priorities: to increase footfall at the zoo and raise its reputation on a national scale.  

In response, we developed our “always on” PR strategy, designed to meet the requirements of this brief by focusing on: 

• Twycross Zoo’s Press Office - Acting as the everyday press office for Twycross Zoo, handling media enquiries, amplifying news from the zoo, jumping on reactive opportunities, and creating stories to engage media regionally, nationally and internationally. 

• Creating conversations about conservation - Supporting Twycross Zoo’s wider conservation strategy by making room for conversations about conservation, making it palatable and accessible for the public and industry experts. 

• Twycross Zoo on TV - Nurturing relationships with journalists and providing consultancy on the best ways to land broadcast coverage - one of the best ways to raise brand awareness on a large scale.