Ep.3 Impact vs Result: From zoo to impact organization

Pim

Yes, you found us. Welcome to Brand Focus, a podcast for brands that want to grow in times when growth is anything but a given.

Together with my guest, I discuss why it has become so difficult for brands to grow, and what changes are needed to help brands become the best version of themselves again.

Today, we have a special guest: Carolien. Welcome, good morning.

 

Carolien

Good morning.

 

Pim

This is not the first podcast you have recorded. You are back in the news, speaking on stages, and you have been nominated for Rotterdam Businesswoman of the Year.

 

Carolien

You make it sound like I am constantly in the news. That makes it seem as if I am in the media all the time, but it is not quite that much.

 

Pim

Marketing and communications news. Of course, we know you from Diergaarde Blijdorp, one of the oldest zoos, and maybe the most famous zoo in the Netherlands.

A change in direction has been implemented there, and you are one of the people responsible for it.

 

Carolien

That is right.

 

Pim

That is what we are going to talk about today.

 

Carolien

Yes, great. I am excited about that, because I love talking about it. And I get to do that quite often, so that works out well.

 

Pim

We have known each other for quite some time as well. You did not always work for foundations. You previously worked for more commercial organizations, and during that period we also collaborated with DPDK. We are now doing that again with Blijdorp.

 

Carolien

Yes, and I am very happy that we were able to bring you in as a strategic partner at the moment we started the change in direction.

One of the most important parts of that change is that we cannot do it alone. That applies to nature restoration, but also to everything needed around it.

 

Pim

What is it like for you to work on a brand that is so deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of people from Rotterdam and far beyond?

 

Carolien

I think there are two sides to that.

On the one hand, it is exciting, because you are working on something everyone has an opinion about. For many people, it feels like it also belongs to them a little.

On the other hand, it is also an incredibly beautiful assignment to work on. The ambition behind it is enormous. And that level of ambition is exactly what makes it so interesting for me.

 

Pim

You started this assignment three years ago. Can you tell us a bit about what you started working on back then, when it comes to the zoo’s change in direction?

 

Carolien

That change in direction actually began before my time.

Diergaarde Blijdorp has now existed for 168 years. During that time, the zoo has reinvented itself several times. That also has to do with how the role of zoos in society changes.

Around 2018 and 2019, people started looking again at the reason zoos exist. Not only Blijdorp, but zoos in general.

The question was being asked more and more often: are zoos still relevant today?

For Blijdorp, that was the moment to take a critical look at what we actually do. Are we only a day out? Are we an attraction? Or do we contribute to something bigger than that?

And then it became clear that we are more than just a day out.

In 2022, we ultimately decided to put that change in direction on paper. So not just as an idea, but as a clear plan.

What do we stand for? What are we working toward? And what do we actually want to have achieved several decades from now?

 

Pim

The change in direction means that, in a way, you are changing from a zoo into a nature restoration organization. Is that right?

 

Carolien

Yes, you put that well.

Nature restoration organization is a fairly new term. You can compare it a little to organizations like the World Wildlife Fund, except that we work with living animals and with the knowledge we have built up over all those years.

What we are really saying is that we want to grow from a consumer brand into an impact organization.

For us, impact means making a difference in the field of nature restoration.

 

Pim

What does a change like that mean for an organization that has existed for 168 years?

 

Carolien

The most important thing is that a change in direction like that does not start in a boardroom.

It is not a decision made from the top down. It is something that emerges because your reason for existing changes.

Simply looking at animals is no longer enough. But because we have been involved in research and species conservation for so long, we can also show that we do much more than offer a day out.

A change in direction affects the entire organization.

You change the way you position yourself. You may start speaking to different groups. And ultimately, the type of organization you are changes.

 

Pim

How did you anchor that internally?

 

Carolien

We started with a fundamental question: what are we actually contributing to?

Blijdorp has been working on endangered species for 168 years. We conduct research, we work on reserve populations, and we share knowledge worldwide.

At the same time, biodiversity is under enormous pressure globally.

Over the past forty years, biodiversity has taken a dramatic dive. As a result, we are now at a point where we have to intervene.

What we saw is that, with the knowledge we have, we can genuinely contribute to solutions.

Not only inside the zoo, but also beyond it.

That is why we said: we want to make a demonstrable difference.

Not just talk about nature restoration, but make it measurable.

And we laid that down in the Master Plan 2050.

 

Pim

What exactly is in that plan?

 

Carolien

Our ambition is to have nine animal species and one plant removed from the Red List by 2050.

And you have to remember that it is not just about one animal.

An elephant, for example, is what is known as an umbrella species. If you protect the habitat of that kind of animal, you automatically protect many other species that live in that ecosystem as well.

 

Pim

So there are several animals and one plant that are endangered. And Blijdorp has committed itself to restoring those populations.

 

Carolien

The ambition is to have nine animal species and one plant removed from the Red List by 2050.

And remember: it is not just about saving one animal. An elephant, for example, is what is known as an umbrella species. If you protect the elephant, you automatically protect all the other species living in that ecosystem.

 

Pim

And you have laid that down in the master plan. So it is not only an internal document, but also something you have shared externally.

That means the change in direction is not just a brand story you tell, but actually an entire internal cultural evolution.

 

Carolien

Yes.

When I started, those conversations about our reason for existing and about what we actually do were already taking place. I stepped into that.

But along the way, you also see how important it is to bring that story to the outside world.

Because if you have a story internally and the outside world knows nothing about it, then it does not add up. And the reverse is true as well: if you tell something externally that does not live internally, it does not work either.

That is really where the brand transformation began.

 

Pim

So the change in direction is also about unlocking a certain potential.

But could you also say it was necessary because the perception of zoos is changing? Because people are wondering whether zoos are still relevant today?

 

Carolien

Yes, that definitely plays a role.

The discussion about animals in captivity is happening more and more often. Not only in society, but also in politics and the city council.

And that is a good thing.

But the discussion should not only be about whether animals do or do not belong in a zoo.

The question should be: what does a zoo contribute?

If you do not have an answer to that, then it ends there.

But if you can show what you contribute to research, nature restoration, and species conservation, then the discussion changes.

And that is why we have to tell that story ourselves.

Not defensively, but with pride.

 

Pim

But a brand also means changing perception.

Blijdorp is a brand with enormous history. Many people have memories connected to it.

Generations of people have been coming there.

That is a huge strength, but at the same time, it also makes changing a brand like that complicated.

 

Carolien

That is true.

For many people, Blijdorp is an emotional brand.

It stands for memories, for family outings, for a nice day out.

Many people from Rotterdam are also members. For them, Blijdorp is not just a day out, but a place they return to regularly.

So you have to respect that brand as well.

That is why we very consciously decided not to change the brand radically.

For example, we did not suddenly change the logo.

Because if you do that, everyone starts talking about the logo.

We want people to talk about the story.

Blijdorp remains Blijdorp.

But we are adding an extra layer of meaning to it.

 

Pim

So you are essentially adding meaning.

The foundation stays the same: a fun day out, seeing animals, a green place in the city.

But on top of that comes an extra layer.

 

Carolien

Exactly.

We are moving from a consumer brand to a mission driven organization.

That means you also take a position.

You show what you stand for and what you are working on.

And we do that within the zoo itself as well.

Not by shouting it from the rooftops, but by taking visitors along in the story.

For example, with the message:

Come experience it, help us protect it.

You still come for a fun day out.

But at the same time, we also show what is happening in nature and what you yourself can do.

There is always a perspective for action.

 

Pim

So you also use those 1.4 million visitors to create impact.

 

Carolien

Yes.

Because if we want to get those nine animal species and that plant off the Red List, we have to do that together.

We cannot do it alone.

But with 1.4 million visitors, we do have an enormous platform.

And there is actually no better moment to tell people something than when they are standing in front of an animal.

 

Pim

You want to become an impact organization.

What does impact mean to you if it is not only about visitor numbers or revenue?

 

Carolien

Impact means measurable change.

A difference between how things were and how they become.

For example, a population that grows.

Or nature that is restored.

But at the same time, we still need visitors.

Because without a healthy organization, you cannot create that impact either.

 

Pim

Can you give an example of impact that visitors do not see?

 

Carolien

Yes.

A good example is the research into a vaccine against the herpes virus in Asian elephants.

That research began back in the 1970s.

A veterinarian at Blijdorp saw that this virus was a huge threat to elephant populations.

Through years of research, a vaccine was eventually developed.

And last summer, that vaccine was approved and applied.

That is enormous impact.

But it may have received five sentences in the newspaper.

So there is also a lesson for us in that: maybe we need to tell that story better.

 

Pim

Internally, this is probably seen as a huge success.

But among visitors, it may not really be alive yet.

 

Carolien

That is right.

But perception does not change because of one story.

It takes time.

Through repetition and through different stories, people eventually start connecting the dots.

And then the way they look at a zoo changes.

 

Pim

How do you make sure stories like that do not disappear in the daily pressure of the organization?

 

Carolien

That is a balance.

The daily operation requires a lot of attention.

But at the same time, you also have to keep building for the long term.

That is why we have also organized our communication differently.

During peak season, we focus more on visitors.

In quieter periods, we can tell more stories about impact and research.

 

Pim

You just said that visitor perception changes through repetition of stories. But how do you make sure those impact stories do not get buried under the daily operation?

Of course, you also have a zoo to run. Visitors come in, there are animals, there is an entire organization operating.

How do you make sure the long term remains visible?

 

Carolien

That is really the eternal balance.

The issues of the day can easily take over your long term vision. That is not only true for zoos, but for many organizations.

For us, there is the added fact that we have a seasonal product.

The summer months are our most important months. That is when we basically have to earn the money to keep the rest of the year running properly.

That is why we also thought about how to spread our communication throughout the year.

During peak season, we focus more on attracting visitors.

In the quieter periods, we can tell more stories about research and impact.

A story about a vaccine against a virus may not be the first story you use to attract people to the zoo.

But it is an important story.

And because we now have more data, we can better see what works and what people respond to.

 

Pim

You mentioned earlier that the organization was under pressure when you started.

Visitor numbers were under pressure, and there was also a lot of media attention around Blijdorp’s financial situation.

What does that do to an organization?

 

Carolien

It creates tension.

When negative reports appear in the media, for example about financial problems, fear starts to emerge.

People worry about their jobs.

People think the zoo might have to close.

And when fear becomes dominant, people often return to the way things used to be.

Then you hear more quickly: didn’t things used to go well?

And then a change in direction is quickly called into question.

But ultimately, the direction itself was not up for debate.

We could not go back to how things were.

This is the direction we have chosen.

So then you have to look at what you can do with the resources you have.

 

Pim

Blijdorp also has to stand more on its own two feet.

During the pandemic, the city helped, but ultimately the organization needs to become less dependent.

Does that also mean a more commercial mindset is needed?

 

Carolien

Yes, that is right.

Blijdorp is a foundation, but we do need to make sure we become less dependent on outside support.

We have to be able to support ourselves.

That is also an important change.

We are now looking much more at new sources of income.

For example, through partnerships, funds, and subsidies.

With the Master Plan, we also have a story that is interesting to other parties.

That makes it possible to tap into new funding streams.

 

Pim

So in addition to visitors, the business market is becoming more important as well.

 

Carolien

Yes.

But I would not say we are looking for that market. That market is already there.

The question is mainly how we become attractive to those parties.

Because to realize the ambition for 2050, money is also needed.

Research costs money.

Nature restoration costs money.

You cannot fund that through ticket sales alone.

So we also need to enter into other forms of collaboration.

With companies, with knowledge institutions, and with partners.

 

Pim

What is an ideal partner for Blijdorp?

 

Carolien

For us, it is not only about a financial contribution.

It is about collaboration.

A good example is TU Delft. They bring knowledge that is incredibly valuable to us.

Or organizations involved in nature restoration projects.

That is where you can strengthen each other.

And that is really what we are looking for: partners who want to create impact together with us.

 

Pim

When you started, there was also very little data available.

You first had to build a digital foundation.

 

Carolien

Yes, that is right.

When I started, there were hardly any systems in place to collect data.

There was no CRM system to track visitors or partners.

So we essentially had to start from zero.

We built a CRM.

Developed an app.

Renewed the website.

And set up a loyalty program.

Those are all building blocks.

And that is not something you do in one year. It is a process of several years.

 

Pim

So the customer journey has actually become much more extensive.

Not just an ad, a ticket, and a visit, but a relationship.

 

Carolien

Yes.

We are trying to extend the contact with visitors.

Before the visit, during the visit, and afterward.

Through the app, through personalized communication, and through the loyalty program.

And because of that, something different emerges than just visitors.

Ambassadors emerge.

People who come back more often and also share the story with others.

 

Pim

Where is the greatest growth potential for Blijdorp?

 

Carolien

If you look at it purely commercially, it is mainly in the business market.

Because you are not simply going to double those 1.4 million visitors.

But you can create more value per visitor.

And you can attract partners who want to contribute to nature restoration.

 

Pim

If you look ten years ahead, when will this change in direction be successful?

 

Carolien

Success actually starts now.

When you see that you are being nominated for awards or that people are picking up the story, then you know it is being seen.

But for me, the real success lies in the long term.

If children who visit Blijdorp with school today look back ten years from now on what they learned there.

And if they carry that with them in their own lives.

If they think: that is where I learned how important nature is.

If that happens, then the mission has succeeded.

 

Pim

That sounds like a very inspiring goal.

Thank you.

 

Carolien

My pleasure.