Driving growth through a value proposition focus

Chester Zoo was widely regarded as a great day out, but when it came to paid animal attractions it did not have a clear edge in the minds of the public. Most visitors did not fully understand what made the zoo different from the rest.

On top of that, the economic climate had driven much of the market into heavy discounting to pull in visitors. Over time this trained customers to hold off booking until a deal appeared, a race to the bottom that was hard to win, especially for a charity like Chester Zoo. As a charity, discounting was not just unviable, it risked eroding the brand and required unsustainable increases in volume to break even.

Instead of joining the discount battle, we shifted focus to communicating value. The strategy was simple: don't talk about paying less, talk about getting more.

The new value proposition centred on four areas. Emotional value: tapping into the real reasons families visit, the discovery, the adventure, the connection and the memories, not just the ticket price. Practical value: reframing and bundling all the extras that come as standard to highlight what guests actually get. Choice: offering flexibility through partnerships and dynamic pricing, giving visitors options without cutting corners. Consistency: rolling out a clear strapline and reinforcing it across every channel to build recognition and trust over time.

Within six months of launch, value-for-money scores rose by four percentage points, the highest in three years. Chester Zoo went on to outperform the wider sector by over 30% in 2024, outpacing both other zoos and Northern attractions. The strategy helped secure its position as the number one rated zoo in the UK and the third most visited attraction in the country, the top spot outside London.