About the Marketing Excellence Award
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums recognizes the valuable role that marketing plays in building and sustaining business and creating platforms to interact with our various audiences.
The Marketing Award recognizes excellence in marketing campaigns developed and executed by its AZA member institutions. The campaign must utilize a marketing mix with a minimum of three communication channels, such as television, radio, print advertising, outdoor, internet, direct mail, etc.
Two awards will be presented, one for a campaign with a budget under $175,000 and one for a campaign with a budget of $175,000 or higher. Entries will be judged according to how well the campaign met planned objectives, how communication channels were strategically linked together, and for the creativity and uniqueness of the campaign.
If there is any question as to what constitutes an eligible project, please email Rob Vernon or call (301) 244-3352.
How to Submit an Application
2020 sample application and guidelines are available below. 2021 application materials will be updated in the Spring and will be due on June 1, 2021.
All Honors and Awards applications must be submitted in electronic format ONLY and must be compiled into one PDF file. Please make sure the file name reflects both the award name and the institution.
Please upload your file to the AZA Dropbox. Your file will go to the AZA Digital Dropbox account, but you do not need to sign in, or even have a Dropbox account to use this link—when it opens, just click on the “choose files” box and upload your application.
Remember to submit a Media Release Form (DOC) with your application.
Marketing Award Winners
See previous winners' application materials (member login required)
2020
Significant Achievement - campaign budget over $175,000
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for Reconnect with Nature
Significant Achievement - campaign budget under $175,000
Audubon Zoo for Audubon Zoo Lions: The Roar Returns
2019
Top Honors - campaign budget over $175,000
Woodland Park Zoo for This Is How We Zoo
Significant Achievement - campaign budget over $175,000
- Toronto Zoo for Come See All That We Do At The Toronto Zoo
- Arizona Center for Nature Conservation - Phoenix Zoo for Dinosaurs in the Desert
Significant Achievement - campaign budget under $175,000
Audubon Nature Institute for Audubon Zoo Lights presented by Children's Hospital 2018
Innovation - campaign budget under $175,000
South Carolina Aquarium for The Journey Home
2018
Top Honors - campaign budget less than $175,000
Akron Zoological Park for Curious Creatures
Innovation - campaign budget less than $175,000
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden for #Team Fiona
Top Honors - campaign budget greater than $175,000
San Diego Zoo Global for Africa Rocks
Significant Achievement - campaign budget less than $175,000
Saint Louis Zoo for Our Promise
2017
Top Honors - campaign budget greater than $175,000
Philadelphia Zoo for Zoo Changes You
Significant Achievement - campaign budget less than $175,000
Fresno Chaffee Zoo for We are Fresno Chaffee Zoo
2016
Top Honors - campaign budget less than $175,000
Memphis Zoo for How Many People Does it Take to Move a Hippo?
Significant Achievement - campaign budget less than $175,000
Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden for Join Our Family
Top Honors - campaign budget greater than $175,000
Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, New York Aquarium, Prospect Park Zoo and Queens Zoo for 120 Ways #NYisWild
Significant Achievement - campaign budget greater than $175,000
- Northwest Trek Wildlife Park for Spend the Day in Nature
- South Carolina Aquarium for Opening of Shark Shallows
2015
Top Honors - campaign budget less than $175,000
Smithsonian National Zoological Park for Endangered Song
Significant Achievement - campaign budget less than $175,000
Memphis Zoo for Rediscover the Memphis Zoo
Top Honors - campaign budget greater than $175,000
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for I Will Protect
Significant Achievement - campaign budget greater than $175,000
- Philadelphia Zoo for Zoo360: Big Cat Crossing
- South Carolina Aquarium for Show Us Your #Fish Face
2014
Top Honors - campaign budget less than $175,000
Oregon Zoo for Flock This Way
Significant Achievement - campaign budget less than $175,000
New York Aquarium for New York Aquarium: Open While We Rebuild
Top Honors - campaign budget greater than $175,000
- Fort Worth Zoo for See the Biggest Babies in Town
- San Diego Zoo Global for Welcome to Koalafornia: The New Australian Outback
Significant Achievement - campaign budget greater than $175,000
Wildlife Conservation Society for Bronx Zoo Dinosaur Safari
2013
Top Honors - campaign budget less than $175,000
Oregon Zoo for Packy's 50th Birthday
Significant Achievement - campaign budget less than $175,000
Birmingham Zoo for Kiwanis Giraffe Encounter
Top Honors - campaign budget greater than $175,000
Detroit Zoological Society for Real Moments of Vitamin Z
Significant Achievement - campaign budget greater than $175,000
- Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Garden for The LAIR-Alive in L.A.
- Fundación Temaikèn for Birds v. Wallabies
2012
Top Honors - campaign budget less than $175,000
Virginia Living Museum for Protect What's Precious
Top Honors - campaign budget greater than $175,000
Brookfield Zoo / Chicago Zoological Society for Face a Real "Bear / Bull / Wolf" at Real Fan Days
Significant Achievement - campaign budget greater than $175,000
Minnesota Zoo for Do the Waddle
2011
Top Honors - campaign budget less than $175,000
John G. Shedd Aquarium for Jazzin' at the Shedd
Top Honors - campaign budget greater than $175,000
Georgia Aquarium for Where Imaginations Go to Play
Significant Achievement - campaign budget greater than $175,000
CZS / Brookfield Zoo for Go Eye to Eye at Great Bear Wilderness
2010
Top Honors - campaign budget less than $175,000
Vancouver Aquarium for Canada's Arctic - Adaptation Is Not An Option
Significant Achievement - campaign budget less than $175,000
Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center for Restless Planet
Top Honors - campaign budget greater than $175,000
- Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for Journey of Life Campaign
- San Diego Zoo for Elephant Odyssey
Significant Achievement - campaign budget greater than $175,000
Minnesota Zoo for If this looks right to you, it's time to visit. AFRICA!
2009
Significant Achievement - campaign budget less than $175,000
Knoxville Zoo for Dam Construction
Top Honors - campaign budget greater than $175,000
Minnesota Zoo for Russia's Grizzly Coast
Significant Achievement - campaign budget greater than $175,000
- Monterey Bay Aquarium for Re-imagined Splash Zone
- Vancouver Aquarium for If Frogs Go Extinct, You'll Notice
2008
Top Honors - campaign budget less than $175,000
Toronto Zoo for Bugzibitz II
Top Honors - campaign budget greater than $175,000
- Tennessee Aquarium for Penguins' Rock
- Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium for Polar Bears in High Definition