{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Brandifesto | Getting Brands to the Point","title":"1. Lions, Legends, and Logos: The Sedgwick County Zoo Transformation","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1449,"description":"What happens when a beloved Kansas institution decides to reinvent itself and gets it so right that a waitress in Panama recognizes the logo?That's exactly what unfolded when the Sedgwick County Zoo set out to rebrand in advance of its 50th anniversary. Bill Gardner sat down with Jennica King, Director of Marketing Communications for the zoo, to talk through the full story. From a conversation that started with a website request and turned into a complete brand overhaul, to the creation of Dandy the lion (a.k.a. the \"Kansas lion\"), and how a viral chimpanzee video sent their new identity around the world to the tune of 3.2 billion views.We talk about what it really means to build a brand around a story, how to get staff and the public to embrace change, and why a comprehensive style guide is worth every minute it takes to build. The Sedgwick County Zoo's rebrand is a masterclass in doing it right. HighlightsThe Sedgwick County Zoo is the #1 outdoor family tourist attraction in the state of KansasThe rebrand launched in 2019 ahead of the zoo's 50th birthday in 2021, alongside a $15.1 million capital campaignThe project began as a website request — and evolved into a full rebrand when the team realized the brand needed to be established firstNearly 1,000 intercept interviews with visitors and members were conducted, plus an internal staff survey, to discover the zoo's authentic storyConservation had always been part of the zoo's story but had never been effectively told — the rebrand made it central\"Dandy\" the dandy lion logo was born from the mashup of a Kansas sunflower (the state flower) and a lion — representing both regionality and global conservationA viral chimpanzee video reached 3.2 billion people and brought international recognition to the new brandThe zoo's president was recognized in a remote restaurant in Panama because of Dandy on his hatA thorough visual style guide allowed the zoo's in-house graphics team, outside agencies, and their third-party...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/XAIdJYrSa86eCwBHkjzqU74DZpRuHHO4pNiSQhNzVsk/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9jOTMz/M2UyNGRmOTg5MGEz/N2VhNDY1OTg2ODFm/NmMyMS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}