Birthing giraffe becomes cash cow
Experts estimate N.Y. zoo that livestreamed calf ’s birth made hundreds of thousands
April the giraffe has become a cash cow for a tiny zoo in rural upstate New York, thanks to a YouTube video livestream of her pregnancy and birth of a cute calf that has riveted viewers around the world.
Owners of the for-profit Animal Adventure Park won’t say exactly how much they’ve pulled in from all April-related ventures, but Internet marketing experts conservatively estimate the haul in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The ventures include the Toys ‘R’ Us-sponsored YouTube stream, monetized text messages, a clothing line and the sale of T-shirts, caps and fuzzy toys.
“The monies are going to allow the park to continue to grow and improve,” said Jordan Patch, who started the zoo with his wife four years ago in Harpursville, 209 kilometres northwest of New York City.
“But also, the money will help support our conservation efforts in Africa, so we’re actually providing tangible results for wild giraffes.”
Patch said a GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $150,000 for the care of April, her mate Oliver and their male calf, as well as upgrades to their exhibit space. And he expects 150,000 park visitors — twice as many as last year — to pay $11to $13 to see the giraffe family along with the park’s 200 other animals.
Neither Patch nor Toys ‘R’ Us, which features a giraffe as its corporate mascot, would talk about how many dollars were attached to April’s video stream. After coming online Feb. 23, it has become the second most-watched livestream in YouTube history, with more than 232 million views and 7.6 billion minutes of live watch time.
“Every marketer dreams of getting something that will go viral,” said Allen Adamson of Brand Simple Consulting. “The real value is the way the organization has been cemented in millions of people’s minds in a compelling way. You can’t buy advertising like that.”