Key takeaways
- Northumberland Zoo adopted n-gage.io's platform to enhance visitor experience and data collection.
- The platform offers advanced audience engagement, real-time data insights, and personalised communication.
- Features include dwell time monitoring, heat mapping, content triggering, and educational portals.
- The technology aims to drive conservation behaviour, improve operations, and increase revenue.
- Unlike other apps, n-gage.io provides deep learning and interactive engagement capabilities.
Northumberland Zoo, a family-run attraction in Morpeth, has partnered with County Durham-based n-gage.io to implement an innovative audience engagement platform and attraction management software. This technology aims to transform the visitor experience, increase income, and further educational goals, which owners believe will be a game-changer for the sector.
The zoo, which holds over 100 species, gained its licence in June 2015 and is keen to build on its early success by enhancing the customer experience and gathering crucial data. n-gage.io, led by entrepreneur Bryan Hoare, offers a highly customisable, data-driven SaaS platform with an integrated mobile-web application designed for the visitor attraction sector.
Enhancing Visitor Engagement and Conservation
Maxine Bradley, founder and zoo curator, emphasised the industry's focus on making a positive impact on visitors and fostering a sense of conservation. She highlighted the importance of continuous research into what visitors gain from their visits to zoos, safari parks, or wildlife sanctuaries.
The zoo industry is all about making the right impact on visitors and shifting their behaviour, by encouraging a sense of conservation in people and generations to come. Ongoing research and measurement as to what visitors take away with them from a visit to their local zoo, safari park, or wildlife sanctuary, is critical.
Bradley views n-gage.io's Audience Engagement Platform (AEP) and mobile app as a significant advancement for the entire sector. She noted that the more she collaborates with the n-gage.io team, the more potential she sees for the technology.
Real-time Data and Personalised Interactions
The n-gage.io platform enables Northumberland Zoo to monitor visitor behaviour in real-time, offering capabilities such as dwell time monitoring, heat mapping, and content triggering. This allows the zoo to identify which displays attract the most attention.
The extensive real-time data gathering facilitates the sending of specific questionnaires or surveys to visitors, eliciting insights. The platform’s ability to segment data and send personalised communications is crucial for building long-term relationships with visitors.
Dwell time is a big thing for this sector. If visitors have downloaded our app powered by the n-gage.io platform, then through dwell time monitoring, heat mapping and content triggering, we will instantly be able to see which displays are getting the most attention. Because of the enormous real time data gathering, we will then be in the position to send visitors specific questionnaires or surveys to elicit insights, as the platform can segment data and send personalised communication, which is also essential in building long-term relationships with our fans.
Bradley also anticipates that the cloud-hosted platform's valuable data analysis will assist in strategising the zoo's future development. She is enthusiastic about creating offline and online tools to foster continuous visitor interaction, playing into the growing trend of rewards and redemption for achievements.
Revolutionary Educational Capabilities
In collaboration with Bradley and Northumberland Zoo’s education officer, Sarah Nicholson, n-gage.io has integrated an education portal into the platform. This feature standardises with the customisable software package, managing school visits and lesson delivery.
- Each school receives a dedicated area on the platform.
- Secure logins provide access to manage activities and pre-loaded modules.
- Teachers can access these resources via tablets or smartphones.
No other zoo has this kind of technology. None of them have the deep learning capability or enhanced interactive audience engagement functionality that n-gage.io offers. I believe this app will be a gamechanger for the industry.
Benefits for Visitors and Operations
The n-gage.io software and app are designed to improve operations, enhance audience engagement, generate valuable insights, and increase revenue for the global attraction, leisure, and entertainment industry.
Key App Features for Visitors:
- Automatic availability of pre-purchased tickets.
- Exclusive in-app vouchers.
- Interactive content and fun activities, including quizzes.
- Shareable photo frames.
- Interactive mapping and wayfinding for easy navigation.
Northumberland Zoo has successfully launched the n-gage.io platform and audience experience app, which is now available on both the iOS App Store and Google Play. Bradley's vision is to fully integrate the platform with other digital channels, such as TikTok (where the zoo has 165,000 followers) and YouTube, to continuously track audience reactions, grow income, and deliver educational content.
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