John Ball Zoo is the most-visited cultural institution in Michigan outside Detroit, welcoming more than 700,000 guests in 2025. Each year, their Human Resources and Marketing teams are tasked with staffing the Zoo not just for daytime activities but also for the 10-week Grand Rapids Lantern Festival, educational programming, zoo camps, and more. As the Zoo’s agency of record, the Acorn team was tasked with developing a paid media strategy to drive qualified applicants to attend their four hiring parties or submit an application.
We developed a month-long digital media strategy that targeted active job-seekers in the greater Grand Rapids area, specifically summer job seekers, part-time job seekers, and retirees looking to earn extra income. Ad creative was produced by the Zoo’s talented design team and put to action by Acorn’s digital advertising strategists using TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram. Creative was refreshed after each weekly party to ensure it maintained relevance throughout the month.
The Zoo saw its most successful hiring cycle ever, welcoming more than 462 attendees to its hiring parties and 230 additional online applicants, more than doubling hiring party attendance over 2025.
Digital advertising garnered over 675k impressions, 13,442 clicks, and a combined click-through rate of 2%.
As a result of John Ball Zoo and Acorn’s combined efforts, the zoo achieved full capacity in all guest services departments, grounds, and warehouse by February 26th- more than a month before opening day. The continued growth in turnout allowed them to build a strong, well-balanced team and establish a healthy pipeline should any needs arise during the season. Additionally, they saw a meaningful increase in interest from individuals looking to volunteer and engage with the zoo in other capacities.
