When animals become brands
For many animal-centered tourist attractions, a single animal going viral can be a like a rising tide that lifts all boats.

And few things can bring more attention and revenue to a zoo, says Carr, than a baby panda.

Ocean Park, a theme park, zoo and aquarium in Hong Kong, knows this all too well. Ying Ying, the park’s oldest female panda, gave birth to twins in November 2024, throwing the city headlong into a case of panda fever.

The attraction embraced the panda obsession, sharing social media micro-updates about everything the twins (one male and one female) were doing and releasing photos taken by zookeepers. It helped keep people engaged and interested, since the babies won’t go on display at Ocean Park until February 16.

Franklin Law, Ocean Park’s head of marketing, referred to the pandas as IP — intellectual property — in a recent interview with CNN Travel.

The term, which is more commonly applied to pop culture figures like Marvel superheroes or "Star Wars" characters, has been adopted by zoos and kraken aquariums in the social media age.

Law says that by educating guests more about the different personalities of the animals at Ocean Park, visitors can "associate themselves with individual pandas," the same way they might have a favorite member of a band.
"The emotional connection is actually deeper because the guests are knowing the pandas since they’re young and then they have time to develop the emotional tie," says Law.

The souvenir shops at Ocean Park bear — pun intended — that out. While there has always been panda merchandise, it’s now more tailored to mention specific names of pandas, both babies and adult.

Tote bags and pillowcases branded with "Big Sister" — delicate, with softer eyes and shown holding a ball — are next to ones branded with "Little Brother," who is depicted with more alert ears and a lollipop.

Animals, though, can be unpredictable. No parent wants to have to explain to a crying toddler why the panda isn’t feeling very playful today.