Dive Brief:
- Mars Petcare's Pedigree brand debuted "Every Pup's Superpower," a campaign aimed at raising awareness about pet adoption, per a press release.
- Pedigree partnered with advocate and author Katherine Schwarzenegger to invite consumers to share what's special about their dog on social media. For every engagement or personal story using the hashtag #EveryPupsSuperpower, Pedigree will donate one bowl of food, up to 500,000 bowls, to shelter dogs. The company will also donate $250,000 to the Pedigree Foundation to support shelters across the country.
- The effort launched as part of Pedigree's sponsorship of the IMAX documentary "Superpower Dogs," which tells stories of how dogs save lives and make the world a better place. It extends the brand's "Feed the Good" platform focused on the idea that humans and dogs benefit each other.
Dive Insight:
Pedigree is capitalizing on pet owners' avid social media use and proclivity to share pictures and videos of their four-legged companions in a bid to bolster a drive supporting shelter animals and the brand's work with the "Superpower Dogs" documentary.
Plenty of marketers tie an element of social media sharing into campaigns to extend their reach online, but Pedigree could tap into a particularly rich vein with the campaign. Adult dog owners post about their pets on social media an average of six times per week, according to a study by BarkBox. They also watch dog videos or view dog pictures three times a week, and one in 10 dog owners has a social media account devoted to their pet.
The partnership with Schwarzenegger — eldest daughter of actor and former California governor Arnold — could help Pedigree connect with younger consumers who are embracing the pet influencer trend. Millennials are the biggest pet-owner segment, and they spend more on their pets than older generations. Consumers overall spent $72.1 billion on pet products in 2017, an 8.1% increase from 2016, according to the American Pet Products Association data cited in Forbes.
Raising awareness about pet adoption and supporting pet shelters are causes Pedigree has highlighted in its marketing for several years.
