5 Marketing Campaign Ideas For The Dog Days Of Summer

When it comes to marketing campaigns, it’s important to remember that pets are people too. They can have a big impact on the sales of your products, so you need to be sure you’re using the right tactics for them. Here are five great marketing campaigns that will inspire you and help get you through the dog days of summer.

1. If you’ve ever watched a dog move and thought to yourself, “This is a dancer,” or if you’ve seen a video of someone’s dog playing fetch and thought, “I wish I could do that,” then you’re already familiar with the brilliance of BarkBox’s BarkWorthy Awards.
   
   The monthly subscription service for dogs celebrates dogs who have done something amazing—like become best friends with another animal or learn how to open doors—or been featured on the company’s Instagram account. This summer you can get a FREE Funboy puncture-proof Pool Float! Plus, get the Pool Party themed box!

2. Target’s dog days Instagram takeover was a fun way to engage with customers. The retailer held an Instagram contest, asking customers to share their photos of their dogs while they shopped at Target, or while they were away from home. Customers could use the hashtag “#dogdays” and tag @TargetStyle on their pictures.
   
   In addition to these awesome items, Target also shared photos of their employees’ dogs enjoying life outside during summertime (and inside during wintertime). Their Instagram feed included images showing how people can bring their pups into various areas of life—from vacations at the beach to trips through Europe.

3. Subaru Loves Pets – Continuing its tradition of creating popular pet-focused ads, Subaru of America has launched all-new ‘Dog Tested. Dog Approved’ advertising spots. The four spots showcase the Barkleys, a family of Labrador and Golden Retrievers, who recently helped to launch the all-new Subaru Ascent. In the newest ‘Dog Tested. Dog Approved’ spots, the Barkleys will take on everything from driving lessons, to the first day of school and even a doggy-run car wash.
   
   Subaru has many other ads like this one that use pet owners as main characters in their commercials, which helps them connect with animal lovers on a personal level. By taking advantage of these messages and incorporating them into their marketing strategies, other companies could increase sales by appealing directly to consumers who have pets—and most of us do!

4. As part of a wonderfully clever campaign aimed at finding new homes for shelter animals, IKEA has devised a way to convince shoppers that welcoming a needy dog or cat into their lives just might be the best way to tie a room together.
   
   In partnership with pet rescue charity Home For Hope, the furniture retailer has begun placing life-sized cardboard cutouts of real dogs and cats that are available for adoption alongside their in-store displays.
   
   Each cutout features a barcode with which they can access information about how to make that specific animal their pet. Best of all, there’s no assembly required.

5. Weiner Stampede By Heinz Ketchup – hard to think of anything more delightful than hundreds of sausage dogs dressed in hot dog costumes running in slow motion. This commercial certainly delivers! Accompanied by Harry Nilsson’s song ‘Without You,’ we see the joyous stampede of pooches bound toward and jump into the arms of their saucy companions. This commercial captures a beautiful emotional reunion and also showcases a great serving suggestion!

Because pets are such an integral part of many people’s lives and because they have such powerful emotions attached to them, it’s easy for your audience to connect with your efforts. You can offer rewards for good behavior, create a sense of community around your brand by showcasing how many other pet owners are using your products or services, and even use animals as a source of humor in videos or images that go viral – all while strengthening customer loyalty along the way.

And if you’re looking for inspiration of your own, we can help with that too! Yalo is an award-winning marketing, branding, and website & app development company with big heart and big soul. Just reach out to us. We’re always happy to chat with fellow animal lovers about their branding and marketing plans.