Marketing Child And
Animal Welfare
Founded in 1877, American Humane has a long and distinguished history of protecting children and animals from abuse and neglect. Unfortunately, during the late 20th Century, American Humane needed to rethink its marketing approach.
The Challenge
Initially, working as a consultant to American Humane, I was tasked with determining how to re-energize public awareness of its programs and fundraising results. Research confirmed that potential funding sources included 1) individual donors, 2) cause marketing partners, and 3) grant providers. Unfortunately, research also indicated that American Humane’s outreach programs were no longer resonating with potential donors or partners. I shared these findings with American Humane’s CEO and Board of Directors and preposed taking a new approach to marketing American Humane’s child and animal welfare programs.
I then assumed a newly created position as Vice President of Public Programs and Marketing and rebuilt, rebranded and relaunched three legacy outreach programs: Be Kind to Animals, The Very Best Pet Network and American Humane – Animal Planet Rescue.
Be Kind to Animals
Partnering with the Purina PetCare Company and the Friskies brand, we created the Be Kind to Animals standards-based education program and distributed it, via the Internet, to grades 3 – 5 teachers nationwide.
Results
The Internet distributed Be Kind to Animals program was shared with teachers and students in more than 1,000 classrooms during the first year of distribution.
The Very Best Pet Network
In an effort to save the lives of millions of pets being euthanized every year, we partnered in an extensive cause marketing program with Purina PetCare Company, Walmart, canine movie star Benji and 2,500 local animal welfare organizations to create the first national shelter animal adoption program.
Results
American Humane’s Very Best Pet Network generated more than $2.5 million in pro-bono services and $500,000 in private donations.
American Humane –
Animal Planet Rescue
Concurrent with developing the Be Kind to Animals and Very Best Pet Network programs, we forged an extensive cause marketing partnership with Discovery Network’s Animal Planet channel. Together, we developed a cause marketing program centered on rescuing animals in natural disasters.
Results
American Humane’s nonprofit marketing marriage with Animal generated more than $6 million in grant funding and donations. In addition, the program established a wide variety of battle tested animal rescue best practices.
This is a photo of the Rescue Clinic that American Humane and Animal Planet co-developed. The truck operated in tandem with the Red Cross, to aid animals in national disasters, including Hurricane Katrina.
Frequently featured in Animal Planet Network programming, this rescue rig housed six team members, a dorm, full kitchen, bathroom and shower, veterinary clinic, garages for boats, a rescue ambulance and swift water rescue equipment and an incident command office.
Impacts
American Humane’s new approach to marketing child and animal welfare touched than 100 million people and raised more than $10 million.
Please Contact Me
Please do contact me if your organization needs a little (or maybe a lot of) help taking your marketing campaign to the top of the Internet.