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To be brief
[ OBJECTIVE ]
Make Petfinder everyone's first choice when looking for a pet.
[ TARGET ]
People who want an animal but are unsure if rescue is right for them.
[ PROBLEM ]
Petfinder's messaging focuses leans heavily on the charitable side of rescue rather than capturing the joy and excitement of bringing home a new pet
[ INSIGHT ]
People will choose a pet for reasons that only have to make sense to them.
[ STRATEGY ]
Give yourself the gift of giving exactly what you want.
Interesting methods
Conducted a survey to understand why people chose the pets that they have. Also extended the survey questions to Reddit and Quora users.
Extended the survey questions to Reddit and Quora users for more in depth answers.
Social listening on Facebook rescue groups to understand the culture.
Looked to pop culture for uncomfortable truths about how people feel about charitable organizations.
THE LARGEST PET ADOPTION SITE IN NORTH AMERICA
They’ve made finding the exact pet you want feel simple, intuitive, and actually possible. But their impact goes way beyond convenience.
> 50%
Over 50% of shelter adoptions are attributed to Petfinder.
> 25M
More than 25 million people have adopted through the platform.
> $10M
And they’ve helped raise over $10 million in donations.
The ask was simple:
get new people to choose Petfinder.
TALKING TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE
Most people who adopt are already all in.
They’re passionate about rescuing animals and see adoption as meaningful.
They don’t need convincing.
We needed to reach the people who are curious, but not quite ready. The ones hovering in the middle.
BEING IN THE ARMS OF AN ANGEL IS MAKING PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE
The pet adoption industry messaging focuses heavily on rescue and Petfinder has done the same.
This messaging not only pushes people, it reinforces the misconception that adopted pets come with problems.
But that’s not the reality.
Most adoptable pets don’t come with issues. They just need a home.
HOW PEOPLE REALLY CHOOSE THEIR PETS
I still needed to figure out how to make it exciting. So, I dug into what makes getting a pet exciting by asking people how they chose their pets.
Not one person mentioned rescue.
Their answers were specific, random, even a little ridiculous.
It wasn’t about doing the right thing or what the animal had been through.
They chose their pets because they looked funny.
Because they matched their vibe.
Because something just clicked.
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"he was the funniest to look at"
"I was told he was skittish, but as soon as he saw me he started rolling around and playing...I took that as he was mine"
Sydney and Oliver
Hailey and Pinot
When given a choice, we’ll choose based on reasons that only have to make sense to us.
INSIGHT
Deep down, people would rather be selfish than be a hero.
Give yourself the gift of getting exactly what you want.
Rescue Selfishly.
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