Pet owners love their pets like they were their children. So when their pets are in pain, so are they.
That was the spark that helped an Indian dog food startup increase its sales by 50% during the Diwali holiday.
Sneh Sharma, founder and CEO at the digital marketing agency Ittisa, shares how she and her team made this happen using some adorable dogs and video marketing.
Saving Dogs, One Campaign At A Time
Sharma explains, “Our client, Dogsee Chew, an organic dog food company based in Bengaluru, India, was looking to build brand awareness and consumer engagement on Facebook, while driving sales during Diwali.”
“We noticed a recurring problem for all dogs during the Diwali season. There was a steady growth in the number of searches where dog owners were looking to protect their pets from the noise and smoke caused by firecrackers going off during the two to three-day festival. During our research we found out that a dog’s hearing ability is seven times that of humans . Some experts say that the bang of a bomb is so loud that it could cause a heart attack among dogs. Hence, we devised the #SayNoToCrackers video campaign to inspire people not to light firecrackers during the holiday.”
Why Facebook Is The King Of Video Marketing
The focus of the video was clear: a short and simple video with compelling messaging. To drive home the #SayNoToCrackers theme, the video needed to highlight the potential health issues faced by dogs during the Diwali season.
Once the video was live, Sharma’s team also noticed many discussions around that topic on Twitter and Quora. Therefore, the agency chimed in on the conversations which received a considerable response on both platforms.
Three Keys To The Campaign’s Success
- Appeal to your viewers’ emotions: “The video embodied pet owners’ feelings, which inspired them to share the video on social media. The video was also a real eye-opener for non-dog owners, unaware of the damage incurred to dogs by the excessive noise,” says Sharma.
- Keep your videos short: Since people’s attention span continue to shorten, Ittisa made sure the video was short but still expressed its message.
- Keep your idea simple: There was no high-end production or marketing gimmick used for the video. The simple idea based on customer insights as enough to showcase the plight of dogs during Diwali.
How #SayNotoCrackers Led To Immediate Business Results
#SayNotoCrackers Facebook comments (Ittisa)
#SayNotoCrackers Facebook comments (Ittisa)
During the two-week campaign before and after Diwali, the #SayNotoCrackers video garnered:
- 3.9 million reach
- 50,000 website visitors
- 27,000 shares on social media
- 14,000 likes
- 1,200 comments on social media (50% of which people vowed not to light firecrackers)
- 50% increase in sales
“Though the product was nowhere to be advertised during the whole video, we still managed to make a mark in people’s mind as a brand that cares for their dogs. This led to an organic boost in sales,” says Sharma.
Looks like every dog will indeed have its day.
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