THE SUCCESSFUL WAY TO GIVE THE GIFT OF A PET

RANCHO COASTAL HUMANE SOCIETY

Kelly Unruh

COM 420A PR Strategies

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................4

National Statistics ...............................................................................................................4

Rancho Coastal Humane Society........................................................................................4

TARGET AUDIENCE ....................................................................................................................5

Demographics .....................................................................................................................5

Psychographics ...................................................................................................................5

STRATEGY FORMULATION ......................................................................................................6

Campaign Goals..................................................................................................................6 Campaign Objectives ..........................................................................................................6

COMMUNICATION ......................................................................................................................6

The Successful Way to Give the Gift of a Pet ....................................................................6 Channel Mix Strategy .........................................................................................................7

Activation ...........................................................................................................................7 Media Calendar...................................................................................................................8

EVALUATION ...............................................................................................................................8

BIBLIOGRAPHY...........................................................................................................................9

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THE SUCCESSFUL WAY TO GIVE THE GIFT OF A PET

RANCHO COASTAL HUMANE SOCIETY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

There are common misconceptions around the appropriateness of giving a pet as a gift during

the holidays. A study conducted by the ASPCA has debunked these misconceptions and found that with adequate planning, a pet adopted from a local shelter can be the perfect holiday gift. To increase pet adoptions during the holidays, Rancho Coastal Humane Society will run an

educational PR campaign in the San Diego market. The campaign will leverage local TV, radio and social media to educate the community on how to successfully choose a pet to adopt and

provide tips on how to give the pet as a gift. The message will also promote the 2-day adoption event after the holidays.

Through the help of local TV and radio personalities, the message will air daily for two months. Social media will be interactive, inviting pet parents to share their own adoption stories. The 2-

day adoption event will invite the community back to find their forever-pet companion. Based on the success of the campaign this year, it is recommended that Rancho Coastal Humane

Society run this campaign and event annually. The educational message will help guide families understand and plan for the adoption of a pet. The gift giving tips will provide fun ideas how to

‘wrap’ the pet. If the perfect pet is not available for adoption prior to the holidays, then the families are welcomed back to the 2-day adoption event.

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THE SUCCESSFUL WAY TO GIVE THE GIFT OF A PET

RANCHO COASTAL HUMANE SOCIETY

INTRODUCTION

It is often a misconception that it is not a good idea to give the gift of pets during the holiday season because these animals may be returned to the shelters due to the recipient not being able

to properly care for the animal. Rancho Costal Humane Society (RCHS) will educate the local community that it is okay to give the gift of a pet for the holidays. To be successful in giving the gift of a pet, there needs to be adequate planning and preparation as well as agreement among

family members. Adopting a pet is a lifelong commitment that involves emotional and financial responsibilities.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has spent a fair amount of time researching the outcomes of giving pets as gifts. A common fear is that the pet

will be returned to the shelter because the recipient is not able to adequately care for the pet. Many findings show “that pets acquired as gifts are less likely to be relinquished than pets

acquired by the individual” (“About Us,” 2014, par. 2). The ASPCA also went on to find that regardless of how the pet came into the family, there was no major difference in “the love or

attachment the pet parents had for their pets” (Weiss, 2013, par. 11). Overall, the ASPCA states that it is okay to give the gift of a pet as long as the recipient is ready and able to care for a pet

and have adequate time to make the transition from shelter to home a smooth one. They also strongly urge that the adoption be through a shelter or rescue group.

NATIONAL STATISTICS

Although there is not a standardized reporting system for US pet adoptions, it is estimated that up to 4 million cats and dogs are adopted annually from the roughly 3,500 shelters nation wide.

This is much less than the estimated 8 million cats and dogs that enter shelters each year (“Pets by the numbers,” 2014, par. 8). According to the American Pet Products Association, of the

almost 180 million cats and dogs currently living with families, about 46% were rescued from

shelters (“Pets by the numbers,” 2014, par. 4). These statistics help support the reasons to adopt a pet from a shelter or rescue group. Adopting from a shelter not only saves the lives of

pets but can also improve the physical and mental health of the adopting families.

RANCHO COASTAL HUMANE SOCIETY

Rancho Costal Humane Society is a non-profit, 501(c3) charitable organization located in

Encinitas, California. Founded in 1960, Rancho Coastal Humane Society has grown to become “a professionally managed humane society that provides quality shelter care, adoption services,

education programs and an animal program for the survivors of domestic violence” (“About us,” 2013, par 2). Through the help of volunteers, pet adoptions are the top goal of Rancho Coastal

Humane Society.

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Lead by Maria K. Lloyd, a team of volunteers founded the Rancho Coastal Humane Society on 5-acres of land just east of the I-5 in Encinitas, Ca. What began out of Ms. Lloyd’s modest home

has evolved to include two dog kennels, a cattery and rabbit sanctuary. As is still today, their goal was “to care for the homeless animal population of San Diego County” (“About us,” 2013,

par. 1). Additionally, they set out to educate the families on the proper care for their newly adopted pet.

Today, Rancho Coastal Humane Society does more than just adopt pets to local families.

Through charitable donations, the thrift shop proceeds and grants, they are able to provide many services to the pet community.

These services include:

The Humane Education Program to educate kids about care and compassion towards animals

The Animal Safe House program to provide shelter to animals of domestic violence

Cricket’s Corner, a community off-leash dog park Military Working Dog memorial and adoption program

Pets for Patriots program to help military families care for their pets Pet Assisted Therapy programs to provide companionship and courage to those in need

within the community

TARGET AUDIENCE

DEMOGRAPHICS

Rancho Coastal Humane Society will focus the campaign on families with elementary aged children or older who can understand what it means to be responsible and care for a pet. A

majority of the families will live in suburban areas with room or access to areas adequate for a pet. They will have an annual household income that, at minimum, will allow them to

comfortably support the needs of their family and pet. It is expected to see more Hispanic families adopt smaller breed dogs where Caucasian families adopt larger breed dogs or cats (Toellner, 2012, par. 8).

PSYCHOGRAPHICS

Nationwide, 76% of Americans consider their pet a part of the family and even consider

themselves as pet parents rather than pet owners (Toellner, 2012, par. 7). Families are including their children in the pet adoption decisions, leading to more small animal, fish and reptile

adoptions. With an increase of the on-the-go family, they also require a pet to keep up with their active lifestyle. Small animals, which do not need constant attention, tend to fit well into this

active household. Families are also utilizing pet services such as doggy day care and pet sitting services (Penrod, 2013, par 18).

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Parents are using pets to teach their children responsibility. It has been noted that “4 in 10

children begin life in a family with domestic animals, and as many as 90 percent of all kids live with a pet at some point during their childhood” (Strickland, 2008, par. 3). Along with teaching

children responsibility, a 2008 Parents Magazine article states that pets help with learning, provide comfort, encourage nurturing, keep kids healthy and build family bonds.

STRATEGY FORMULATION

CAMPAIGN GOALS

As the holidays approach, Rancho Coastal Humane Society will educate the local community about the successful ways to give pets as gifts. The message will touch on the importance of

planning and determining the type of pet for the family. This includes understanding the financial impact and responsibility needed to care for a pet. The volunteers at Rancho Coastal

Humane Society will ask the gift giver a series of questions to better understand the recipient, their time and dedication and if they are ready for a forever companion. The volunteers will also provide suggestions for fun ways to give the gift, even provide vouchers if the perfect pet is not

immediately available. If proved successful, Rancho Coastal Humane Society will make this an annual campaign and event.

CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES

Through an integrated public relations campaign, Rancho Coastal Humane Society will leverage local TV, radio and social media to create consumer awareness and educate the community on

the successful ways to give the gift of a pet for the holidays, leading to more pet adoptions during this time frame.

COMMUNICATION

THE SUCCESSFUL WAY TO GIVE THE GIFT OF A PET

By keeping the message positive and lighthearted, Rancho Coastal Humane Society does not want to associate a negative tone or mood with the joys of gift giving or adoption. Five key messages will be aired during this time.

Make adopting a pet a family decision. Be sure that everyone is on board and understand

the responsibilities that go into the care for a pet.

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Decide on the type of pet that best suits your family. Ask your family if the pet will fit your lifestyle or if you have the adequate space for the pet to be comfortable.

When giving the gift of a pet, make sure that the family is ready and not overcome with

the additional stress of the holiday. Also make sure that the home is pet proof. Introducing a pet into a new home will require patience and time dedicated to making the transition from shelter to home an easy one.

If the thought of introducing a pet during the holidays is a bit stressful, another option

will be to give a gift basket. This can be filled with the supplies and accessories needed to welcome a new pet home. Along with food, treats, toys and other supplies, a voucher to come back to the adoption event at Rancho Coastal Humane Society to find the

forever companion can be included.

During the second weekend of January, Rancho Coastal Humane Society will host a 2-day adoption event. This will provide an opportunity for the community to meet various dogs, cats and rabbits in hopes of adopting one.

CHANNEL MIX STRATEGY

The channel mix strategy will include local broadcast TV, radio and social media to reach the San Diego market. Broadcast TV will leverage all the local news stations that have daily or

weekly pet segments. Local radio will include family friendly stations as well as KPBS. The stations selected will target those that have on-air personalities with a connection to pet

adoptions. Rancho Coastal Humane Society will sponsor a feature story about pet adoptions during the holidays on KPBS. The social media pages of Rancho Coastal Humane Society and the local media outlets will support the TV and radio messages. Additionally, there will be an

adoption event held at Rancho Coastal Humane Society in January.

ACTIVATION

Local broadcast TV. Specific messaging will be supplied to the on-air personalities

during their weekly pet segments. During the month of November, the messaging will focus on having he family discussions and planning for a pet. The messaging in

December will shift to include tips on how to gift the pet and accessories and supplies needed. Each segment will include an invitation to attend the 2-day adoption event the second weekend of January as well as to visit the Rancho Coastal Humane Society

webpage and social media sites.

Local Radio. Similar to local broadcast TV, local radio will provide the same messaging during live commercial breaks. Rancho Coastal Humane Society will partner with on-air personalities that promote pet adoptions and rescues. In partnership with KPBS, Rancho

Coastal Humane Society will sponsor a segment on local adoptions and gift giving during the holidays. This segment will air one day during both the morning and evening

drive times. Same call to actions back to the website, social media and to attend the adoption event.

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Website and Facebook. The Rancho Coastal Humane Society website will dedicate their homepage to the Successful Way to Give the Gift of a Pet campaign during this time

frame. The homage will provide links to the specific messaging of preparing, planning adoption and gift giving. The 2-day adoption event will be detailed on the website. The

Rancho Coastal Humane Society Facebook page will include daily posts with tips and images of the key message points. Pet parents are also encouraged to share their adoption stories.

2-day Adoption Event. During the second weekend of January, Rancho Coastal Humane

Society will host a 2-day adoption event. All adoptable pets will be available to meet and interact with. Families who received the vouchers will be able to adopt their perfect pet. The event will include activities for the kids and refreshments. Vendors will be on hand

to provide product samples, demonstrations and answer questions. With every adoption, the family will have a photo taken to share and given a goodie bag with information to

get them through the first few days with their new pet. MEDIA CALENDAR

EVALUATION OF RESULTS

The success of the Rancho Coastal Humane Society campaign will be how effective the channel

mix strategy was to create awareness and the number of adoptions from the shelter. Local TV and radio will measure the exposure and impressions to gauge the effectiveness of the message. The amount of engagement on social media will provide the insight to how memorable the

message and event was with the community. The number of adoptions at the shelter during the campaign will be compared to an average of the total adoptions through the shelter. An exit

interview will be part of the adoption process, asking new pet parents if they were aware of the campaign prior to coming to the shelter and if it impacted their decision to adopt. With successful results, Rancho Coastal Humane Society will make this an annual campaign and

event.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

“About Us.” (2014). ASPCA.com. Retrieved from http://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-on-pets-as-gifts

“About us.” (2013). RCHumaneSociety.org. Retrieved from

http://rchumanesociety.org/?page_id=504 “Pets by the numbers.” (2014 January 30). HumanSociety.org. Retrieved from

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/pet_ownership_statistics.html

Penrod, E. (2013 August 6). Families more likely to own pets, but empty nesters gaining

ground. Deseret News. Retrieved from http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865584212/Families-more-likely-to-own-pets-but-empty-nesters-gaining-ground.html?pg=all

Strickland, B. (2008 March). The benefits of pets. Parents. Retrieved from

http://www.parents.com/parenting/pets/kids/pets-good-for-kids/ Toellner, B. (2012 November 12). US pet ownership statistical breakdown. KC Dog Blog.

Retrieved from http://btoellner.typepad.com/kcdogblog/2012/11/us-pet-ownership-statistical-breakdown.html

Weiss, E. (2013 November 7). Pets as gifts – wrap ‘em up! ASPCAProfessional.org.

Retrieved from http://www.aspcapro.org/blog/2013/11/06/pets-gifts%E2%80%94wrap-%E2%80%98em