How PAW by Blackmores used the power of print media to successfully promote their product and build brand awareness
Challenge
Pet health supplement brand Pure Animal Wellbeing (PAW) by Blackmores approached Nine to launch a content partnership to promote their range of natural health solutions for pets, designed to support our furry friends’ health and wellbeing, with a focus on dermatology, behaviour, digestion and joint care.
The four key campaign objectives were to:
Establish PAW by Blackmores as the category leader
Educate pet parents on the benefits of pet supplements, building brand credibility and increasing pet parent advocacy
Intercept the standard consumer journey of pet-straight-to-vet
Drive an ambitious goal of +20% year on year increase of new buyers to PAW by Blackmores
Solution
The partnership needed to find ways for consumer engagement at different points and different moments on the customer journey, and it did that through harnessing Nine’s premium lifestyle publishing brands. An always-on approach for eight months was implemented, led by special print executions in Good Weekend and Sunday Life.
Complementing this were QR codes in all print brand ads in Good Weekend and Sunday Life, digital ads in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, alongside native content and mini scrollers in their respective digital destinations, paired with social media posts.
Execution
Good Weekend Mini Magazine:
The 52 weekends away with your pet mini-mag showcased a number of incredible stays that are pet-friendly, along with advice on helping your pet cope with away-from-home stays, and an advertorial: the Paw Health 101 series.
As well as accommodation, the mini-mag profiled pet friendly cafés and beaches to keep the whole family entertained over the summer holidays. Given the type of content, it became a keepsake for pet parents to keep as a go-to guide for holidaying with their pet, and generated engagement with many pet parents tagging Good Weekend in their images.
Sunday Life Reverse Back:
A dog’s guide to great skin, focused on the importance of looking after your dog’s skin, and advice on managing various skin conditions, from signs and symptoms to top treatments for itchy pups.
Within five pages, it also profiled the PAW by Blackmores range built specifically for a range of pet-related skin conditions, and an “in the clinic” column-style advertorial series featuring the Blackmores in-house vet.
Native Content & Mini Scroller:
Leveraging advertising opportunities on digital versions of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Blackmores used timely messaging during key seasons affecting dermatology conditions in pets to promote PAW by Blackmores.
Social Media Support:
Alongside the Blackmores ads in the mastheads and digital executions, social media helped educate pet parents on the benefits of pet supplements through engaging content.
Results
A partnership that delivered against all campaign objectives
The partnership between Nine Publishing and PAW by Blackmores was a classic example of how a print audience can deliver real value, through grabbing dog lovers’ attention, and engaging them around the topic of pet health supplements.
The integrated partnership established mental availability, improved consideration, and ultimately increased sales – in fact, it helped outperform the ambitious business goals with a 34% increase in sales YoY (+14% on the KPI of 20% growth).
“With an objective of balancing scaled consumer awareness whilst still remaining credible and true to our veterinary heartland, this campaign was a great success for the PAW by Blackmores brand, exceeding all KPIs set.”
Georgie Mitchell, Brand Manager Pet Health, PAW by Blackmores
Source: Kantar Brand Effectiveness Study, 10 May – 25 June, Sample: N=1102 People aged 18-54 from NSW and VIC