PETernity

Background

PetCulture is an online, subscriptionbased petcare business providing member benefits across insurance, products and veterinary services.

In 2021, the brand wanted to build brand recognition with pet owners in Australia, where there are more pets than people.

Idea

More than two thirds of Australian pet owners see themselves as pet parents and their pets as members of the family.

However, they don’t receive any workplace support to care for their pets, such as sick leave, carer’s leave and flexible working.

Recognising the cultural shift away from traditional pet–master relationships, PetCulture saw an opportunity to build market share just months after launch.

Bringing to life its brand platform ‘Pets Are People Too’, PetCulture launched a nationwide campaign to get PETernity Policies introduced into Australian workplaces. Pet parents were invited to sign the PETernity PETition calling on employers to recognise the significant role pets play in families and introduce pet care flexibility in the workplace. By directing them to the website, PetCulture could get pet parents to explore the product and service range.

They could take a pet personality test to better understand how to care for their pets with products being recommended to suit their needs.

Results

The campaign resulted in a 449% increase in purchases, a 350% increase in conversions and a 193% increase in memberships.

Website traffic increased by 2584% and a dwell time of 2.87 minutes, five times the industry average. It also gained national media attention, attracting 269 pieces of coverage.

Our Thoughts

At first glance, ‘peternity’ looks like a weak pun. But behind it is a massive insight which has led directly to equally massive market success. Pets have become increasingly important during lockdown.

In the UK, over three million homes have acquired pets during the pandemic with young people under 34 accounting for nearly 60% of them. 69% of all Australian homes now have a pet. In the UK, 74% of new owners say their pet has helped them with their mental health. 38% say that a new pet is “like having a new baby”.

So peternity isn’t a weak pun after all, especially now that people are returning to work and are expecting their workplaces to be dog-friendly. To encourage more people to come into the agency more often, Mother London is said to have set up a dog crèche with professional dog walkers exercising the pooches twice a day.