Small
But
Mighty

Marketing Effectiveness On A Budget

The Challenge

Promoting an annual event on a very limited budget.

The Solution

Leveraging their organic, highly engaged social audience for a grassroots campaign.

The Result

Sales that month increased 67% compared to the previous year.

Project Profile

Healthi Paws is a locally owned pet food store and grooming facility in Valparaiso, IN. Healthi Paws offers a variety of nutritional pet food and treats, specializing in organic and holistic products. Healthi Paws’ mission is to consistently deliver affordable, high-quality pet food and products that promote overall pet health and wellness.

Marketing Effectiveness Case Study, Healthi Paws Case Study

The Challenge

In August 2014 Healthi Paws hosted a Mega Sale event offering 20% off customers’ total purchase of food and treats. Promotion for the sale was handled solely by the client, and relied heavily on radio advertising. The sale was unsuccessful, and the client concluded that this was due in large part to the high cost of radio promotion. Healthi Paws needed a way to both boost brand awareness and increase long-term sales.

The Solution

The Barbauld Agency began managing Healthi Paws’ social media mid-2014. By the start of 2015, we had established a loyal community of followers. In May 2015 Healthi Paws hosted a second Mega Sale event with the objective of increasing long-term sales and boosting brand awareness in Valparaiso and the surrounding communities.

Healthi Paws wanted to bring in customers who were new to the store and make them aware of the healthy products they carry for a variety of pets.

Advertising for this sale relied heavily on social media. Aware of the audience we’d already captured on Facebook, we also targeted new fans. The campaign kicked off the week before the sale. The social media aspect included pictures of product arrivals, sale images, caption-this-photo contests, promoted posts, and offers. Healthi Paws also advertised in the local paper both in print and online.

Marketing Effectiveness Case Study, Healthi Paws Case Study

The Result

By noon of the first day of the Mega Sale, the client reported that hourly sales were equal to their normal daily average. On the second day of the sale, the turnout and bottom line were similarly successful. Total sales for May showed a 67% increase in sales compared to May of the previous year.

Brand awareness saw a significant boost through social media reach and newspaper exposure. Healthi Paws gained 90 new Facebook fans, a 6% increase, in the eight days leading up to and including the sale. Most significantly, Healthi Paws’ average daily sales increased 50% following the campaign.