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Animal Rescue League Adopts New Marketing Tools

© 2009 PODi, the Digital Printing Initiative www.podi.org/casestudy

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Project: Animal Rescue League Adopts New Marketing Tools Vertical Market: Nonprofit

Business Application: Direct Marketing/Loyalty

Business Objectives

The Animal Rescue League (ARL) of Western Pennsylvania is a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding homes for animals. Having been in operation for several years the organization was interested in improving its marketing effectiveness and service offerings. ARL decided to conduct a survey with the following objectives:

• Understand how customers were finding out about ARL

• Learn how customers felt about their animal adoption experience

• Garner opinions about the value of ARL services (adoption, clinic, obedience school, kennel, cemetery and wildlife rehabilitation)

• Collect email addresses

• A secondary objective was to collect donations

Results

The results were very pleasing to ARL. In terms of responses 341 (11.4%) of the 2,997 customers went to their personalized URL (PURL) and 321 (10.7%) actually completed the survey. Some of the key findings were:

• Only 2% of customers found out about ARL from radio and TV ads, leading ARL to rethink their media mix

• Customers felt ARL needed to speed up the adoption process, but they thought the volunteer staff was great

• They collected over 300 new email addresses for future communication

• Donations more than paid for the campaign

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Campaign Architecture

mslDirect Inc. created a two-version postcard mailing utilizing personalization and PURL technology that was mailed to individuals who had adopted animals within the last two years. One version of the postcard was for cat adopters and the other version was for dog adopters. Personalized landing pages were set up to welcome each individual and to obtain email addresses for future use. The Survey page made it very easy for adopters to answer questions and provide individualized feedback to the ARL. The Profile page of the site allowed the client to verify his own contact information and finally a Thank-you page expressed appreciation for client input. Each page on the site also provided a direct link to the PayPal site for the ARL, allowing clients to easily make donations. Thank-you emails were sent to each client who responded and completed the survey questions. PURL site and campaign results reporting was accessible to the ARL – making it very easy for them to be responsive to client feedback.

Target Audience and Messaging

The campaign was sent to individuals who had adopted a pet from the ARL within the last two years. The messaging thanked the person(s) for adopting an animal and then asked them to share their adoption experience by answering a few questions at their PURL site.

Offer

Customers were offered a chance to win a $100 gift card from PETCO.

Animal Rescue League Adopts New Marketing Tools

© 2009 PODi, the Digital Printing Initiative www.podi.org/casestudy

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Creative & Outbound Pieces

The mailing featured two different graphic layouts that appealed specifically to either cat or dog adopters. Cards were also personalized front and back inviting each adopter by name to visit their personalized landing page and register to win a gift card.

Reasons for Success

A combination of a great list, personalization and PURL technology made this all possible. In the future, the ARL plans to take photos of customers and the animal they adopt and then use that for even more personalized communications.

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Client Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania

www.animalrescue.org

For generations, the community has relied on ARL as a resource for adoption, foster homes, veterinary care, behavioral training and animal welfare advocacy. ARL considers the unique needs of all the animals in their care and work compassionately to prepare every safe, appropriately socialized pet for a wonderful new life.

Print Provider Victor Printing

www.victorprinting.com

Founded in 1919, Victor Printing is a third generation, family owned business dedicated to providing innovative printing solutions exclusively to the trade market. Victor has grown from a one-man operation to a flourishing manufacturer offering a comprehensive line of printing products and services.

Creative Agency mslDirect Inc. www.msldirectinc.com Formed in 1996, mslDirect offers an innovative approach to effective marketing and communications initiatives. Their aim is to help make clients’ efforts as easy and effective as possible. Experienced in working with both small local companies and large national corporations, they use their extensive knowledge to help create solutions to suit individual needs. Working together with clients, they not only offer competitively priced printing and design but flexible service as well. They also provide a proactive approach to account management that demonstrates commitment to getting to know clients, their needs and their products.

Hardware HP Indigo 5500 7-color digital press

Software MindFireInc’s LookWhosClicking

PPML Produced using PPML

Target Audience Individuals who had adopted a pet from Animal Rescue League

Distribution 2,997

Date December 2007 – March 2008