Daniel saved his rescue with his 26 toes. Credit: Lynn Allen

You can. And it’s not too difficult.

The media loves you and they want to support you but you have to give them something interesting to write about….like finding unusual ways to market and promote your adoptables.

Here’s an example. In June 2011, the Capital Area Humane Society in Columbus, Ohio came up with a campaign to adopt out their overweight cats. The “fat cats” were “on sale,” with their adoption fees reduced from $70 each to $15 each or $20 for two. Now, before you get all indignant the CAHS was diligent in making sure the cats went to good homes, not just anyone who threw down a trio of five spots.

Some critics asked if it was right to exploit their fat cats for PR. I say, HELL YES it was. Here’s why:

They shared the promotion on their Facebook page and with the local media who picked it up right away. Not only did they get coverage in the critical local paper, the Columbus Dispatch,the story hit the national media as well, showing up in the Associated Press, Huffington Post, Catster, Fox News and many more.

They received a lot of attention and tons of foot traffic and were able to find some good, loving homes for their pudgy felines and plenty of other pets as well.

I can assure you that a local adoption event or news of a fundraiser would not have been such a news story.

There are other examples. Remember Daniel? The polydactyl (26-toed) cat who literally saved the Milwaukee Animal Rescue Center? I interviewed Amy Rowell, the shelter founder and director. She told me how she had rescued Daniel from the local animal control in the middle of a crisis for the center. The organization could no longer afford an increase in their rent and was in desperate need of a new location.

Amy and her staff came up with the idea to ask their community for $26 – one for each of their new mascot’s toes – to help them with a down payment for a mortgage for a new location. They shared their promotion with the local media and they loved it! Then, thanks to the power of the Internet, the national and international media picked up the story. Donations came in from all over the world. Within three weeks, the shelter had its down payment and then some.

That, my friends, is the power of PR, especially in today’s digital world.

Don’t think you could ever be so clever? Yes, you can. Dorian Wagner of Catster.com came up with some awesome ways to pimp out your adoptables to get you started brainstorming. My favorites are creating business cards for your adoptable pets, leaving your shelter voicemail from a cat (or dog!) and decorating cages. Read Dorian’s tips here.

Readers, do you an idea you’ve been mulling over? Share in the comments or email me at caroline(at)highpaw(! I’m happy to give you some feedback and guidance on getting your great idea in front of your local (and maybe national!) media!

Pet owners continue to spend money on their babies! Photo: Ruff Leash by Zee Dog

The American Pet Products Association (APPA) announced last week at Global Pet Expo that Americans spent $50.96 billion on their pets in 2012. That’s 4.7 percent more than they did in 2011. I’ll save you having to do the math…that’s $2.37 BILLION additional dollars pumped into our industry.

Based on that, APPA anticipates a “steady 4.1 percent growth rate through 2013″ which brings the projected amount up to $55.5 billion. Hopefully that means a great year for all of us.

Pet services appears to be the area experiencing the most growth. So, for all you groomers, boarders, doggy daycares, dogwalkers, cat shrinks – WAHOOOO! “Increased high end grooming services are fueling new growth in the high income end of the category along with increased use of all services,” said Bob Vetere, president of APPA.

Other growing categories include: supplies and OTC medications and pet insurance. Luxury items also continue to grow.

I noticed a few trends at the expo last week: tons and tons of supplements, mostly for dogs, but a few for cats; interactive treat toys (where the pet has to dig around a puzzle to get their treaty out) and other enrichment toys for dogs and cats.

Growth in our furry, feathered and finned industry is good for all of us! What categories have you seen getting more attention lately?

One of my fave new prodcuts - the PetCam from Samsung. Photo: Samsung

I attend these events for two reasons: in a PR role and as a member of the media. In my PR role, I go to support my clients and make sure editors and writers know about the cool stuff they are working on.

Then I remove that hat and, putting on my reporter’s shoes, I hoof around the expo meeting with other PR folks, checking out booths and compiling what I consider to be cool, useful products that consumers need to know about. Here are some of my round ups:

Vetstreet Best Cat Products

Dogster 10 Cool Dog Products

Catster 10 Cool Cat Products

In working on these compilations, I noticed a few areas in which pet companies can do better if they want press coverage at events. With everything moving in real time, having info and materials at the show is critical. So be prepared! Do the following things and you’ll increase your chances of media coverage at trade shows by a gajillion percent:

1. Have Photos On Site- Have photos readily available on a flash drive AT YOUR BOOTH. This makes it very easy for media to use in round ups.

2. Have Important Info At Your Fingertips - While you’re at it, include a press release with pertinent information about your products and company on your flash drive. Again, the easier you can make it on your media friends, the better. And the more likely you’ll get covered.

3. Invest in the New Product Showcase – If you have a new product, put it in the new product showcase, which is a must-see for all media. If you want coverage, spend some extra bones and get yourself in there.

4. Utilize the Press Room - Put info in the press room. It’s easy and it’s free and media folks do pick up materials.

5. Give Your Booth People a Heads’ Up – Let your booth people know to be helpful when someone from the “press” comes by. I know many companies send their sales people to the trade shows, which is fine. Give them a press kit to hand to media when they happen by.

At Global, most people were super friendly and helpful but, sadly, a few were not. If info is hard to get, no matter how cool the product, the media is going to move on to the next company.

And, by the way, don’t forget to appreciate your PR people! If you have a PR firm that sets you up with appointments and compiles materials for you – it’s worth every penny you spend. They’re giving you a huge advantage in the marketplace.

As we get closer to the next big event – Superzoo, July 23-25 in Vegas – I’ll be providing more in depth information and tips and tricks for getting great coverage at trade shows. Sign up for my newsletter (look on the right side bar, LOL. I don’t think you can miss it!) so you’ll be alerted when this content is ready!

Meow for now!

-C

You’ve seen the “social media explained” graphics….now it’s explained in terms we all can understand – cats.

Enjoy this Social Meow-dia Infographic. Did they leave anything out? Share in the comments!

Social Media Explained by cute cats infographic

How do you promote a product like an airtight dry pet food container at one of the largest pet products trade expos in the world? Sounds like a bit of a challenge, no matter how awesome the containers might be.

But Gamma2 - has figured out a terrific, dynamic and exciting way to tie their product in with a fun, unique promotion that will definitely bring attention to their booth….and their product.

Enter the Gamma Green Men, a trio of drummers (a la Blue Man Group) who will be hanging in the booth, banging out a message about the importance of keeping pet food fresh using Gamma2 products. And, guess what their drums are made of? You got it. What a great way to tie in the product with entertainment. I’m loving this.

And, check out the talent. Here’s a vid of the Gamma Green Men at last year’s expo. I remember people talking about these guys but I didn’t have a chance to see them. For sure this year I will be there – and likely more than once.

If you’re going to be in Orlando, stop by the Gamma2 booth #1567 throughout the event. They’ll be there each day at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Image credit: Jessica Hagy and Forbes.com

But there are still plenty of companies that sit back, watch what others are doing and then do the same thing. Yawn.

This is your time to shine! Your opportunity to make a statement! To test! To be innovative!

To stop being boring.

A friend posted this terrific piece on Facebook today called, “How to be More Interesting (In 10 Simple Steps)” This Forbes.com article is perfect way for companies to think about how to engage with their customers and communities these days.

Many organizations struggle with social media because, as they tell me, they aren’t sure what to talk to their customers about beyond the typical promotional content. This is where companies fall into the “boring” trap.

Read the entire list and check out author Jessica Hagy’s illustrations to get the full effect of this snappy little piece. Here are my favorites:

1. Go exploring.
Explore ideas, places, and opinions. The inside of the echo chamber is where all the boring people hang out. My addition – don’t just live in your little industry bubble. Draw parallels between your business and some that may seem completely unrelated. You might just find a little nugget of insight there.

2. Share what you discover.
And be generous when you do. Not everybody went exploring with you. Let them live vicariously through your adventures. Are you looking for things to talk about with your customers and social network? There you have it!

4. Embrace your innate weirdness.
No one is normal. Everyone has quirks and insights unique to themselves. Don’t hide these things – they are what make you interesting. Hello, Branding 101.

10. Ignore the scolds.
Boring is safe, and you will be told to behave yourself. The scolds could have, would have, should have. But they didn’t. And they resent you for your adventures. You don’t want to be the one “resenting.” Got an idea you’re too scared to try? Get over it and get out there, now!

If you’ve found yourself scratching your head, trying to come up with something compelling to share with your community or help you stand out from the crowded pack, keep these 10 ideas in mind. Or, if you find yourself watching your competitors and then doing a slightly different version of what they are doing, you need to REALLY keep these 10 ideas in mind.

Let loose, friends! Stop being boring and your customers will thank you.

To this guy, EVERY day is World Cat Day.

We humans love to rally around events or causes. We love to celebrate our pets. We love to join together and say things like, “HAPPY WORLD CAT DAY!” And we love to spread stuff like this via our social networks.

Ahem. Opportunity?

So, pet brands: what are you going to do to leverage this opportunity? Here are some ideas to get you brainstorming:

1. Make a donation to an organization in honor of World Cat Day – and promote it via your networks.
2. Better yet, ask your customers to submit their nominations for an organization to receive your donation!
3. Have customers upload photos of their cats onto your Facebook page or elsewhere.
4. Create some content (a blog post, maybe?) relating to “Cats Around the World” – traditions, breeds, history, etc. You could have lots of fun with this one! If you make it interesting enough, it might get shared.
5. Get funny and creative. Create a You Tube video of some cats planning to dominate the world on World Cat Day…..
6. Create a Pinterest board about cats or better yet of customers’ cats.
7. Run a contest where customers submit how they’d end this sentence: “If Cats Ruled the World….”
8. Have your design team (if you have one) do a series of images of cats “ruling the world” with funny captions. Share via all social networks. I’d start with Pinterest on that one.
9. Conduct a Twitter party where you ask cat-related trivia questions
10. Depending on what type of business you’re in, consider greeting customers in your store or answering your phone “Happy World Cat Day!”

Okay, now, use these or come up with your own. Either way, I expect to see LOTS of awesome celebrations happening on Wednesday, August 8!

Meow for now….

Are you tired of blasting out emails to people to request donations, business, media coverage, product reviews, partnerships or investment money and not receiving a single response?

Two simple steps will help solve this problem:

1. Always, always address your emails to a person. As in, “Dear Caroline.” If you cannot find a name anywhere, say something to the effect of: “Dear High Paw editorial team, Apologies for not addressing this to someone specific; I could not find a contact name anywhere!”

2. Then personalize the content of your email. Demonstrate you know who you are emailing and why you are emailing them. As in, “I thought because your cat, Romeo, has long hair, that you would be interested in this new grooming tool.” If you are dog food company sending an email to a person who writes about cats, you better have a good reason for doing so! Explain to them why you are writing and you just might pique their interest.

Easy, peasy, right?

Unfortunately, this common courtesy is not the norm. I receive dozens of emails a day that are simply blasts. I’m just an email address on a list.

I know why this happens. Believe me. I’m on the soliciting end of these communications a lot. It takes a lot of time to research every contact. And, it’s super duper tempting when you are pressed for time to blast out to a list and hope something sticks.

But you’re not doing yourself any favors because you’re reducing your chances of receiving a response. And you’re potentially alienating people who might actually be interested in what you’re offering.

If you are asking someone for something, you should show them a bit of respect. This goes for donations. And sponsorships. And media coverage. And pretty much everything else in life.

Try it! You might be surprised about how easy it is to stand out from the crowd with just a little research and common courtesy. Let me know how you do!

I love celebrating special “pet days” or “pet months.” Themes are fun for consumers and the media loves time sensitive hooks.

So, with gratitude to our friends at Pet Product News for showcasing these special days, here are some upcoming events you should know about!

May 13: Frog Jumping Day
OMG just awesome. I love frogs.

May 23: World Turtle Day
One of my faves each year! Who doesn’t love turtles?

JUNE – Adopt-a-Cat Month
YES! YES! YES! We don’t need a month to remind us how important this is but it’s definitely something to hang our hats on. All pet business, large and small, need to be leveraging this.

It’s also Aquarium Month. That’s fun!

June 3-9: Pet Appreciation Week
My cats will be thrilled to learn about this one. Despite the fact that they are spoiled rotten, they still feel underappreciated.

June 4: Hug Your Cat Day!
Some cats will love this…others won’t

June 5: World Environment Day
The Circle of Life. So important!

June 8: World Ocean Day
Give tribute to this amazing natural resource!

June 22: Take Your Dog to Work Day
Always, always love this one and the awesome photos and stories that result.

JULY

July 15: Cow Appreciation Day
MOO!

July 15: National Pet Fire Safety Day
Something we don’t think about…until we need to think about it.

July 15-21: National Independent Retailers Week
Shop your mom and pop

July 31: National Mutt Day
LOVE this day! How fun!

Any I missed? What are your ideas for having fun with all of these special days?

Most articles on PR and marketing bore me to tears after the first few sentences but a recent one didn’t. Steve Cody, co-founder and managing partner of Peppercom, offers up the five classic PR mistakes in his Inc.om piece, Why No One is Talking About Your Company.

I’ve worked with many brands across many industries and a particular mindset continues to flourish – that getting media coverage is as easy as logging into your media database, whipping up a list and blasting your press release out to eager reporters with empty in boxes, who are just waiting for a great story.

Media relations is a tough biz. It takes a heck of a lot of time to cultivate relationships with reporters, understand what they need, what they write about, what they care about. And, once a reporter says they’re interested, it could take months before they do anything about it. Reporters, producers and editors and, now, bloggers are busy people with ridiculous amounts of information coming at them from all angles.

Of course, sometimes (more often than you want to believe), your “story” just sucks.

Cody offers up some terrific insight into ways to make your media relations efforts more fruitful. Who has time to mess around and spin their wheels? Not in today’s uberfast world.

Here are a couple of my favorite “classic mistakes” from Cody’s article:

Thinking one size fits all. As Cody writes, “I was an early believer in blasting out any and all news about my fledgling business. I was wrong. While I believed my new firm was the greatest thing since sliced bread, very few journalists agreed.” Cody goes on to describe how he learned to research reporters’ past work, understand each reporter’s “brand” and “hot buttons” and then create a pitch that fit within those parameters. That way is much more effective…and much more time consuming. But oh, so worth it.

Using corporate-speak. This one cracked me up. Sometimes it’s hard to get away from that mindset. Even if you’re pitching a reporter who covers your industry, you still need to take it easy with the jargon. Put your pitch into real people language. Ultimately your reporter friend would have to do that themselves anyway so make it easy for them to say yes to your story by helping them envision how it would come across to their readers.

For the rest, read Cody’s article on Inc.

Then, tell me, what are the classic mistakes you’ve made?