"Peanut Butter Puppies" Book Campaign
Puppies Kickstarted My Digital Marketing Career
Background:
In September 2020, I embarked on a journey that would kickstart my career. Internationally known animal photographer Greg Murray finished photographing for his third book, "Peanut Butter Puppies." Little did I know this heartwarming coffee table book would lead me to a successful digital marketing career.
The Inspiration:
It all began when my dad posted a photo of our new rescue dog, Seamus, on Facebook. Murray was finishing up photographing for his third book, "Peanut Butter Puppies," but he was one puppy short. Upon seeing Seamus, a black and white mutt with fur that mimicked a tuxedo, Murray took a chance and commented on my dad's post. A shy pup still figuring out life, Seamus officially became the final model.
The Project:
Less than a week after Seamus' modeling gig, my professor assigned us a semester-long public relations campaign. She informed us that we could create a campaign for an actual brand or create an imaginary one. Wanting to make the most of my experience, I contacted Murray on Facebook Messenger, asking if I could develop my campaign for "Peanut Butter Puppies." Little did I know my initiative would turn into my first internship.
Setting the Goal:
Our mission was clear: achieve 3,000 pre-orders in five months. This goal focused on giving back. Gibbs Smith, Murray's publisher, pledged to donate $1 for each pre-order, up to $3,000. Donations would be split among three rescue organizations that adopted out puppies featured in the book. Throughout the campaign, we centered our messaging around this mission. We cared deeply about this cause, and I was ready to take on the challenge.
The Campaign Takes Off:
Murray and I hit the ground running, becoming an overnight phenomenon on Amazon. We quickly earned the top spot in numerous Amazon bestseller categories. Trusting me, Murray allowed me to develop and execute my own marketing strategy.
Owned Media Strategy & Execution:
My focus was to create compelling promotional content for our website and social media channels.
Blogging was our primary website strategy, starting with a post discussing peanut butter safety for dogs. Following this publication, I interviewed puppy owners to develop heartwarming bios about these adorable pups. Each blog was featured on our Facebook page, driving website traffic.
Facebook was my primary platform for the campaign, while Greg focused on Instagram and email. Throughout the campaign, I crafted engaging social media posts to boost engagement and sales. To add personality to these posts, I taught myself design platforms like Adobe Express to create attention-grabbing videos and graphics.
Murray and I also sat down to film countless sit-down videos to promote the book.
Paid Media Strategy & Execution:
When we launched the campaign, Murray placed a paid advertisement to announce the pre-order availability. To our surprise, Meta's AI incorrectly flagged our ad for promoting underage drinking. We used this alert as promotional comedic content. From there, we placed occasional ads for the book.
Shared Media Strategy & Execution:
Our content was a hit. Our followers regularly shared our posts to their feeds. We sparked a conversation that grew our audience.
Following the book's release, we asked for reviews to continue growing attention around the book by improving our search results.
Earned Media Strategy & Execution:
We knew we needed to extend beyond our current audience to achieve our pre-order goal. Following extensive research, I compiled a list of hundreds of news outlets across the globe to receive our press release. Through our hard work, "Peanut Butter Puppies" gained recognition from respected news outlets, such as the Today Show, PopSugar, Fox 8 News, Cleveland.com, Cleveland Magazine, and a full-page spread in People Magazine, to name a few.
Sweet Success:
As our campaign neared its end, we faced shipping delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing our release date from March 16, 2021 to March 23, 2021. Determined to sustain our success, we continued promoting the book. On March 20, 2021, Murray shared a pre-order update. We had surpassed our goal, with 5,002 pre-orders, making Peanut Butter Puppies the most successful pre-order campaign for Murray.
Following the book's release, we continued to promote heavily, navigating new experiences such as a virtual book release party and a book signing.
The virtual book release was livestreamed on Instagram and Facebook.
We also held an in-person book signing while complying with COVID-19 health and safety guidelines.
Reflection:
Overall, the journey my peanut butter-loving rescue dog placed me on led to a successful start to my digital marketing career. The campaign reinforced the power of teamwork, determination, creativity, and strategic planning. A positive mindset plus a cause you care about equals remarkable results.
