How we pivoted Waggly Club’s marketing strategy during COVID-19

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, businesses across almost every industry have had to re-strategise, switch up their offerings or even temporarily shut down in order to stay afloat as they navigate their way through the thing that we’re all calling ‘the new normal’. 

At Impressive, we’re in the same boat. A boat we’re starting to get used to, but nevertheless, one we never expected to find ourselves in. 

As we found ourselves adapting to the constantly evolving environment, we knew that we needed to come up with innovative new strategies for the brands that we work with, at a time when they need us most. 

Waggly Club, a provider of pet subscription boxes was one particular business we saw a potential opportunity within the midst of COVID-19. Here’s how we turned their strategy on its head, to ensure that they stayed connected to their audience at a time when other brands in their industry were struggling to adjust.

THE BRAND 

Waggly Club ships monthly subscription boxes of hand-picked treats and toys for four-legged friends throughout Australia. With a clear understanding of the need for personalisation amongst consumers today, subscriptions are highly customisable based on the user’s preferences, and the individual needs of the type of dog. 

THE CHALLENGE

Operating in such an unpredictable environment meant that we had to rethink our current omnichannel strategy. In particular, there were three things we were unsure of as the crisis hit: 

Would people still want to spend money on their dogs at a time like this? Would large numbers of consumers cancel their subscriptions altogether? Would users be more inclined to move towards single or lower value purchases? 

As we tracked this, we found that in fact, users were spending more money on shopping, and subscriptions were no different. Due to the closure of restaurants, bars, and even the reduction in travel costs as a result of more people remote working, users were spending much more time at home. This meant one thing – a larger disposable income. 

Next, we collaboratively adjusted certain aspects of our strategy by changing up the brand’s sales and communication processes.

RESPONSE TACTICS

To support and solidify its resilience as a subscription business during the pandemic, we knew that we had to tackle the current climate with a number of response tactics.

First, we reduced ad spend. Why? Simply, the current ads didn’t fit the current climate, and in order to survive, Waggly Club had to adapt. This enabled us to uncover the brand’s best performer on a decreased budget. Essentially, there wasn’t the time nor the budget to spare – we had to know what worked and what didn’t, fast.

Then, we rolled out a range of ads to increase relevance to individual users during the crisis. How? We tailored our messaging by incorporating user-generated content of people working from home with their loved ones – namely, their dogs. The message was simple: if now wasn’t the perfect time to enjoy quality playtime with your four-legged friend, when would it be?

This move paid off! With people finally having the time to spend money on their dogs (without other expenses), they were more than happy to do so. This gave us the opportunity to scale spend, and focus on growing the Waggly Club’s subscription database. 

With that in mind, we introduced a Google Shopping campaign, with the primary objective to engage more shoppers looking for ways to amuse their pups and dogs.

THE RESULTS 

By editing our messaging and executing numerous workflows including a streamlined shopping campaign, we were able to enhance the brand’s relevance and deliver even more personalised and relevant messages to online users. As a result, Waggly Club saw a significant increase in revenue, coming out on top amongst the madness of COVID-19. 

• Decreased CPA by 71.99% in the last 30 days
• Increased number of purchases by 21.95% 
• Increased CTR by 51.27%

WHAT’S NEXT?

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, it almost felt like a bad movie script.  

Many feared the crisis had the potential and the power to completely destroy digital marketing in one hit. Tech companies, digital agencies and marketing teams across the world we're seeing budgets cut, campaigns cancelled, and clients pulling the plug. While the hospitality and retail industries were hit hard, at Impressive we quickly identified that there would still be a huge opportunity to invest in digital marketing, for both of these industries – and for others.

Just like Waggly Club. 

After carefully analysing what customers were doing, it became clear that consumers were spending more time than ever at home. While demand in some verticals was down, overall digital consumption had increased.  

But with brands now pushing out more online marketing than ever, how do you stand out amongst the noise? And how do you make sure it’s received positively? Ultimately, by ensuring that your messaging is both sensitive and relevant to the current climate and your consumers. 

Want your marketing pivot to be as successful as Waggly Clubs? 

We’ve put together a COVID-19 State of Play report that details the ways your brand can maximise this increase in digital consumption. 

Inside you’ll learn:  

• How to pivot your mid-term and long-term approaches to marketing during this time
• The tactical shifts you can make within each channel
• The FASTR method you can use to adapt messaging and meet the needs of your audience 

Download now:

If you’re still unsure of how to take the next steps, get in touch with Impressive and we’ll help you navigate through the current climate.