Using data to build 50+ Pet insurance links with a ‘sh*t’ campaign

How we earned more than 50 links and started a conversation on responsible dog ownership

the client

Dog Advisory Council: A trusted authority dedicated to providing insights, advice, and resources on dog behaviour, training, and responsible pet ownership.

The Brief

To support Dog Advisory Council’s mission of educating and engaging dog owners while strengthening its reputation as a leading resource on pet care.

The objective was to increase online visibility through the acquisition of high-authority backlinks and to start conversations around dog ownership.

The Strategy

In 2023, the pet industry had an overall economic contribution of $303 billion, according to Michigan State University - a testament to how much owners love their pets.

But being a loving dog owner doesn’t always equate to being a responsible one.

We identified an opportunity to leverage the concept of responsible ownership and spotlight bad dog owner etiquette to better position Dog Advisory Council as a thought leader on the topic.

the campaign.

Our “Foul Play” campaign is a data-led investigation into dog owner behaviour across the United States that analysed geotagged tweets for relevant keywords related to poor dog owner etiquette - such as not cleaning up after your dog, letting a dog off leash, and dogs barking at night.

Focusing on the 100 most populated cities in the U.S., cities were scored on the number of offending tweets per 100,000 people to find where America’s best and worst dog owners live.

THE RESULTS.

The “Foul Play” campaign transformed publicly available data into a viral conversation starter, demonstrating how a mix of humour and hard facts can be used to advocate a cause without being preachy.

By spotlighting irresponsible ownership in a relatable way, we were able to build quality links from top-tier publications while positioning Dog Advisory Council as an authority on dog ownership.

This campaign highlights the power of data-driven storytelling to turn niche topics into mainstream conversations and the importance of aligning mission-driven work with shareable, actionable content.