AKC3 Public Relations
Cassie Tebo, Amber Peck, Charlotte Steckart, Kendahl Kivisto, Cooper Wild
The University Of Wisconsin Green-Bay
PR Relations Campaigns
Professor Bina
October 15, 2023
Executive Summary
Happily Ever After Animal Sanctuary (HEA) is a no-kill animal shelter located in Green Bay, Wis. that is actively trying to increase awareness about their foster program. Recently, our team, AKC3 Public Relations, had the opportunity to interview two HEA representatives: Marcus Reitz (Branding and Development) and Erin Elliott (Veteran Volunteer) to learn about the behind-the-scenes of their non-profit shelter for animals including where they stand now in the public’s eyes, where they want to see themselves in the future, and how we can help. The organization's three main goals involve increasing awareness of fostering, educating the community on its importance, and recruiting more foster families. Founded in 2006, HEA has grown significantly, helping over 6,000 animals find forever homes. The organization primarily targets pet owners, women, and pet lovers, with a focus on retirees and adults aged 35 and above. Challenges include educating the public on fostering commitments and managing human resources, while successes lie in effective face-to-face interactions and a strong Facebook presence. Opportunities for improvement include enhancing the Google Maps profile, improving engagement with reviewers, and developing strategic partnerships. AKC3 Public Relations is poised to collaborate with HEA, leveraging its strengths and addressing challenges to amplify its impact in the animal welfare field.
Introduction
HEA has been put through a variety of challenges, all of which are typical of non-profits, but the issue at the forefront is having a dependable pool of foster and giving our animals good homes. The HEA representatives that were interviewed gave us insight into their company's three goals.
Increase awareness about the need to foster animals
Helping the community understand what it takes to foster and why it’s important
Recruit and retain more foster families
The following includes an in-depth look at how to achieve these goals and what will happen once the goals are achieved.
The Basics of HEA
HEA is a safe place where companion animals come to be saved and given a second chance at life. They are a growing companion animal welfare organization and no-kill sanctuary whose mission is to “increase humanity’s capacity to care for its companion animals.” They are entirely focused on creating a world where the life of every companion animal matters. Every. Single. One. Through partnerships that span the nation, they provide knowledge and resources to empower volunteers, adoptive families, and the community.
They have four main goals: seek to understand, see what could be, raise the bar, and change lives. They seek to create a world where the life of every companion animal matters and compassion is their number one purpose. The five main programs they offer are adoption, education, spaying/neutering, rehabilitation, and sanctuary.
Adoption: Ongoing support throughout the adoption process and afterward for life.
Education: Educating themselves and their community. They attend workshops and regularly collaborate with other nonprofits.
Spaying/neutering: A variety of spay/neuter options are available to the community. The many benefits of this procedure include reduced risk of certain infections and types of cancer, increased lifespan, and a reduction in unwanted behaviors such as marking, spraying, roaming and even excessive barking.
Rehabilitation: A safe, loving environment for companion animals to be rehabilitated, strengthened, and loved to their fullest capabilities.
Sanctuary: Love without limits and timetables. This is home to companion animals for as long as they need. They are a no-kill sanctuary. Lives are saved here.
Lastly, they provide community assistance in rehoming pets and helping to find lost pets. Their website has many detailed resources available for reference.
They have grown exponentially since they were founded by Amanda Reitz in 2006; they have helped more than 6,000 animals find forever families and their unconditional commitment includes a lifetime guarantee at their locations in Green Bay and Marion, Wisconsin.
Audience Analysis
Through social media, occasional magazine postings, email, and billboards, HEA is attempting to reach two particular target audiences [Appendix 1A]. The first organizational audience is mainly pet owners as 70% of people fall into this category, women, and pet lovers. The second audience is potential and current fosters. Fostering an animal is a large responsibility and is not a fit for every person or family. HEA is attempting to target retirees ages 55+, pet owners who have recently lost a pet, and adults ages 35+. HEA’s mission statement, “We want to increase humanity's capacity to care for its companion animals”, connects with both target audiences as it relates to pet lovers' companionship with their pets.
Although HEA feels as though women are a more important target audience than men due to their caregiving nature, this could become an issue. Many men are pet lovers and owners as well as women and have the ability to take care of their animals. Excluding men from the target audience can become problematic and lower both the engagement AND a chance to increase their foster numbers. It is important to include men in this demographic even if their numbers may be lower than women’s regarding fosters.
The primary, secondary, and marginal audiences for this organization are what promote and increase engagement for HEA. The primary audience, fosters, is vital to the organization as these are the people who are taking care of the foster animals and allowing HEA to increase its capacity and influence. The secondary audience is donors, sponsors, and volunteers. These people provide numerous donations whether that be monetary or physical items. Due to HEA being a non-profit organization, money and supplies are oftentimes a problem area. Donors help to minimize these issues. Lastly, the marginal audience is those who support HEA. This can be anyone from social media followers to those who share word-of-mouth information with others. This audience helps to spread the word about HEA’s organization.
Situational Analysis
Challenges and Successes
AKC3 Public Relations had the privilege of working closely with HEA and has observed a series of challenges and successes in their journey to create awareness for their foster program.
One challenge HEA faces is properly educating the public. HEA's goal is for their audience to see themselves in the content they share and think, "I can do that!" However, a significant obstacle lies in helping people understand two things better: time commitments and what’s known as “foster fails”. HEA can combat these challenges by providing clear and accurate information to the public, emphasizing the varying time commitments involved in fostering with relatable visuals, and dispelling myths surrounding "foster fails” in the form of personal testimonials.
Shifting mindsets represents one of HEA's most substantial day-to-day challenges. Fostering animals requires a certain commitment that many may not fully understand. Our strategy involves helping people grasp the true nature of fostering, emphasizing its significance, and demonstrating what it truly entails. We also aim to combat misunderstandings about time commitments by raising awareness about the space required, showing that even a spare bathroom for a few weeks can make a significant difference.
Human resources presents another challenge for HEA. The overwhelming demand for their services has led to a redundancy of organizations in the animal welfare field, which can sometimes do more harm than good. Finding the right balance and collaborating effectively is crucial for HEA to navigate this issue successfully.
On the positive side, HEA has achieved several noteworthy successes. One of their strengths lies in face-to-face interactions that combat unfamiliarity and uncertainty. This personal approach results in a higher conversion rate as it allows HEA to spend time with potential supporters, answer questions, and build trust.
HEA has also excelled in the realm of social media, particularly on Facebook. They have cultivated a loyal following, fostered high levels of engagement, and diversified their content effectively. This platform has proven to be a valuable tool for HEA in reaching and connecting with its audience.
Where AKC3 sees the most room for improvement is the website’s home page. While it looks great aesthetically, it lacks a clear mission statement and an incentive for visitors to take immediate action without having to navigate to another page. Addressing these issues will further enhance the overall effectiveness of HEA's online presence.
Competitive Analysis
While there aren’t many animal sanctuaries in the immediate area of HEA, two primary competitors about one hour away stand out: Crossroads K9 Rescue and Fetch Foster and Rescue. These organizations, like HEA, actively work towards the betterment of animals, and they represent significant players in the region.
Crossroads K9 Rescue, situated in Mosinee, operates as a 501c3 non-profit organization specializing exclusively in dog rescue. Their comprehensive range of services includes adoption, fostering, rescue and rehabilitation, volunteer programs, education, fundraising, and various events. Notably, Crossroads K9 Rescue runs programs like the K-9 for Cops initiative and maintains a training partnership with Central Wisconsin K-9. While their website boasts good quality content, it is somewhat limited in terms of information. What stands out is their clever use of a pop-up advertisement on their homepage to encourage visitors to 'like' their Facebook page. They have 7k likes and 6k followers. However, some areas for improvement include the potentially intrusive red banner urging involvement on their website [Appendix 2A], and on Facebook they could benefit from actioning their social media posts more effectively, as well as enhancing spell checking efforts.
Fetch Foster and Rescue, located in Wausau, is another significant competitor. As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, they provide a range of services encompassing adoption, fostering, volunteering, and donations, with a strong focus on education. Their website offers valuable content but could use aesthetic improvements. One distinctive positive feature is the prominence of three donate options on their homepage [Appendix 2B]. Interestingly, Fetch Foster and Rescue actively utilizes direct messaging (DMs) on Facebook for communication. There, they maintain an active presence with 11k followers, featuring almost daily posts about foster updates, events, information, dogs available for adoption, lifestyle content, and apparel for sale. They also share content from related pages, effectively expanding their reach. However, Fetch Foster and Rescue should address issues such as large sections of white space on their website [Appendix 2C], lack of social media integration on the homepage, and the relevance of their Facebook banner photo [Appendix 2D]. Furthermore, they could enhance their responsiveness to comments, especially when it relates to dog availability.
Opportunities
With so many ways to reach one’s targeted audience, AKC3 Public Relations found it most efficient to fixate on just one of HEA’s platforms and dissect it down to the lowest level to find ALL of its opportunities for success: HEA’s Google Maps profile.
First and foremost is the photo that shows at the top of the HEA page in Google Maps. It is somewhat strange and doesn't do justice to the shelter [Appendix 2E]. On that note of photos, the photo section on the Google Maps page is primarily populated with images from reviewers, rather than curated visuals that truly represent the sanctuary. Taking inspiration from Dodgeville Veterinary Service [Appendix 2F], a shelter that effectively uses images to showcase its offerings on their Google Maps profile, we can help Happily Ever After owners upload photos that highlight the sanctuary's unique charm and the heartwarming stories of the animals it cares for.
Moving into the ‘about’ section below, AKC3 believes the Google Maps profile can be enriched to provide visitors with a deeper understanding of the sanctuary's mission, history, and values. Firstly, a conversation should be had on using “animal shelter” vs “animal rescue” vs “animal protection organization” for the organization type. Secondly, the profile is missing the opening and closing times of the business which can leave potential visitors in the dark and therefore not visiting.
Another critical aspect we've uncovered is the need for more active engagement with reviewers. With four unanswered questions, there's an opportunity to provide valuable information and foster a sense of community among supporters [Appendix 2G]. For instance, a simple response to an older inquiry about donated items can demonstrate the sanctuary's appreciation for support and keep the conversation alive. Additionally, the lack of recent quality reviews is evident. By encouraging satisfied visitors to share their experiences and by addressing negative feedback constructively (and not so lengthily), we can cultivate a more vibrant and dynamic online reputation for Happily Ever After.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threat Analysis (SWOT)
Strengths:
Face-to-Face Interaction: The organization's ability to engage in face-to-face interactions helps combat unfamiliarity and uncertainty among potential supporters and adopters. This personal touch can build trust and encourage commitment.
Facebook Presence: HEA has a presence on Facebook, which can be a powerful platform for reaching a large audience, sharing success stories, and raising awareness about their mission.
Website Aesthetics: The website's aesthetically pleasing design can attract visitors and make a positive first impression.
Weaknesses:
Human Resources: The organization faces limitations in terms of staffing and volunteers, which impacts their ability to carry out their mission effectively.
Educational Content: HEA faces difficulties in properly educating the public. This challenge can hinder their efforts to recruit foster families and volunteers, as well as to promote responsible pet ownership.
Website Missing Key Elements: The website lacks a mission statement and a pop-up ad for social media likes. These missing elements can weaken the site's ability to engage and retain visitors.
Opportunities:
Increasing Awareness: There's an opportunity to increase awareness about the time commitments and responsibilities of fostering animals. This can be achieved through educational campaigns, webinars, and informative content.
Partnerships: Collaborating with other animal welfare organizations can help combat the redundancy issue in the field and allow for resource sharing and mutual support.
Diversified Funding: Exploring various funding sources such as grants, sponsorships, and fundraising events can help address the funding challenge.
Threats:
Competition in Animal Welfare Field: The redundancy of organizations in the animal welfare field can be a threat if it leads to inefficiency and duplication of efforts. It may also create competition for limited resources.
Misunderstanding and Misinformation: False information and misunderstandings about fostering and "foster fails" can pose a threat to the organization's efforts to recruit and retain foster families.
Digital Engagement: The absence of an incentive or call to action on the website's home page may result in missed opportunities to engage and convert visitors into supporters, donors, or volunteers.
Situational Analysis Summary
HEA has strengths in personal interaction, their Facebook presence, and an aesthetically pleasing website. However, they face challenges related to funding, human resources, education, and website optimization. They also have opportunities to increase awareness, form partnerships, and diversify funding sources. Potential threats include competition, misinformation, and social media engagement issues. Addressing these challenges and leveraging their strengths can help HEA achieve its goals of creating awareness for their foster program.
AKC3 Public Relations is eager to collaborate with HEA to overcome these obstacles and further amplify their impact in the animal welfare field. Together, we can help HEA achieve its vision of creating "Happily Ever After" stories for animals in need and their human companions.
Brand Analysis across PESO
Happily Ever After Animal Sanctuary uses multiple channels and communication techniques for their PESO model. The brand does not focus as much on paid media because they are a non-profit, so paying for advertising is not a priority especially when funds to keep the organization running are what the animals depend on. When looking into shared media, they rely a lot on their website, social media accounts, and emails. HEA gains the most loyal followers via word of mouth. Currently in the owned category, they have a website, Instagram, Facebook, and the facility itself. As for shared channels, they use many volunteers to help out at the facility, feeding pets, cleaning up after the animals, walking dogs, etc. Right now they are looking for more foster volunteers.
HEA's mission statement is to increase humanity's capacity to care for its companion animals, so their brand identity truly revolves around this statement. HEA strives to give animals a voice and their website definitely represents that. The flow from their website to their Instagram could use some work as you must click through in order to find it, same with their Facebook, but from social media sites to their website it is very easy to find. They like to post editorial-style, first-person posts on various animals to showcase their personality. They also play the role of educators and do-gooders in the community throughout all of their media channels.
HEA's target audience is also their largest demographic. Something the organization has seen throughout the years is that 70% of their volunteers and donors have pets or have cared for one in the past. Women seem to be easier to reach than men though they shouldn’t be targeted any differently. Retired people are the easiest to recruit as fosters because they have more time than people who go to work every day. People who work from home are also great volunteers for fostering. Their struggle right now HEAs main struggle in getting people to foster is a lack of knowledge about the space needed to do so as well as varying time commitments. Because of their target audience, they are using the right channels since Millennials and Gen X are higher users of Facebook and websites. They are also reaching a younger audience by using Instagram. Right now they have been posting on both Instagram and Facebook every couple of days. HEA has the potential to reach their goals more effectively for having more foster volunteers if they leaned into more educational content; showing the types of living situations foster volunteers can create for pets, how to bathe them, feed kittens, etc. Adding these types of videos could increase foster volunteers because people will feel more educated and confident about welcoming a new animal into their home.
Overall HEA has the platforms to create great content, it just needs to be tweaked in order to gain more volunteers. Focusing on education could increase the number of volunteers not only for the fostering system but day-to-day volunteers as well.
Conclusion
In conclusion, HEA is a compassionate and dedicated non-profit organization on a mission to increase humanity's capacity to care for companion animals. Our client overview reveals the challenges and opportunities HEA faces in their efforts to promote their foster program. While they have strengths in personal interaction, a strong Facebook presence, and an appealing website, they encounter obstacles related to funding, human resources, education, and website optimization. Our team, AKC3 Public Relations, recognizes these challenges and is committed to working closely with HEA to overcome them. By leveraging their strengths, focusing on educational content, and exploring diversified funding sources, HEA can enhance their impact and create "Happily Ever After" stories for animals and their human companions. Together, we can help HEA achieve their vision and increase awareness about the importance of fostering animals in need.
Appendix 1A
Audience | Know | Infer | So What? (To Do) | So What? (Not To Do) |
Fosters | Fosters are willing to take in animals and are educated on proper animal care. | Fosters are pet lovers and passionate about the betterment of rescue pets. | Support and recognition for fosters are vital as well as resources. | Do not limit resources for fosters. |
Donors/Sponsors/Volunteers | This group is donating time, money, or resources to the cause. | This group would also fall under the pet lover category and are passionate about animals but may not have the ability to be a foster. | Offer more options for this group to be involved with HEA and recognize them for their time and donations. | Do not stop volunteer efforts or stop communication and audience outreach with this group. |
Supporters | Supporters may not be able to provide their time or money to the organization, but their online interaction and word-of-mouth advertising bring publicity to the organization. | Supporter's willingness to spread the word about HEA can lead to an increase in fosters, donors, sponsors, and volunteers. | Utilize social media and continue making impactful, informative, and novelty posts to keep supporters entertained and updated. | Do not discontinue social media posting or lack scheduled informative posts. |
Works Cited
“Home.” Happily Ever After Animal Sanctuary, Inc., www.heanokill.org/. Accessed 15 Oct. 2023.
Luttrell, Regina, and Luke W. Capizzo. Public Relations Campaigns: An Integrated Approach. SAGE Publications, 2019.
“Home.” Crossroads K9 Rescue, www.crossroadsk9rescue.org/. Accessed 15 Oct. 2023.
“Fetch Foster and Rescue.” Fetch Foster and Rescue, www.fetchfosterandrescue.com/. Accessed 15 Oct. 2023.
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