PetSmart Digital Campaign Portfolio Victoria Ward

Press Release

Objective: My goal in developing the digital press release was to communicate PetSmart’s signature story while providing information about the new game-changing subcategory. To create an “intriguing, authentic, and involving narrative” (Aaker, 2018, p. 21), I focused on how the brand has evolved to meet the needs of its customers and pets in today’s landscape. Throughout the press release, I embedded facts to “add credibility or detail to an aspect of the story” (Aaker, 2018, p. 26). To ensure that specific information was prioritized, I incorporated the inverted pyramid style so that the new PetSmart Mobile information was included at the beginning of the press release. The story highlights PetSmart’s commitment to caring for pets and people and how the brand is dedicated to solutions that fit the needs of their customers.

Edits: There were no edits required from the original version.

Blog Post

Objective: The purpose of the blog post is to educate the audience about how to take care of your dog during the summer months and position PetSmart as a thought leader within the pet care space. Throughout the blog, I utilized a list to present the six tips to make it easy for users to read and digest the content. One strategy that was used was placing facts before introducing PetSmart Mobile at the end of the blog post. Aaker (2018) states “A facts-first strategy works when the facts themselves are punchy and at least somewhat intriguing – and are not drawn out” (p. 28). When listing the tips, I tried to keep each one clear and concise without providing an excessive amount of information. This blog showcases how PetSmart is committed to caring for pets while building trust with readers. It is important to “develop credibility supported by substance not only by delivering consistently against the promise but also by telling what it is about your organization that earns trust” (Aaker, 2020, p. 101). Presenting the PetSmart veterinary staff as experts in the field will result in customers trusting the organization with their pet care, ultimately leading to increased brand trust. The final part of the blog post highlights PetSmart Mobile and contains a call to action to learn more about the new convenient and comprehensive pet solutions.

Edits: The primary edits to the blog post included adding the brand's name to the title, reordering the list of tips to create a better flow, and adding a hyperlink for each section of the listicle.

Micro Podcast

Objective: The “Pets and Pals” Podcast is focused on sharing stories that help bring pet owners closer to their pets. In this specific episode, I incorporated a guest speaker in the form of a PetSmart employee to assist in telling the signature story. The story that the employee tells throughout the episode frames both himself and the new offering as heroes. When considering heroes, “The goal is to find ones that are intriguing, authentic and involving; will advance the message of the brand, organization or business strategy; and will inspire employees and motivate customer” (Aaker, 2018, p. 96). I strategically overlapped the story of the guest and his adopted pet to highlight the individual as both an employee and an eventual customer. Towards the end of the Podcast, I incorporated PetSmart Mobile as a selling point by giving the new service “visibility, credibility, and even an emotional dimension” (Aaker, 2020, p. 120).

Edits: Through the editing process, I focused on sound issues by utilizing a noise reducer and also increasing the volume of the voiceover to achieve a more balanced mix.

Longform Video Layout

Objective: The main objective that I wanted to achieve through the longform video was to promote the subcategory of PetSmart Mobile. To reach this goal, I chose to highlight different perspectives using a variety of pets and services needed. The commercial, which includes real pets and people, will last a little over a minute. By utilizing varied applications, I was able to showcase how PetSmart Mobile can serve as the hero in multiple scenarios. According to Aaker (2018), “The story can gain depth and freshness when repeated with different applications” (p. 37). Throughout the video, pet owners are easily able to book the needed pet care directly through the PetSmart App, which also emphasizes how convenient and quick it is to utilize the new mobile services. The video concludes with PetSmart’s main strategic message of caring for pets. Developing the long-form video provided an opportunity for me to communicate the brand’s main message in more detail while breaking through the clutter that the digital world contains (Aaker, 2020, p. 119).

Edits: I added a call to action at the end of the layout to encourage viewers to download the app.

Reflection

The overall campaign was developed utilizing multiple signature stories to help reinforce PetSmart's main strategic message, while also promoting the new subcategory. To remain an exemplar brand, PetSmart must adopt new technologies and services. By entering into the new category of mobile veterinary and grooming services, the brand will be able to adapt to its customer's needs in today's modern and busy world. The PetSmart brand is committed to caring for pets and people, and PetSmart Mobile reinforces the organization's promise.

The PetSmart digital storytelling campaign was strategically created to showcase a cohesive brand message. During the editing process, I focused on creating a storyline that was integrated across every piece of content to ensure consistency and reinforce the brand message. In addition, highlighting the "must-haves" throughout each of the campaign elements was essential to promoting the new subcategory.

Takeaways

• Content is king: Developing content in today's digital landscape is especially important. Embedding stories within content can drive success because stories are more intriguing and gain attention. Content and stories work hand-in-hand to create synergy that can drive brand success.
• Stories are more memorable than facts: One of the greatest takeaways that I gained is that stories are much more powerful than facts. Stories are better at "gaining exposure, activating social media, communicating information, being remembered, creating involvement, persuading, inspiring and more" (Aaker, 2018, p. 18). When including facts, it is important to embed them into the story or include them before or after a story.
• Multiple sets of signature stories can reinforce the same strategic message: Signature stories typically involve multiple sets rather than standing alone (Aaker, 2018). When developing multiple sets of stories, it's important that they each communicate a cohesive strategic message and work together. The two main advantages of developing sets of signature stories are that they "add interest, energy and visibility" and "can express the depth and breadth of the strategic message" (Aaker, 2018, p. 36). Learning how to develop different signature stories through a variety of applications and plots was a major takeaway.