If you’ve never visited the Maddie’s Fund website, you need this in your life! For inspirational marketing ideas that increase adoptions and save lives see the links below for recent winners of the Maddie’s Fund Marketing Competition.
“In August 2007, Maddie’s Fund held a competition for Petfinder.com members to find effective marketing strategies for adopting hard to place dogs and cats.
195 rescue groups, traditional shelters, adoption guarantee shelters and animal control agencies responded to the call for entries.
Submissions were judged by the marketing idea, implementation, the number of animals placed, and documentation of results. A total of 121 organization received cash awards ranging from $500 to $25,000.”
2007 Maddie’s Fund Marketing Competition Winners
Click HERE to see some award-winning marketing ideas from 2007 which have resulted in increased adoptions. Below are a few of our favorites. Try these great marketing campaigns for the Black Dogs and Cats in your care:
- Marshall Animal Shelter/Animal Control-Marshall, Texas – Creates special shelter events (“Hotrod Hounds, Dog Days of Summer”); dress shelter pets according to the theme (e.g. swimwear) to generate publicity. Created “BUBBA” dogs (Big, Ugly, Black, Brown, Adoptable) and special “BUBBA” adoption certificates.
- Humane Society of Somerset County, Somerset, Pennsylvania – Filled with Black Labs, the shelter organized “Black Lab Day” at the local Petco. After four of six dogs got adopted, began creating monthly adoption days and dressing dogs in themed outfits: “Boys Night Out” (neck ties and bow ties), “Doggie Mixer” (party hats & bandanas) etc.
- Almost Home Animal Shelter, Mora, Minnesota – Created a Big, Black and Beautiful campaign for big black dogs that were in the shelter the longest. Created posters, tag line (“I deserve a home, too”), reduced adoption fees, generated publicity. Adopted 30% of shelter BBB dogs.
- Kitten Rescue, Los Angeles, California – Holds a Black Cat Affair along with flyers, posters, signage and publicity. Has become so popular and successful for black cat placements, they now hold the event in two locations.
- Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley- Hailey, Idaho – A local art gallery hosts adoption events such as “Black Pearls of the Shelter” where black dogs and cats wear a string of white pearls.
2008 Maddie’s Fund Marketing Competition Winners
- Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation “Raider Nation Cat Celebration”
- SPCA of Wake County, Raleigh, N.C., “Blue Light Special” marketing campaign
Click HERE for the complete list of 2008 winners
About Maddie’s Fund
“The mission of Maddie’s Fund is “to revolutionize the status and well-being of companion animals. Maddie’s Fund® is made possible by the generosity of Dave and Cheryl Duffield. With the creation of Maddie’s Fund, Dave and Cheryl are fulfilling a promise to their beloved Miniature Schnauzer, Maddie, to give back to her kind in dollars that which she gave them in companionship and love.”
Source: Maddie’s Fund website