Friday, July 20, 2007

Marketing ~ For the Dogs?

Out walking my dog Radar this afternoon, I noticed a pet dish on some steps ahead of me. Portland is a pretty dog-friendly city, but it was still a pleasant surprise to see that someone cared enough about neighborhood pets to put out fresh water.

As we approached the dish, I saw business cards on display.
Not only is the neighbor pet-friendly, she’s a pet care professional and owner of Ruff Life Portland Pet Care! The dog dish features the Ruff Life web site address and certainly gained my attention—via my dog—on our walk. I rang the doorbell and said hello to Carla…and introduced her to Radar.

Just last week I chose to take Radar with me on a trip, when it would have been much more cost-effective, not to mention easier, if I had left him behind with a sitter. Pet sitters I’ve used in the past have other full-time jobs and it takes some advanced planning to make those arrangements—time I didn’t have when I made my sudden trip last week.

Should I find myself in that situation again, I now know someone I can call with confidence. Not only that, but my friends and fellow pet owners are regularly asking me for referrals for pet sitters.

Great marketing, Carla! Kudos for the creative messaging to neighborhood customers.

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