Your Pet, Your Path
A lifecycle campaign for new and prospective pet adopters, using self-sorting email prompts to close customer data gaps and deliver more relevant content, product recommendations, and support.
Client: Zoetis Petcare
Role: Art Director, Principal Designer, UX Strategist
Above: Zoetis recieves personal data from four Adopt-a-Pet data entry points (Account Creation, Pet Alerts, Pet Inquiries, and Adoption Applications)
Above: Information organized by Data Gap, Interest Profile, and Audience
Overview
Zoetis Petcare receives nearly a million new contacts each year through Adopt a Pet. Subscribers from four different entry points had been receiving the same pet adoption emails regardless of their stage in the process. Those who simply created an account on the Adopt a Pet website were served the same email series as those who used the website to adopt a pet. Zoetis reached out to my agency, All Boats Rise, to update the emails with current branding and rewrite and reposition their content series to better serve pet adopters.
Strategy
The existing email journey was generic, visually outdated, and disconnected from the emotional moment of adoption. We knew there was an opportunity to connect with new and potential pet adopters, but the contact info was missing key data depending on the source. I organized the data into three different tables to better understand and identify opportunities:
Data Gap Matrix: Identified known and missing info based on entry point
Interest Profile: Implied interest and adoption stage based on entry point
Audience Segments: Audience profile and content strategy
Using this information helped shape user personas for each contact entering the Zoetis database from Adopt a Pet.
Above: Simplified versions of user personas identified during the campaign
Missing data required us to imply interest level and adoption stage based on the source. Contacts who came from adoption applications were known to have at least one pet, but how long ago they adopted their pet and the number of pets in the household were unknown. Those who entered the Zoetis database by creating an Adopt a Pet account arrived with the most incomplete data and were considered to have less interest than those from pet alert sources and specifc pet inquiries.
My copywriter and I used those personas to outline and explore topics, content themes, messaging, and promotional opportunities for each communication. Once complete in Whimsical, I outlined user journeys to illustrate entry points, identify personalization opportunities, and build a full campaign lifecycle.
My copywriter and I used those personas to outline and explore topics, content themes, messaging, and promotional opportunities for each communication. Once complete in Whimsical, I outlined user journeys to illustrate entry points, identify personalization opportunities, and build a full campaign lifecycle.
Above: Content maps and user journeys
User Experience
Because the data was incomplete, we couldn't accurately tailor Zoetis communications to each user. That was a huge missed opportunity for making the audience feel seen and serving them personalized content. We decided to reintroduce each contact back into the Zoetis ecosystem in order to reactivate their interest; the original email series had lost engagement, so a new, high-interest introduction was critical before releasing subscribers into the main Zoetis communication pool.
To eradicate the capture of incomplete data altogether, we identified a tighter funnel. Zoetis already offered an adoption guide on their website through email capture. Everyone who subscribed in order to receive the guide was greeted with an email personalization pop-up and was immediately entered into the same email series as the Adopt a Pet contacts. Their response to the pop-up allowed them to enter the series at points specific to their stage, and it allowed Zoetis to capture the data they needed to serve their audience.
Above: Detail of an example of a personalization prompt and an email that is sent when a subscriber chooses "Dogs"
We developed a new personalization module that appeared throughout the series, inviting subscribers to choose what content they would receive next. Every Adopt a Pet contact received the same introduction email inviting them to personalize their communications with a highly gamified experience: a quick introduction reminding them about Zoetis and Adopt a Pet, followed by a short prompt. Their prompt not only encouraged subscribers to engage with a gamified experience, but it also helped Zoetis fill in data gaps. Each prompt was more tailored, specific, and granular than the last. The more the audience engaged, the more valuable the content became to their specific needs.
Above: An example of a personalized email flow with dog- and puppy-focused content.
Outcome
The result is a personalized, emotionally resonant journey that adapts to each adopter’s needs while giving Zoetis something they’ve never had before: a dynamic segmentation engine built to improve customer understanding and deliver more meaningful pet-care guidance for years to come.
