The Conscious Marketer

This week on The Animal Marketing Podcast, Anna spoke with Eric Koppelman, Chief Revenue Officer, to ask this question: how can organizations in the pet food industry create a focus on sustainability, natural ingredients, and doing right by their client's pets?

In today's podcast, we hit some other main talking points:

• Blue Dog Bakery's vision from a pet welfare perspective
• Challenges in the food and dog treat industry as a smaller brand competing against big names
• What's next on the horizon from an innovation standpoint for Blue Dog Bakery in the premium treat industry
• How technology and digital media play a role in marketing and communications

On this week's episode of the Animal Marketing Podcast, Anna had a phone interview with Brandon Antin, Vice President of Social Responsibility and Innovation at VCA Animal Hospitals to get his insights on the ways that community-centric organizations like VCA are innovating and advancing pet care practices in order to engage deeply and effectively with their local communities. VCA's mission is to improve veterinary medicine for every pet: whether that be within the walls of their hospitals located all over the country, in the realm of education inspiring the next generation of veterinary professionals, or through the impact of fundraising to contribute to local communities that need extra support.

As Brandon explains in the podcast, community involvement is very important to VCA. "If the community isn't doing well, then we can't do well," he explains. VCA heavily engages fundraising and charity work through campaigns like Pennies for Pets, which raised over $565,000 this year, and pet food pantry programs that contribute pet food to food banks so that humans who struggle with food insecurity don't have to choose between their own meals and healthy meals for their pets. VCA has built trust with its clients so once the collective fundraising effort has been made, VCA has the ability to decide where the money should go.

In the podcast, Brandon and Anna also discuss the following topics:

• How VCA is raising the bar, innovating, and leading by example in the industry through veterinary science and pet care
• The collective goal of VCA of inspiring young men and women to be invested the future of veterinary health care and animal welfare
• The way the social media and digital marketing plays a role in the present and future of veterinary care

This week's Animal Marketing Podcast features Dr. Don Moore, MPA, PhD, TWS Certified Wildlife Biologist and Director of the Oregon Zoo and his perspective on the state of wildlife conservation, animal welfare, and the future of zoo management across the country. Don has over 40 years of experience in his field: previously a senior scientist and advisor at the Smithsonian National Zoo, he also has experience working in the Bronx Zoo and other accredited zoos before coming to the Oregon Zoo in 2016 to serve as its Director.

Here are some of the other key points covered in today's podcast:

• What you can expect from The Oregon Zoo as a visitor
• The way the Oregon Zoo has used the virality of social media (and adorable animals) as a tool to further educate beyond the walls of the Oregon Zoo
• How the Oregon Zoo became the first facility in the entire world to obtain a voluntary blood draw from a polar bear
• The importance of collaboration of modern zoos across the nation to benefit animals to the best of their ability
• The future of zoos and conservation

In this week's episode of The Animal Marketing Podcast, Anna sat down with Kim Van Syoc from Banfield Pet Hospital and the Banfield Foundation to discuss how organizations can have an impact beyond their local community during a natural disaster. How can companies use marketing and communications to amplify their disaster response work to benefit our main constituents--the animals and pets?

Some of the conversation points covered in today's podcast are as follows:

• The importance of corporate responsibility
• The necessity of measurability as associates, key stakeholders, pet owners, and consumers are demanding transparency and authenticity from the companies they are associated with
• The immediate impact of Hurricane Harvey on Houston, Texas and how Banfield Pet Hospitals, Banfield Foundation, and Banfield Better Together Fund worked together to provide the best possible care to its constituents
• Banfield's response to other natural disasters like Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico

In today's episode, Anna spoke with Barbara Baugnon, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the Oregon Humane Society (OHS). Barbara began at OHS in 2001, where she helped to raise $350,000 in donations to implement their marketing campaigns. Since then, she has been a part of several campaigns for Oregon Humane Society, from Feel the Love, to End Petlessness, and For a More Humane Society, #bemorehumane.

In today's podcast, we cover these topics:

• Challenges that The Oregon Humane Society Faces surrounding their business, pet conservation, and animal welfare,
• OHS milestones and successes,
• Shifts in the industry and what it means for OHS,
• and ways that the listeners can be involved in your community to positively contribute to pet conservation (Doggie Dash, volunteering, and more!).