Why are we advertising?
To increase awareness about adoptable pets from the Humane Society.
Who are we talking to?
The Spousal Scientists: Young newly married couples between the ages of 27 and 32. They live in a dual-income household. They are type A, precise and perfectionists. They are the early majority when it comes to adopting an innovation. They research things before they do them/buy them/try them. They shop online. They use social media as a way to help form their own opinions. They trust expert advice that is tailored to them.
What do we know about them?
As per the name, they are very scientific about the way they make decisions. They do research, they make pro/con lists. They are precise and thoughtful. They plan out their meals for the week. They have a blog about their first year of marriage. They’re independent of each other, but are excited to start a life together. They want the romance, but they are scared of losing everything, so they approach life decisions scientifically.
What’s the key insight about the target audience?
We plan because we’re nervous. We are so lucky. We had a beautiful wedding and we have a great life together. A great house, fulfilling careers that pay pretty well. We’re afraid to lose it all. We don’t want to have a kid and then divorce or stay in an unhappy marriage. So, if we plan things and start mentally preparing for them now, we can anticipate problems and take care of them together. We want to start a family, but we have to take baby steps first.
What do we want you to take away?
It’s okay to be nervous. Life is unpredictable and sometimes messy. But a pet can help you through it.
Support
-Cohabitation in the United States has increased more than 1,500%
-Couples are cohabitating more frequently to “test” their marriage compatibility.
-Family units are more cautious in lifestyle choices post-2007 financial crisis era.
-As of 2011, marriage rate in the United States was at an all time low (only 51% of adults were married.)
-61% of young people would rather adopt an older dog than a puppy
-Pets are scientifically shown to raise levels of dopamine and serotonin, nerve transmitters that have pleasurable and calming qualities.
– Nearly a third of 27-32 year-olds ask for their peers opinions on social media before making a purchase.
Tonality
Inspirationally positive with a forward-thinking outlook.
Creative Nuggets
– “He may be older than you in dog years, but he’s still your baby.”
– “Starting a family doesn’t always mean diapers and cribs.”
– “Take puppy steps instead of baby steps.”
– “Help the dog…help you.”
Reasoning
Introduction
Working on this creative brief for pet adoption and the Humane Society, we began conducting secondary research to determine who can most benefit from pet adoption and also be the most receptive to a public awareness campaign. After our secondary research was conducted, we determined that young married/committed couples ages 27-32 are the target audience of choice. After determining this, we were able to interview one subject for a primary perspective.
Secondary Research
Recent polls show that young couples that cohabitat whether married or unmarried choose to become “pet parents” as opposed to parents of children, according to Bella Dog Magazine. Couples that are in their early 30s are less than eager to start having children but caring for a pet seems to fulfill their need for caring and nurturing. According to the magazine article, 61% of young pet owners would rather adopt an older dog than a puppy due to a variety of reasons such as low need of constant attention and the likelihood that the dog is already trained. The Marriage Foundation, a British think tank, also found that couples see pet adoption as a more active sign of commitment than other milestones such as having a baby. The rationale surveyed couples gave for pet adoption over children is that raising a baby felt more like a “constraint commitment,” when one is “forced” to fulfill the responsibility, as opposed to a “dedication commitment,” when one chooses to undertake the responsibility. Especially older pets are preferred by young couples as little training is required of them as opposed to puppies or kittens. This makes the transition to caring and nurturing for another living being smoother and easier.
Beyond just what adopted pets can do for couples and their relationships, pets can also individually help the partners in relationships. WebMd notes that animal companions can help reduce high blood pressure and also lower the risk of hypertension. The stresses of a new marriage such as moving, finances, full-time jobs, and cohabitating can have negative effects physically and emotionally. Animals as companions can help alleviate these stresses through the emotional support they provide.
Pets also can provide partners with relationship education and especially are good with teaching the “get what you give” rule. As Psych Central’s “Healing Together with Couples” blog notes, often times we view the unconditional love we receive from pets as something we don’t have to work for. However, we buy special food for our pets, they wake us up in the middle of the night, and they can scratch and chew up our belongings. Because pet owners treat their animals with such particular care, the animals are more than happy to dote on their owners.
Primary Research
To start off our primary research, we discovered a blog post written on StartMarriageRight.com that discusses the importance of planning in a woman’s life as a newly married couple. This was a great way to begin because it is a first-hand account of planning for life after the wedding, which newly married couples would be doing. The author notes that planning has always been key part of her life, and it definitely needs to continue after the wedding. Being a marriage and family therapist, she advises to take some time with your spouse and think about what you really want out of life, and to share your thoughts, feelings and aspirations. This is a blog our target audience would read for expert advice. They would plan what they want in their marriages, including whether they want pets and children. Our target audience does want children, but aren’t sure they are ready yet. Planning helps them feel prepared for the process. She also shares that couples need to be flexible with their plans.
We were unable to find recently married individuals between the ages of 27-32, so we interviewed Caroline, a college-aged woman who is engaged and soon to be married. She discussed with us, how she and her fiance are looking for ways to build their lives and subsequent memories together. Caroline discussed how her and her fiance are in no state in their lives to consider family planning and would feel that a dog is a good step to start some sort of a family. She said the idea of “ours” is very important and a dog can provide that for their relationship especially in its early stages. That is why they are considering purchasing a puppy after their wedding. They want to raise the puppy together and create something that is theirs. They have decided not to adopt an older dog because they felt that they wouldn’t know enough about the dog’s personality for the dog’s behavior to be predictable. This further affirms our target’s need to plan. By “planning” the puppy’s personality, Caroline and her fiance can reduce the risk of the dog acting out in a harmful way.
Conclusion
Throughout all of our research, we found that these young married couples would be the most receptive to a public awareness campaign for the Humane Society. These committed couples are cautious and less than eager to jump into the adventure of starting a family with children. They are ready to care and nurture as a unit, but want to care for a being that will not intensely change the dynamic of their relationship. They prefer older animals as opposed to younger ones because maintenance is lower and training is virtually minimal. These couples want to take the next step but they are not ready to take a step too far. Pet adoption for them provides a happy medium.
Humane Society Screener
1. Are you married or cohabitate with a partner?
Yes No [TERMINATE SURVEY]
2. Do you have children or expecting a child?
Yes [TERMINATE SURVEY] No
3. Are you available for a 10-15 minute interview to talk about your marriage/cohabitation and your attitudes toward pet adoption?
Yes No [TERMINATE SURVEY]
Discussion Guide for Individual Phone Interviews
Hello ____________, how are you doing today? I am working on a group research project for a class and would like to ask you a few questions about marriage and your attitudes towards pet adoption.
1. How long have you and your partner been married/cohabitating?
PROBE: Age, amount of time
2. How interested are you and your partner in having children?
PROBE: Pros of being parents, cons of being parents, hopes, doubts
3. What kind of animal would you like to own as a pet?
PROBE: Dog, cat, small rodents
4. Would you purchase a pet from a breeder or an adoption shelter?
PROBE: Breed, What factors go into where you receive your pet?
5. If I were to suggest the adoption of an older pet, what words or phrases come to mind?
PROBE: trained, relaxed, sleeps in random places, low maintenance, used to other
animals
6. How would you describe the relationship as pet and pet owner?
PROBE: parents, caregiver, companion, family member, someone to play with
7. Before starting a family, would you find a pet a reasonable step to take?
PROBE: baby steps, getting used to living together, learning to take care of another living
thing
Thank you for your time. Your information has been incredibly helpful and informational. Is it okay if I possibly contact you for further questioning?
Team Briefing
For our team briefing, we would take them to the Humane Society. The goal for our briefing is to help the creative team experience what the target audience feels and to identify the underlying emotions that would cause them to adopt a dog.
We would begin our trip with a quick review of the problem we’re trying to solve and our target audience. Then we would have a staff member speak to us about the work that the Humane Society does. We would also have them speak about the average cost to take care of a pet, and other reasons pet owners have given up their pets or feel they can’t adopt from the Humane Society. We want the staff member (the expert) to provide them with all the information they need to make a decision before they actually meet the animals. This mimics the informational search that Spousal Scientists embark on before making a decision.
Then, as a group, we’ll spend some time volunteering at the Humane Society. The main reason for this is that we want the team to actually experience the decision making process of our target. Spousal Scientists tend to be very analytical and careful in the decisions they make. They will research how much a pet can cost annually, the amount of hours per week they would need to spend training their pet and what the risks of adopting a pet are before they adopt a pet. We need to figure out what could cause them to overcome those risks and take the plunge. How do they rationalize that to themselves? Why did they hold themselves back? What did they think or feel that made them want to adopt that dog or cat as opposed to the others? If we help our creative team define that tipping point into pet adoption, they can use that in their work.
Afterwards we would come back together for a quick debriefing of the experience, and some time for the team to collect their thoughts. It would be a good time to write down any further insights or experiences they had to spur creativity later. This would also give them a chance to peruse the creative brief and ask any questions that they might have.
Sources Used
Bella Dog Magazine
http://www.belladogmagazine.com/old-news-but-good-news/649-young-couples-chose-pets-over-children
StartMarriageRight.com
http://www.startmarriageright.com/2011/07/planning-for-the-future/
The TechJournal
The Telegraph
Psych Central
http://blogs.psychcentral.com/healing-together/2010/04/can-pets-improve-your-relationship/
The Palm Beach Post
WebMD: Hypertension and High Blood Pressure
http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/features/health-benefits-of-pets
taylorwerthauser 