Sit. Stay. Grow. Marketing lessons from our dogs

Inspiration can come from unexpected sources, maybe even from things staring straight at you. But this needn’t be your surroundings. Sometimes the answer is wagging its tail furiously. The Keystone family contains two furry, four-legged friends. They may not put in the hard graft but their characteristics and the way they behave is something that everyone can apply to their work.  

Meet Sydney (oodles of Poodle and Chantal’s main squeeze) and Wookie (the clever and cheeky Cockapoo keeping Chris in check). Both who without knowing it, demonstrate some surprisingly powerful principles behind effective, audience-first marketing.

Wookie and Syd have 8 top tips (one for each toe bean on their front paws) about how you can be more dog in your marketing and engagement. Strip each tip back and what our furry friends demonstrate are the fundamentals of strong, audience-first marketing. And when applied consistently, those fundamentals can drive growth.

Loyalty to their audiences (their parents)

Dogs are the epitome of loyalty and once they form a bond, they stay true to their pack. The same can be said of you and your audiences. You take time to understand their needs, preferences, and pain points and you serve them everyday building trust. By doing that they are sure to come back every time. Unless they find a chicken leg in the bush.

Bring enthusiasm to every activity

We get it, not everything can be exciting and some tasks can feel mundane. But when you’re passionate about your service, it really shines through. Wookie certainly doesn’t hold back when he’s excited, jumping up for his dinner and following Chris furiously around the room until he gets it. So remember, enthusiasm is infectious and incredibly powerful. If you love what you offer, chances are your audiences will too.

Be an excellent listener

Dogs are (usually) great listeners. Until something more exciting piques their interest…but attentiveness to your audience is so powerful. Learn from what they are saying and applying it to your work, by doing so you’ll not only improve what you do but show your audience that they matter – a simple way to build and maintain brand loyalty.

Adapt to change

Wookie is incredibly adaptable, having been rehomed, he’s had to get used to new environments and people – and he’s done brilliantly. In all organisations, adaptability is critical as we must remain flexible to keep up with trends and how our audiences behave.

We’ve recently worked with a team trialling new video content – a new approach for them. The results were strong, sparking conversations and leading to a desire to produce more. Adaptability takes time but it keeps your approach fresh and relevant.

Build communities

Dogs thrive in packs – you should see Syd and Wookie on their weekend walkies causing havoc with their other canine friends. Marketing engagement operates in the same way. When you invest in genuine connection and shared purpose, you build communities that drive loyalty, advocacy and sustainable growth.

Simplify your messaging

Dogs don’t complicate things. Syd could not make it any clearer when she wants her ball thrown. Trust me, the whole town knows it. And your messaging should be the same. Crafting straightforward, repeatable messages that resonate with your audience, means they know exactly what you do or stand for, and make it easy for them to act.

Be Persistent (but not too much!)

Persistence pays off. Those longing puppy dog eyes will eventually make us cave in. See Syd and wanting her ball. So, stay consistent to your beliefs and approaches if you know they will foster results.

Celebrate the small wins

Small wins deliver the biggest victories. Training a dog is hard but the delight on Wookie’s face when delivering a trick and being given sausage as reward. Acknowledging and celebrating milestones is important, not only does it increase morale within your organisations but sharing these with your audiences whether in excitement or gratitude towards them will reinforce their connection to your brand.

Marketing really does share a lot of traits with our favourite four-legged friends – establishing loyalty, building trust, being adaptable, and creating meaningful connections. Get it right and they’ll keep them coming back for more.

Now that Syd and Wookie have given you food for thought, the Keystone humans are here to help you further. We help you define your true value, reach the right audiences, and scale sustainably. Sound like what you need, let’s chat.