Barking Bags

Overview:

Barking Bags is a pet eCommerce business focused on practical dog walking bags. The idea began in 2015 and sparked interest by airing on Dragon’s Den in 2022 with an initial investment by Sara Davis.

Things we identified:

Paid search was working well for the brand, however, interest spiked and then plateaued after the BBC Dragon’s Den episode aired.

Other channels were needed in play to create a more sustainable acquisition model where we could drive demand as well as capture it.

There are various competitors in the market with offerings claiming that they were the “best dog walking bag” but many failed to highlight the practical benefits of a dog walking bag.

Through reviewing competitor messaging, user comments on ads and reviews, we found that customers were looking for quality as well as style and our audience had a need for carrying all the essentials for long dog walks.

The pet sector has a very high attachment rate and LTV. Whilst it sits outside of ads, we could see opportunities for email marketing activity to support cross-selling additional products to the new customer acquisition being driven on the front end via ads.

Reviewing search data via Google and Amazon, we identified an international growth opportunity for dog walking bags in the US, where there is a higher population of dog owners yet much lower competition levels for this product.

Changes we made:

Messaging across ads and the website was changed to highlight the functional benefits of the Barking Bag. We captured engagement by tapping into emotion around going on adventures rather than leading with the previous “As seen on Dragons Den” messaging.

Listening to customer reviews and comments on Meta ads, we changed creative to reflect the dog owner’s core pain points. For example, users were frustrated that they were unable to store used poo bags until they found a bin and were unaware the Barking Bags had a section for this.

The momentum we created:

We’ve deployed a Meta strategy that’s driving profitable acquisition on cold audience targeted campaigns.

This is a much more scalable channel for the brand as we can continue to drive demand outside of search where we see significant ups and downs in-line with user search volume.

Utilising user-generated style and content, we tap into the emotions of dog owners by showing relatable situations and continue to present why the product on offer is something that they need.

Managing through an external partner, we’ve deployed Klaviyo activity for email workflows and campaigns. This is working highly effectively to drive referral business as well as cross-selling existing customers multiple additional products.

Taking what we’ve learned, we’re now leading on the roll out for the client’s brand into the US market via Amazon and Shopify.