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Creative Brief: Blue Mountain Humane Society
Participants
Sara, Marcus, Margaret, Hannah, Katelyn, Lizzett, and David — June 4, 2020
Overview
What would you like us to do for you? What is the purpose and scope of the project (heighten credibility, expand services, sell 2000 widgets, etc.)?
We’d like you to create a site that clearly and creatively tells the story of who we are as an organization and engages the community in our work. We want each site visitor to feel that they are a part of what we are doing.
The site must be simple and easy for users. It should be easy to find animals, make donations, and navigate to find information about all the other things happening at the Humane Society. DO NOT overwhelm folks. Note: It is essential that fundraising is easy for donors with no hoops to jump through. Our online presence should improve the interaction between BMHS and our clients. We aspire for our culture (what we do, not what we say we do) to match the goals set out above for the website. We care about the future. What we have done doesn’t matter. We want to go to what’s next.
The Virus is a consideration. We’ve been asking ourselves, “What if adopters could finish the entire process online. Then arrive for pickup?”
We want to offer a Spanish site, eventually. We understand that the Spanish site is not part of phase one. Technology: We listened as David suggested that we streamline the site using integrated technology as much as possible. Still, we have had success with Qgive and our current iFrame approach to adoptable pets, so we may wish to keep using those. We LOVE Greater Giving, and it must be included in our new site.
Projects include
Design Website
We’ve been talking about a series of brochures
We may also be open to a logo modernization
Creative Considerations
What limitations or constraints do you have (budget, schedule, size, paper, etc.)? What elements or colors or other personal preferences must be represented in this project? Where will additional materials that we do not create come from? (writing/photography/illustration etc.)
We are generally open and encouraging of creative ideas. Our limits and preferences are few. We have a longstanding blue color at the center of our brand, and we will profile you with the Pantone matching number for that color. We welcome additional colors. There is one listing style guide with a second version in the works. We will provide the guide to you.
Writing comes from Katelyn and Sara. Photos come from Liz. We are open to using some photos from other sources and stock photos as well. We do not have an illustrator on our team.
Question: What are examples of projects of this type you have seen that you think are effective? Can you please share some samples?
Answer:
humaneanimalrescue.org
mountainhumane.org
animalhumanesociety.org
giveshelter.org
bestfriends.org
mountainhumane.org
humanerescuealliance.org
humanesocietytampa.org
anticruelty.org
Product Description
What are the products or services your organization provides? What is the product or service that you want to promote? What are its features? How much does it cost? What is it made of and how is it used? What makes it different, unusual, or unique?
We promote kindness, prevent cruelty, slow overpopulation, and work to create and preserve human/animal bonds. Although people need pets, pets need people more.
About cost: Adoptions generally cost $15 to $250. The fee for a senior cat is less, and the fee for a puppy is more. We offer spay and neuter services for $75 to $115. Vaccinations run from $10 to $25. The rabies vaccine is required. We offer a subsidized spay and neuter program that provides low cost spay/neuter services for income-qualified pet owners. We hope to move into providing more vaccination services separate from surgery in the future.
Blue Mountain Humane Society is very different than most similar operations. We are a unicorn. We are an open admission municipal shelter and a no-kill shelter. Of course, we sometimes euthanize when an animal’s declining health requires it, but we never euthanize to make space in the Shelter. Most cities have TWO shelters that serve the community, a municipal (kill) Shelter, and private (no-kill) Shelter.
We practice open adoption. The process is simple and it assumes people are good and are coming for the right reasons. We can’t protect animals from finding good homes. There doesn’t seem to be more success from adoptions processed in an invasive way. We have found open adoption to be quite successful.
We carefully track the length of stay for each animal. We provide safe housing, but, honestly, not much more. There is nothing like an excellent home to meet an animal’s hierarchy of needs. We do have some enrichment for animals and a few opportunities for animals to get outdoors.
We offer home trials. Adult dogs over six months of age can go home with a client and see how it goes. A home trial is generally three to six days.
One advantage of adopting an animal from our Shelter over purchasing from a breeder or pet store is that our fees include a range of services. Fees include spay/neuter, a health exam, microchip, and vaccinations. Breeders don’t generally do any of that. We are also typically less expensive, and we may have free or low-cost supplies available as well.
We don’t offer much else for sale. We have a few T-shirts, but not much else.
Another focus of the Humane Society is education. We want to make our website a rich resource for all the essential information that a client will need to care for their pet appropriately. All the information should be on our website. Our website should also cover why it is essential to spay or neuter and why donations are important to the Shelter. Donation options such as planned giving should be highlighted. The PAWS website has a nice donor section. We would also like to highlight the importance of our volunteer program and the impact volunteers make at the Shelter.
We are now allowed to provide full-service vet services for income-qualified clients, and also we also offer emergency services. Euthanasia is a tough part of the job. We do offer it and assist by donation. We don’t talk about it.
We do offer an animal cruelty investigation service, but it is very uncommon.
Margaret says: “We have a lot of programs that no one knows about unless they call us, the right person answers the phone, and the caller asks the right question. I’d love for our services to be better known in the community, and the website is one way to improve that!”
Lizette adds:
AniMeals: AniMeals assists senior citizens by providing free basic pet needs such as food, litter, grooming supplies, and occasional veterinary care when required to remove some common obstacles that prevent people from keeping their pets.
Animal Rehoming: We accept surrenders by appointment only.
Dane County Humane Society has AMAZING resources on how to surrender or re-home pets on your own, something like this would be so helpful. Surrender or Rehome
giveshelter.org: This is their link to re-homing on your own. We have just partnered with a software program that connects to our website as another page, but it allows peoples to post their pets before surrendering. It’s used as a way to prevent pets from being surrendered and having to be here at the shelter. We would manage and monitor the site, so we know exactly what’s posted.
Cat Management Cooperative (CMC): A monthly Trap-Alter-Return events targeting feral and free-roaming cats, dramatically reducing the number of cats that enter the shelter each year.
Dog Licensing
Foster Program.
Humane Education: Our Humane Education team visits local schools throughout the Walla Walla Valley, offering programming that teaches kids to be kind to other people and animals. We love to take adoptable pets to community events like Commitment to Community Kids Day, Cinco De Mayo at Wa-Hi, National Night Out. We also offer study break visits during finals week at Whitman College, Walla Walla University, and Walla Walla Community College.
Off-Site adoption events.
Pets for Patriots: BMHS is a proud adoption partner of Pets for Patriots. This charity operates nationally to save lives by matching adoptable pets with United States veterans and service members.
Senior center visits.
Temporary Emergency housing: Must meet qualifications.
Margaret provided the following helpful documents:
Competition
What makes your business special among similar businesses? What’s your value proposition? Who is your present competition? Who would you like to be competing with? What similar products or services are currently available and how good are they?
We are both unique and unusual because we are a municipal and no-kill private shelter.
We are a community resource. We hold hands, help folks care for animals, and provide additional resources. We have a continuing relationship with our clients. We have a partnership with the community to be the place you call when you have a problem with an animal. We are YOUR humane society. We work hard to do the MANY things we do (sometimes with varying success — such is life). If you need to find your animal, adopt an animal, or have a problem with an animal, we can take care of you. We even answer simple questions like “What hotels take pets?” We can answer that, and that resource should be on the new site.
Pet stores: Nobody sells dogs. City zoo occasionally sells kittens. Petco, PetSmart, City Zoo, all sell chinchillas (they don’t belong here and have no social sense). Petsmart partners with other organizations to connect people with cats. The good news from pet stores is that they offer Guinea pigs (need to be in pairs), rabbits, rats, ferrets, hamsters, fish, and reptiles. Many pet stores say that they will take an animal back if it becomes unwanted. We’re not sure that happens.
There are a couple of cat breeders nearby. Breeds offered include Persian, American Shorthair, and Bengal. There are a few dog breeders nearby too. Most seem reputable. There is one problem breeder of Yorkies and Pomeranians nearby in Oregon.
Note: Silver Cloud Cat Sanctuary is a questionable operation. It’s been operated for six years or so by Cathy Fouts. She takes care of special needs cats in the basement of a house. There are some volunteers helping. She has four active Facebook accounts. There have been repeated complaints about her stealing animals. She has strict adoption policies where she maintains co-ownership of animals. This is a bit of a problem. She also collects kittens from the Tri-Cities shelter.
Veterinary clinics: The local veterinary clinics are all five-star operations. Our spay/neuter services are 60-70% cheaper.
Target Audience & Market Realities
Who is your current primary audience (gender, age, socioeconomics, employment, geographics)? How much do they know about the product? What are their attitudes toward products or businesses like yours? What motivates them? Who do you want your audience to be?
Honestly, we seem to serve everyone. Yes, everyone. Our imperfect data tells us that the majority of our clients are 20 to 30 years old. Our Facebook group seems to be 70% women and lots of folks 35 years old or older.
Adoptions happen locally, but people also come from out of the area. It’s surprising to us, but some people will drive four hours in the early morning to get here and adopt a pet. It happens a lot.
The community does not know much about what we do. They are not well informed. We still shoulder some stigma of us as THE POUND from the old days when we were located at the Airport. Clients often don’t know much about us and our range of services. “I had no idea” is a common comment. Fortunately, we generally have positive regard and good approval ratings. Our client LOVE us, and we’re pretty easy to love once clients get to know us.
The only negative feedback we tend to get is from folks who misunderstand and oppose pit-bulls.
People are motivated to visit the Shelter because they need a pet. Most folks want to look around and physically connect with animals. Our society has made “rescue” a popular term. It’s part of the culture. It appeals to our ego to SAVE SOMETHING. The Shelter has long been a destination for people who want to hang out with animals. We will continue with that as possible, even in our new virus-affected situation.
We do wish to increase our connection with the Latino community.
User Benefits
How will the user be better off using your product or service? Will he or she save time, effort, or money? If so, how much? How important is this product to the consumer? Are there tradeoffs (higher quality, but higher price)?
Clients and the community are better off because the Shelter works to help people and animals be healthier through connection. The Shelter provides healthy animals, and Adopters feel great because the RESCUED an animal. “I SAVED AN ANIMAL IN NEED. I AM A HERO.” I have a companion!
Animal health is essential. We spay and neuter because it is healthier for the animal, and it reduces overpopulation. We take in strays to keep bite and rabies risks off the street and keep animals safe until they are reunited with their owners.
Adoption saves time because all the needed pet health items are complete, and the adoption process is easy and open. We often have stock of needed supplies that we can give or loan to the client on the same day.
The Shelter is a win, win, win. Pets win, adopters win, the community wins. We all have in innate desire to be impactful. People can be impactful with pets in a way they may not be able to elsewhere.
The Humane Society is even good for prisoners! We have dogs and cats who go to the pen for training and care. It’s a transformation for both sides. We send unweaned kittens there for 24-hour care. Dogs that go to pen connect with prisoners, and their behavior improves from the 24-7 care they get from prisoners.
The Shelter is VERY VERY important to the community. If my dog is stray, she has a safe, caring place to go. And I can save time finding her.
Marcus says: “My two kids went through a hard time. Pets saved their lives. My wife is from Romania and does not like animals in the house. But, she has softened and we now have five animals in the house. The pets help the kids tremendously.”
The Humane Society saves lives. We save lives of pets and vulnerable humans. We protect the voiceless. We help get pets OUT of the Shelter. And, we also BRING pets to the Shelter as a safe place. Note: The Shelter is no place for a pet long term, but the perfect place short term.
We also support the physical and emotional health of the community. We make our community a safe and healthy place to live.
Most Important Point (MIP)
What are the top three (or more) ranked benefits of your product or service? If you could choose only one thing the audience remembers from your advertising, what would it be?
Volunteers connections: Volunteers connect with animals, other volunteers, staff.
Education
Companionship
We help people to be heroes
Community Health
A place for someone to call for help when they need assistance with an animal. We can help with pet care. Placement. Vet services for an injured animal.
We offer a bright future for pets and their owners. We unleash a bright future.
Kindness and connection.
We prevent cruelty and promote kindness.
We save lives. Everything we do is for that goal. We do lifesaving work every day. It’s at the heart of community health and adoption and companionship and volunteering
MIP: We keep pets and people together to improve and even save lives.