WEDNESDAY 7 AUG 2013 10:47 AM

CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN KITTEN?

Mars have entered their cat food brand Whiskas into their biggest charity partnership to date by following in the paw-steps of rival FCMG giant Coca Cola and striking a donation deal with the World Wildlife Foundation.

This new leap of Whiskas’ ‘Big Cat, Little Cat’ brand strategy, launched in February this year, is part of a wider programme currently being initiated by the WWF to help protect wild tigers, preserve their environments and secure their future as a species.

Whiskas aims to donate £500,000 to WWF’s Tiger Conservation efforts through the promotion of their special tiger-based packaging, on shelves from this summer.

The donation will be supported by television advertising, created by the agency AMV BBDO, as well as in-store activity and an online documentary presented by TV wildlife presenter Liz Bonnin.

Whiskas seem to have incorporated this initiative into the heart of their business strategy as senior brand manager Clare Mitchell says, they ‘are passionate about all cats, and that includes the world’s big cat population.’

This move will adhere perfectly to Mars’ new marketing emphasis for their pet care brands, which together are reported to constitute 37.5% of the UK market. By taking advantage of their customer’s emotional connections to their pets, Mars is hoping to promote healthcare and nutrition consciousness, thereby strengthening these sensitive bonds.

This has been showcased by recent advertising for fellow furry Mars-owned brand Cesar, whose TV campaign features an elderly man and his West Highland Terrier in a heartwarming ‘man’s best friend’ character tale.

By joining paws with Whiskas, the WWF has renewed its objective to double wild tiger numbers by 2022 by the means of anti-poaching patrols, improving guard posts and installing tiger tracking technology. The campaign is concentrated in 11 countries still known to be home to these animals, however Whiskas’ donation will be focused directly on the Terai Arc region of Nepal.

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WED 28 Aug 2013 10:44 AM
#binthebeds
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Library in The Lowry, literally