GREENIES sell dog treats with added health benefits. In 2019 the brand had expanded from only being available online and in specialty pet stores, and into mainstream grocery. To drive salience, the brand had invested in a new ad campaign, but new developments with platform targeting had put a spotlight on the need to acquire more first-party data, and more directly drive sales. Ultimately we needed an idea that could create a 1 to 1 relationship with consumers by collecting first party data, directly & indirectly drive sales, and in parallel through its relevance with the audience, also drive fame on a mass scale.

We invented DOGGY IQ: THE WORLD’S FIRST INTELLIGENCE TEST FOR DOGS, where the dumber your dog, the bigger the discount on GREENIES. The online experience used a creative wrapper (find out how smart your dog is) as a trojan horse to collect data about pets and their parents, and drive sales. The test itself was developed with a world-renowned dog behavioralist, Dr Rosalind Arden, alongside Mars’ own expertise at its scientific research institute, Waltham. Together we developed three unique tests of intelligence – memory, learning, and navigation – that pet parents could quickly and easily do with their dog. Upon completion, owners could claim a rebate on their next purchase of GREENIES, depending on how their dog scored. Throughout the test, we collected email addresses for retargeting, and data about people’s dogs - their name and their breed - so that we could personalise future communication to the pet and

Qualitative & quantitative research showed our audience, wealthier pet parents, were treating their pets like children and were taking great interest in using technology to track and measure their development. Some were even competitive with others about their pets. Using social listening, we identified a white space: all over dog forums & social media, people wonder just how smart their dog really is. Canine intelligence has long been of interest to people – some studies had quantified dog intelligence as the equivalent of a toddler, while others had found them capable of learning up to 1000 words. We saw an opportunity to provide an experience that was of interest to pet parents – measuring their pets' intelligence – that they would ‘pay’ for using data, allowing future specific targeting that could drive sales. We therefore directly invited consumers to an online experience that allowed them to test the intelligence

At the centre of the campaign was an online platform that collected data about pet parents and rewarded them at the end with a coupon to get a rebate on GREENIES treats. To drive traffic to the platform, we treated Doggy IQ like a product launch, with bespoke online video and social advertising to optimise direct click through and a smooth customer journey. We targeted our core pet parent audience, speaking directly to their curiosity to ensure engagement. Next, we enlisted our own pack of dog-owning influencers to take the test and spread the word through social media. In parallel, we enlisted PR to drive extra, earned online press reach for the campaign. We were live for a four week campaign period, but the platform was specifically designed to be a long term play that could be switched on and off when we needed to drive sales and collect data.

The campaign was a major success for Greenies. 47,000 people took the test, providing Mars with a rich bank of first-party data. 43% of pet parents who completed the test requested their rebate, directly driving incremental sales for GREENIES. Most importantly, the campaign contributed to an overall sales uplift of 18.9% while the campaign was live. Not only that, in parallel it became famous online, generating 303.4 million PR impressions, with features in high-reach publications like People Magazine.