PAWS for People Marketing Plan Project

Customer Analysis and Pricing Strategy

The users of PAWS consist of two categories: people in need of pet therapy and the volunteers
who serve as teams with their pets. Categories of people in need of pet therapy include nursing
home residents, hospital or hospice care patients, veterans, drug and alcohol rehab patients, and
disabled adults. These users of PAWs are typically in need of help with mental illness (such as
depression or anxiety), physical pain relief, or physical therapy. However, for the purpose of this
analysis we will focus on the volunteer teams. These users are already pet owners, who have
decided to volunteer their time and efforts to PAWS. These volunteers can be full-time members
(teams with one pet), associate members (a volunteer without a pet), teen members (members
aged 11-18), and junior members (members under the age of 10). More focus should be placed
on these users, specifically associate members, because there is a high demand for pet therapy
already.
Users of PAWS that volunteer pay a one-time fee of $35 collected at orientation, and a $50
annual membership. It is an additional $25 annually for more than one pet. PAWS also offers a
teen membership ($25 annually), an associate membership ($25 annually) and a junior
membership ($10 annually). Volunteers do not receive profit from volunteering. Their main
competition, Faithful Friends charges $25 annually for therapy dogs, which is considerably less,
but PAWS undergoes more training and testing. The user of PAWS receives many more benefits
in comparison, so therefore an adjustment in price for these fees is not necessary. In addition,
users of the service pay individual fees for special request starting at $50 for an initial
consultation, continuing onto $35-$55 an hour for one time visits, and $25-$40 an hour for
continuous visits. Facility fees are arranged on a tier system, depending on the facility and the
need of the recipients. Given that PAWS currently has a waiting list and plenty of this category of
users, a price adjustment does not appear to be necessary for those services. Their price is a little
higher than their main competition, Faithful Friends ($100 annually for facilities), but Faithful
Friends does not appear to offer special request visits. Overall, the pricing of PAWS is not the
area that should be addressed the most.

Product Analysis
PAWS for people is a non-profit organization designed to provide individual therapeutic services,
to those in need, through interaction with a household pet. PAWS for people volunteers consist of
teams of one volunteer and their beloved pet. The teams are requested by members of the
community to make specialized visits in order to fulfill a need.
The needs fulfilled by the PAWS for people program range anywhere from physical to mental.
Pertaining to physical needs, PAWS pet therapy calms and relaxes the recipient and can even
improve cardiovascular health. Mental needs such as depression, boredom, and anxiety are
lessened through the therapy program. The volunteer teams even fulfill developmental needs for
children such as reading skills and literacy development through their PAWS reading program.

There are three levels of the program grouped according to age: for kids, for adults, and for the
elderly. The children section has programs for early mobility problems, children with special
needs, children with autism, and children with reading or literacy difficulty. Programs for adults
include therapy for those with drug and/or alcohol addiction, therapy for speech, neurological
and related disabilities, and therapy for Easter Seals and Chimes. The visitations for the elderly
include adult day care, assisted living, Alzheimer's units, rehabilitation, skilled care, and hospice.
PAWS for people is classified as a service. It is considered a specialty service because it is
extremely individualized and not considered necessary for everyday life. Those seeking pet
therapy do not usually compare between competition because these types of organizations are
low in numbers and usually differ on numerous levels pertaining to the types of services offered.
One element of the branding for PAWS for people is their name. PAWS stands for pet-assisted
visitation volunteer services. The two words that start with V are formed into the W in
PAWS in a creative way so that it is easier to speak and/or write about the organization. It also
symbolizes the joining together of volunteers and pets. Another element of the branding is the
logo or symbol, which is a white paw print with a little heart in the middle.
External and Internal Environmental Analysis
There are not many competitors in PAWS for Peoples current market. The competition that is
geographically closest to PAWS for People is the therapy unit within Faithful Friends. Faithful
Friends was founded in 2000 and is primarily a no-kill animal shelter. They also offer healthy pet
clinics, a pet food bank, and a spay and neuter clinic. They take in cats in addition to dogs. The
therapy program in Faithful Friends is a much smaller unit than that of PAWS for People. For the
therapy teams, Faithful Friends provides training for teams, similar to that of PAWS for People.
However, if the company expands, they will face competition from some small firms. The
competitor most likely to hold the highest market share is Comfort Caring Canines; they have a
very similar mission statement to that of PAWS, and reaches Southeastern Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. They are located within an hour from Newark, DE, so the
immediate area is not their largest market. PAWS for People has an advantage over this
competitor in that it offers training, while therapy dogs with Comfort Caring Canines need to
have previously been trained. Also, PAWS for People has a unique advantage against all its
competitors in that it offers more than just therapy teams with canines: they also have teams that
provide pet therapy with cats and rabbits.
If PAWS for People expands its market specifically accommodate Sussex County,
Delaware, it will face competition from Pets on Wheels of Delmarva Inc. This organization is a
small pet therapy firm that only serves this small region. Also, Faithful Friends has a partner
organization based in Lewes, Delaware called Leap Reading. Leap Reading specializes in pet
therapy helping children with disabilities or insecurities learn to read. PAWS for People is also
involved in reading programs for children; however, they also provide many other types of pet
therapy.
There are currently many environmental forces as it pertains to PAWS for People must
continue to be considered in the marketing plan. In the microenvironment, the focus must be on
the supply end. The biggest challenge the organization faces to expansion is recruiting enough

teams to satisfy the high demand for PAWS services.

In regards to the various publics PAWS reaches, it needs to keep internal publics
informed and motivated to participate in the companys mission. To maintain good relationships
with financial publics and motivate them to continue donating and making grant expenditures,
the organization needs to continue providing Christiana hospital with quality services. Also,
PAWS can begin more effectively reaching media publics. Although revamping the company
website was a great start, it could also garner attention from local newspaper coverage of events.
PAWS already participates in local public events and holds fundraising and awareness events to
engage potential customers and anyone with a passion for pet therapy. In regards to the way
PAWS for People maintains customer relationships, they have been successful by offering
premium services at a fair price. Their strategy in customer relationships has proven successful
since the demand for services remains high and continues to grow.
In regards to the companys macroenvironment, they appeal to diverse demographics of
customers. People young and old, male and female, disabled or simply stressed gain benefits
from the pet therapy services the organization offers. PAWS has been utilizing technological
resources by updating its website and utilizing social media outlets such as Twitter and
Facebook. The organization should continue to maintain these accounts and update frequently
with testimonies to the services being provided, events being held, and satisfaction both
volunteers and customers derive from their experiences.
Some cultural have affected the success of PAWS for People. Unfortunately, Americans
today live high stress and anxiety levels without fully understanding their options for therapy.
Many do not realize this specialized form of therapy acts as such a great way to relieve stress and
anxiety. Since there is such a high need for it, more efforts need to be made to inform the public
on the benefits of pet therapy and its qualities as a form of relief from stress and anxiety.
SWOT ANALYSIS

Market Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Strategy

Target Market Segments for PAWS
1.

PAWS Members

2.

PAWS by Special Request

3.

Those who receive pet therapy in a group setting

4.

Therapy Teams

The target market segment we have selected for PAWS is Associate Members. Anyone,
male or female, and of all ages can become an Associate Member for PAWS by simply signing
up on the PAWS website and paying a membership fee. Since sign up is done online, virtually
anyone from anywhere in the world can become an Associate Member. However, since the
current outreach of PAWS is centralized to Northern Delaware, Southern New Jersey and
Southeastern Pennsylvania, that is where the majority of PAWS Associate Members are from.
Associate Members have various lifestyles and personality characteristics. These range from pet
lovers to frequent charity supporters, families, empty nesters, mainstreamers and reformers.
Associate Members come from all social classes, as the fee per year is inexpensive at $25. The
benefits sought of Associate Members are to support the PAWS organization without physically
having to volunteer. Benefits of an Associate Member include invitations to all PAWS

educational, social, and community service events, the PAWS quarterly newsletter and mailings,
as well as entry to discounts and resources featured on the PAWS Cares and PAWS Picks portion
of the PAWS website. Associate Members usage ranges from light to medium as one can freely
choose how much they want to participate within the program. After becoming a member,
membership may be renewed yearly or purchased in advance. It is $25 for a one-year
membership, $50 for a two-year membership and $75 for a three-year membership.
The Associate Member segment has been selected because it has the potential to reach the
most customers. Currently, the majority of Associate Members are in the three state geographic
range of PAWS. However, PAWS can reach new members in a wider geographic area by
increased advertising. The simplicity of the membership process facilitates the ability for people
to easily sign up and spend $25. The potential size of this market segment is large and the
growth rate is increasing.
According to a study done by the Chronicle of Philanthropy journal, online donating to
charities grew substantially in 2012. As stated in the article, there was a 20 percent increase in
charities that accept online donations in 2012. In addition, the average donation was found to be
$77. Currently, online donations only account for 10 percent of charitable donations but Steve
MacLaughlin, director of BlackbaudCOs IdeaLab, predicts that this number will grow to 15
percent in 5 years. Lastly, the research presented in the journal suggests that most donors donate
on weekdays during business hours, mainly Monday and Tuesday. This research will be
beneficial to target PAWS donors during specific days and hours. With the increase in overall
online donations for charities, it is the best interest for PAWS to take advantage to this segment.
Promotional Strategy
The promotional and communication objectives include repositioning PAWS for People
to achieve its full market potential. By increasing advertisements, public relation stunts and
increased media coverage, PAWS will be able to gain the recognition it needs to create more
profits. Through gaining more volunteers and teams of pets and owners, the non-profit can
expand their business exponentially. With more teams, PAWS will be able to increase their reach
and portion of market share because they can expand to other locations such as Maryland.
Reaching out and targeting more volunteers will gain PAWS the most profit through the
membership fees as well as their expanded ability to advance to more locations that need their
services. Giving the company more volunteers allows them to do their job better and help as
many people as possible.
The objects in the integrated marketing communication promotional mix include
advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, public relations and direct marketing. All of the
sections of IMC create a consistent brand image for the company. There is an emotion appeal
used because that is most beneficial concerning non-profits and animals. People respond strongly
to emotional concepts, especially those involving people in need and animals. The volunteers
psychographic profile would best be reached through this method. Since PAWS for People is in
its introductory stage of the product life cycle, informative advertising would work most
efficiently. Especially focusing on building a consistent brand and company image as well as
communicating customer value and alerting the customer that the company exists will allow the
advertisements to work as well as possible. On Maslows hierarchy of needs, the esteem section
will be the most effective. Since PAWS is a specialty good, the customer would not be able to

consider volunteering for PAWS or receiving any of their services until all of their other
physiological and social needs are met. As well, esteem relates to self-esteem and volunteering
for a non-profit increases a persons self-esteem because they are helping others.
The advertisement consists of putting ads in local newspapers and local magazines,
advertising not only that PAWS exists and is an excellent organization but also that they are
searching for more teams of charitable volunteers and their animals. The ads would be placed in
newspapers that are slightly outside of PAWSs current reach to gain the expansion necessary.
The sales promotion includes setting up a special discount for referring a friend. This will help
current patrons who are paying memberships to get a deal. Along with this, it will help reach out
to harder to reach customers through the current customer network. Personal selling will be very
beneficial to the campaign because it has very high credibility. Having current teams using wordof-mouth to alert potential new customers of the immense benefits of PAWS will increase the
integrity of the business.
Public Relations will be a very powerful tool for this IMC. Setting up booths at local
community events will attract positive publicity. Bringing current teams to promote the benefits
of PAWS would allow potential volunteers to meet current patrons and ask them questions,
creating added awareness. Direct marketing would be used through having promoters of PAWS
go out into the newly targeted communities to create more brand awareness and attention for the
company. Since it is a customized medium, it will resonate well with potential customers as well
as provide immediate feedback for if it is profitable to expand to these locations in Maryland.
PAWS for People will differentiate itself from other companies because they have
different business models. PAWS is not a shelter and they only use teams of owners and their
animals. PAWS has a larger market share than Pets on Wheel and Faithful Friends a few of their
competitors. This promotional mix with differentiate PAWS because they are expanding to a new
market in Maryland that has not been able to be obtained. By gathering more volunteers in that
area, PAWS will be able to expand to a location that is in need of pet therapy since it is not
readily available.
Placement Strategy
Through aiming to attract more Associate Members as well as to collect more donations
rather than looking for more people in need of therapy, PAWS placement in the market will be
more profitable. For this reason, it more important to increase exposure and information about
PAWS to philanthropic individuals and pet owners. Many schools, towns, and churches host
community days and flea markets. These events very often attract pet owners who like to enjoy
the fresh air and walk their dogs around. Because these events regularly take place outside, the
environment is welcoming to animals. It would be advantageous to set up a booth for PAWS at
these sorts of events, as it would expose a large amount of people to the organization. Though
not all people who attend these events are pet owners, they usually go intending to spend money.
At the booth, volunteers could give out fliers about donating on the website, becoming a team
member, or supporting the organization in other ways. PAWS could ask some teams to volunteer
their time to have a petting session with the people that pass by. If the volunteers would like to
get more involved, they could have some sort of goods to sell, such as baked goods, hot dogs and
soda, or pet themed items. A jar for donations would most likely bring in at least a bit of money
for the organization.
Through these community and church events, the people of PAWS can gauge interest in
their organization. By assessing the money brought in through donations, fliers taken, and follow
ups after the event, PAWS can see which areas are most interested in the group. If the events are

widespread throughout the areas Lynne Robinson would like to expand to, she would see which
areas are already receptive to hearing more about her organization. Once she knows which areas
are the best to focus on, she can target advertising there. Though she can still put word out in the
areas where the booths were not successful, it would be more beneficial to focus on areas that are
already interested in becoming involved.
Faithful Friends recruits volunteers through their website. They require you to be at least
16, charge $25 a year as a membership fee, and require that you work at least 6 hours a month
for 6 months. This differs from PAWS in minimum age requirement and age of volunteers.
Faithful Friends also has a partnership with PETCO adoption centers. Because PAWS for People
does not have a segment for pet adoption, this sort of agreement would not make sense for them,
though it may be advantageous to put up fliers in pet stores if the store allow.
Pets on Wheels requires that pets are at least one year old, that the owner has had the per
for at least 6 months, and that volunteers be at least 18. Pets on Wheels hosts frequent
fundraisers, visits universities and schools, and attends festivals.
Comfort Canines have information about their application process on their website. They
require that pets be at least one year old, that volunteers be at least 18, and require the pet to have
undergone basic obedience training. The organization gives potential dogs two tests to gauge
their applicability for becoming a pet therapy dog. In their first test, their temperament and
performance in normal pet therapy situations, such as interacting with people in wheel chairs, is
assessed. In the second test, the pet owner is tested in their ability to control their dog. Comfort
Canines hosts events for evaluation and orientation of already accepted pets, but their
recruitment appears to be available only through their website.
PAWS for People has personalized questions in their application, requires a much more
intensive interview process, and trains their teams, hence their increased membership fees.
PAWS allows younger people to get involved, recruiting lifelong supporters early on in life. The
Associate Member program allows people without pets to donate money on a regular basis and
gives access to newsletters and events. This program is unique to PAWS and is extremely
beneficial to bringing in money without having to train pets. Though the Associate Members do
not help directly with the pet therapy, they do considerable work supporting the organization.

APPENDIX
APPENDIX 2
Market Segmentation Strategy for PAWS
for People
Associate Members
Demographic
Geographic

Males/Females,
All Ages
Virtually anywhere, currently Delaware
(Mainly northern, likely expansion to

Southern), Southern New Jersey, South

Eastern Pennsylvania
Psychographic

Pet lovers, Mainstreamers, Reformers, Charity

Supporters, Families, Empty Nesters

Socioeconomic

Middle to upper income level

Benefits Sought

Achieve associate member status within the

PAWS organization, to support PAWS without
having to physically volunteer

Usage

Advertising
- Advertisements
in local
newspapers such
as the Sussex
Countian

Light to Medium

Personal Selling Sales Promotion

- Having teams
spread PAWS
through word of
mouth
promotion

- Premium rate
for a friend
referral for
current patrons

Public
Relations
- Setting up
booths at local
community
events

Direct
Marketing
- Teams of
owners and pets
travel to selected
reach areas to
answer questions
and promote the
brand

Appendix 8
Problem Recognition:
Individuals want to help the community while involving their pets.
Information Search:
Research to see if PAWS offers program wanted, will volunteer be able to complete
training and do what is desired?
Alternative Evaluation:
Are there other organizations or programs that be substituted?
Purchase Decision:
Is the purchase going to be worthwhile? Yes, sign up for PAWS.
Post-purchase Evaluation:
Volunteers enjoy the experience of working with
PAWS and continue to volunteer when needed.

We expect that you have learned a sufficient amount about the PAWS for People

organization and support our insights and suggestions about the advancement of the group.