Meet Ollie. This seven-pound Yorkie has so many clothes, he needs his own drawer. He enjoys regular visits to doggie daycare and stars on our holiday card every year. The important thing to note about Ollie’s lifestyle, however, is that it’s fairly typical of the modern American dog. 

Around 37 percent of U.S. households own a dog, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, and just like Ollie, an increasing number of dogs have become the center of attention in their families, with owners embracing their role as “pet parents.” They celebrate their dogs’ birthdays, take them traveling, and spend considerable sums of money on their health and well-being.

So what are you doing to cater to this sector of your community? 

Back in 2009 at the Carol Stream Park District in Illinois, which serves a population of 40,000 in Chicago’s west suburbs, our dog-focused programs were limited to the occasional dog obedience class. With the knowledge that dog owners are some of the most frequent users of the town’s park and trail systems, however, we made the commitment to better serve their needs.

Our efforts began with the creation of the CSBarks Dog Festival, a free event that brings together the local canine community with activities including dog agility, dog Olympics contests, sheep-herding demonstrations, fashion shows and a dog-business shopping mall. Over the past five years, thousands of people and their pets, some traveling more than 100 miles to attend, have flocked to the annual event, making it one of the largest free dog festivals in the region.

We quickly discovered that pet parents don’t just want to pamper their four-legged friends, but seek out opportunities to enrich their dogs’ lives through activities that provide education, health benefits, fun and socialization.

The popularity of the festival has since led to the addition of several new dog-friendly programs, including dog Easter egg hunts, an outdoor movie screening with a dinner for dogs, and soon — dog birthday parties. Support of dog owners at the ballot box also helped the district pass a referendum in 2010, which included the proposal to construct the town’s first off-leash dog park.

The marketing campaigns for the CSBarks Dog Festival, which have earned multiple accolades at the Illinois Park and Recreation Association Showcase Awards, have played an important role in the continued growth of the event. So if you’re aiming to reach your local dog community, here are a few marketing tips we’ve learned from our experiences.

Treat Dogs as Part of the Family

Our initial marketing campaigns were specifically targeted to households with dogs, but no children. These families are typically empty nesters, whose children have moved out, or young couples who haven’t had children yet. Many of these adults, however, will admit to treating their “fur babies” like children, and they often spend much of their disposable income on their pets. Survey data from the American Pet Products Association estimates that $53 billion will be spent on pets in 2013.

Major brands have taken notice of this trend, too. Subaru of America, for instance, launched a “dog-tested, dog-approved” marketing campaign in 2012, aimed specifically at dog owners. Visitors to Subaru’s Facebook page can watch videos of dogs test-driving cars and create a mock driving license for their pooch. Subaru dealerships are also encouraged to team up with local dog shelters for adoption events, and a Subaru Map My Dog Walk smartphone app helps owners track their pet’s exercise routine.

The Subaru campaign is a great example of marketing that demonstrates familiarity with dog ownership. It positions the brand as an organization that understands dog families, which helps generate affinity and trust with owners. We used this tactic on a smaller scale for our first festival by creating a marketing campaign targeted at dogs, rather than their owners. Our tongue-in-cheek campaign played on some classic dog behavior by placing fire hydrant-shaped yard signs along walking paths throughout our park system. The signs were designed to attract dogs first, with owners following shortly behind.

Using this experiential approach opens up some great opportunities for fun and creativity, too. As part of a Purina campaign in New Zealand, for example, dozens of branded tennis balls were attached to trees, which they named “magic trees,” in off-leash parks, to encourage owners to play with their dogs.

Positioning yourself as a dog-friendly organization also requires using some dog diversity in your marketing, and while there are far too many breeds, shapes and sizes to include them all, aim to represent each of these three broad categories: sporty dogs (those that take part in events such as dock diving and agility), companion dogs (who tend to be the most fashionable dogs and tend to take part in photo and talent contests) and working dogs (a group that includes therapy dogs, special-needs dogs and even show dogs).

Dogs Blog, Too — Get Social

Pet parents love to share their dog’s antics, and you may have already heard of one of America’s most social dogs — a Pomeranian named Boo, who has more than eight million Facebook followers and his own range of merchandise. Even if your resident dog bloggers are not nationally recognized, there are still plenty of benefits in getting to know your local puppy personalities. Owners who are active on social media can become strong ambassadors for your events, and eager to spread your marketing message virally.

To spur on social media buzz, don’t be afraid to host activities that may seem ridiculous. In Carol Stream, we’ve hosted a dog wedding, served dog beer (nonalcoholic of course) and celebrated our fifth CSBarks festival with dogs wearing party hats and eating dog cake. Although bizarre, all events were well-received by dog owners and generated great media coverage for the park district.

Create Pet-Focused Partnerships

When targeting dog owners who don’t have children, it’s useful to make the assumption that they are unlikely to take part in sports or recreation programs or even visit your community centers, which means program brochures, email newsletters or even your website may not be effective communication tools. A better method of reaching this audience, therefore, is to form partnerships with local veterinarians, pet stores, boarding facilities and dog charities. Make use of their physical locations to display print promotions, and for online marketing, provide photos, graphics and press releases to make it easy for businesses to share with their customer base. To get the best return on advertising dollars, form media partnerships with any local dog publications, radio or TV programs, or create your own. In 2012, we developed a special dog supplement for our local newspaper, funded by advertising sold to vendors attending the festival.

Finally, perhaps the most important lesson we’ve learned from CSBarks is to be more dog-like with your marketing and events. Keep things simple (even a stick is exciting for a dog), have fun and treat your audience like they’re all your best friends.

Ian Everett is the Marketing Specialist for the Carol Stream Park District in Illinois.