Dogs Trust

Pell & Bales worked with Dogs Trust to develop a communications programme to existing high-value donors. Pell & Bales had already helped Dogs Trust to identify this supporter group as an under-explored source of income who needed to be given the option to be treated separately from the core DM programme and offered special incentives and offers that met their requirements.

Data were selected from various areas of the database, including high and mid-value segments, alongside testing alternative audiences who had specific product relationships with Dogs Trust.

The creative element of the approach centred on a capital appeal for a much-needed dogs re-homing centre to be built in London.

An integrated communication approach was chosen, with a telephone fundraising call to maximise the potential for supporter feedback, re-enforced by mail follow-up to invite donors to the centre's opening and as a second-chance financial ask to initial rejecters.

The ask strategy was tailored to the individual supporter, with asks of up to £1,000.

The campaign proved highly successful with overall gift response at 33.3%, with a year 1 ROI of 3.65:1.