Dog influencers are a big deal.
From Toast Meets World to Marnie, pups on Instagram attract millions of fans – and a lot of interest from brands looking to leverage their fame. Marketing agency HelloSociety sees this and is jumping into the animal-influencer game.
Related: From ‘Pet Project’ to Real Business: The Story Behind Dogs of Instagram
Debuting its new pet division WAGSociety this week at the NoMad hotel’s penthouse in Manhattan, the company is wanting to be the middleman for the famous animals on the web and businesses looking to team up with them to expand their reach. So, if you see an Instagram photo of a celeb dog sitting shotgun in a fancy car, the auto company most likely forked over some cash for the pup to strike a pose.WAGSociety wants to help broker these deals, so both sides are happy.
Because it is part of HelloSociety (basically the human equivalent), the brand already has a leg up on some competitors, as relationships with big brands – Procter & Gamble, Nordstrom, Sephora and Tiffany & Co. are a few of its clients – are already in place. The idea forWAGSociety came from brands asking to engage with animals.
Related: Watch: The Exhausting Workday of Marc Jacobs’ Dog (Sarcasm Intended)
“We noticed a demand from brands asking if we worked with ‘Insta-famous’ animals,” says CEO and founder Kyla Brennan. “Also when you follow animals, their engagement is significantly higher than people’s, and I think that just comes down to physiologically people respond to cute. There is also nothing polarizing about an animal.”
And at the event, there definitely was a lot of cuteness in one room.
Menswear Dog (has his own book), Hamilton the Pug (his mug has graced billboards) and Tinkerbelle the Dog (modeled for Ralph Lauren) were all in attendance.
Related: 20 Rapid-Fire Questions With Menswear Dog
While people were obsessing over the dogs, they were enjoying some tasty beverages, along with fancy nibbles. Pups that attended got to feast on Dog for Dog snacks and Doggy Chef treats. The night culminated with a fashion show of the pups strutting their stuff on the runway and working the crowd. The life of the famous.
