PetWatch: A digital tool.
In Australia, up to 100,000 pets every year are affected by paralysis ticks, while thousands more suffer from other deadly parasites like heartworm and roundworm.
Despite this, new data shows that pet owners often leave their pets unprotected from this invisible danger for 5-8 months of the year.In response, Petbarn and Greencross Vets have partnered with Howatson+Company to launch PetWatch, a digital tool that uses live data to make parasite threats across the nation visible for the very first time.
This allows pet parents to check the threat level in any suburb, learn more about the parasites around them, and find the appropriate preventative treatment.
Hoang Nguyen, chief technology officer at Howatson+Company, said to create the parasite threat level heat map, the agency cross referenced four years of clinic and hospital data from Greencross Vets and Petbarn, with information from external sources that correlate with ideal parasite breeding and activity conditions.
"This includes Greenspace satellite data, temperature, rainfall, and humidity data from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. This was only possible because of the existing data from the Greencross team, and our close working partnership," said Nguyen.
Nick Adams, COO at Greencross Pet Wellness Company, said it’s a sad reality that too many pets die or become severely ill from parasites when they could have been protected through affordable preventative products.
"For the love of pets, we were determined to put our minds to how to fix this," he said.
Magdoline Awad, chief veterinary officer, Greencross Pet Wellness Company, said parasites are often out-of-sight and out-of-mind until it’s too late.
"In the past, this kind of information could only be accessed via a vet visit. PetWatch is one of the world’s first comprehensive resources for this information," she said.
"I would encourage Australians to stay vigilant, check the PetWatch risk level in their area, and in the areas that they are travelling to over the holiday period.”
PetWatch is a full end-to-end customer journey, alerting people to the tool when the threat level has increased in their area through Social, CRM and text messages.
There is also a product finder for flea, tick and worm treatment included in the experience to guide pet parents through finding the correct treatment for their pet.
Jared Wicker and Elaine Li, creative directors at Howatson+Company, said Australia has warning and alert systems for almost every other natural danger in Australia, from riptides to fires.
"But when it comes to our furkids, there was nothing. And that lack of knowledge was leading to preventable deaths," they said.
PetWatch also gives fresh, real-time insight into the severity and frequency of pet parasites. It’s revealed, for example, that paralysis ticks are a year-round threat, by tracking their seasonal fluctuation over the last several years.
Within the first three weeks, PetWatch has had over 350k suburb searches. To use the tool, go to petbarn.com.au/petwatch.
Credits:Client: Petbarn
Chief Customer Officer: Nick Adams
General Manager: Jessica Donovan
Head of Retail Marketing: Rachel Beeton
Retail Marketing Executive: Lauren Smallman
Agency: Howatson+Company
Founder/CEO: Chris Howatson
Executive Creative Director: Gavin Chimes
Creative Directors: Jared Wicker, Elaine Li
Chief Data and Technology Officer: Hoàng Nguyen
Chief Experience Officer: Nicole Flinton-Ferraro
Planning Director: Georgia Pritchard
CX Planning Director: Aneeta Sharma
Head of Production: Holly Alexander
Design Lead: Reece Lawson
Senior Experience Designer: Chloe Schumacher
Digital Designer: Brock McConnell
Creatives: Brandon Nee, Eliza Katsourakis
Designer: Sam Reiher
Senior Copywriters: Kiri Wheaton, Deb Frenkel
Senior Front End Engineer: Scott Zonneveldt
Engineering Director: Brendan McKenzieTechnical Director: Stewart Leach
Senior Marketing Automation Specialist: Leon Guo
Marketing Automation Specialist: Trung NguyenQA: Loc Nguyen
Digital Producer: Ivy Bi
Group Business Director: Katy Ward
Senior Business Manager: Lucy Stock
Head of PR: Ben Handberg
PR Senior Account Director: Melinda Durston
PR Account Director: Natalia Katsionis
PR Account Executive: Isobella Hayes
Editors: Kel Gronow, Marke Broome
