Clinic chain uses furry-friend stories to build brand

Humans' best friends sit in a place of prestige in many households, as human birth rates decline and pet ownership rises across developed Asian cities. In Hong Kong alone, the number of household dogs and cats nearly doubled between 2005 and 2015 (to 510,600)—with dogs outnumbering cats by 84,500.

The city has one of the best veterinarian-to-pet ratios in the world. And that translates to a marketing challenge for a vet group seeking to make its clinics top-of-mind among pet owners. 

Zooming in on the bond pet owners share with their furry 'kids', Doctors Beck and Stone recently launched a campaign called 'My pet story' as part of a rebranding exercise. Founded in 2009, the company has clinics across China in Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. And it has expanded into Hong Kong and Singapore over the last two years, following the acquisition of nine clinics in the former and an animal hospital in the latter.

"While the veterinary industries in USA, Europe and Australia have been consolidated in recent years, Asia remains a largely fragmented market, with independent clinics and small chains," according to Adam Cowlishaw, head of marketing and communications. 

Campaign visited a Doctors Beck & Stone-owned clinic in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, to speak with Cowlishaw on the strategy for the campaign, which was developed in-house.