Rocketing Ruffingtons to success with an integrated marketing plan and star-studded launch
Discover how we took Ruffingtons from a new brand to one known by millions in months – including by high profile celebrities and national journalists.
Challenge
To take Ruffingtons from a newly launched business to a household name.
Fold Hill identified a gap in the market in luxury pet gifting. We love our four legged companions so much; we want to spoil them and show them love. Ruffingtons is how owners can do that – a curated collection of seven artisan pet products including Dog Doughnuts, Terrier Truffles and Canine Cupcakes.
Launched to market in the autumn of 2024, the brand needed a weighted communications strategy behind it, one that combined disciplines such as event management, PR, social media, paid media, and influencer marketing together to create a powerhouse plan that would elevate the brand and get people talking.
In just six months, we’ve taken Ruffingtons from a new brand to a business that we’ve overheard conversations about in hairdressers and supermarkets. One that is loved by celebrities, journalists, and influencers alike. And importantly a brand which is loved by consumers, selling thousands of products already.
Solution
We crafted a compelling marketing strategy for Ruffingtons in two phases.
Phase one was about getting Ruffingtons known by the right people, this included:
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Steady organic social media posting, focused on growth
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A paid media plan to support and grow the social media presence
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Influencer marketing to encouraging WOM (word of mouth) marketing
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A robust PR plan, enabling us to land Ruffingtons in top tier media
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An SEO approach to boost visibility in search for the brand
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In this first phase we also took on the challenge of using our connections to support Ruffingtons in securing its first national listing
In phase two we culminated in all the hard work from the first six months and hosted a launch event for celebrities, influencers, and journalists.
The event, an ‘Afternoon Tea for dogs’ held at Wild by Tart in Central London, allowed us to launch this brand in a BIG way. Supported by our pre-established communications strategy, the event was a gigantic success. We hosted celebrities such as Scott Mills, Ollie Locke and Kimberley Garner, as well as influential journalists from Marie Claire, OK! Magazine and Harpers Bazaar.
And the results? Well, they speak for themselves.
Impact
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Ruffingtons went from being entirely unknown to selling thousands of products in its first six months and being stocked in shops, cafes, boutiques and more nationwide.
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45% of total revenue was achieved entirely through paid and organic social campaigns. Social media engagement was huge following the launch event and signing Scott Mills up as a brand ambassador for Ruffingtons. As a result, the brand was exposed to over 1,8000,000 users in just 6 months via paid social and proudly boasted a 227% average engagement rate across Instagram content.
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The PR tactics results in the highest quality media coverage in national titles including the Daily Express, Daily Mail, BBC and GB News, reaching over 400million in the first six months.
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Our robust influencer strategy caught the eyes of Heartstopper’s Bradley Riches and Married at First Sight’s Peggy Rose, who jumped on board to support the promotion of the Ruffingtons brand.
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Importantly, Leopard Co was also responsible for helping to secure two of Ruffingtons’ first national listings which are due to be confirmed later in 2025…watch this space.