By Stacey Delikat
Getting a meeting with Doug was not easy. First the e-mails, then phone calls with his agent who wanted to know what questions would be asked and where the interview would end up, then the juggling of schedules. After all, Doug’s an incredibly busy guy: frequent travel from his home in Nashville to New York City and Los Angeles, photo shoots, appearances, commercials - and naps!
TALL TAILS
Yes, Doug is a dog, but not just any dog. He’s a pug known for his love of pizza and Netflix with millions of followers hanging on his every social media post. I started following Doug after deciding to create an Instagram account for my dog, Jax (that’s @JaxArfhur, please follow him, please) a Poodle/Shih Tzu mix with a keen ability to contort his four legs into shapes and letters of the alphabet and incredible eyelashes (really!). Surely, I thought, he was Instagram gold.
The social media universe wasn’t as impressed. I posted shots of Jax sleeping, chewing on a bone, wearing his NY Giants jersey, but got a meager handful of likes on the posts. I started following other dogs who have more followers than most humans I know. Clearly, Jax had a way to go before he reached the status of Celeb Dog like @SamsontheDood (a big teddy bear of a golden doodle with an affinity for plaid and drinks craft beer) or @MenswearDog (a Shiba Inu who models high-end men’s fashion and has his own coffee table book).
The concept of a celebrity dog isn’t new; it’s just that social media has created a platform for anyone with a smartphone to try to make their dog the next big thing. But building a following for your pet comes with more than just popularity; it can mean endorsement deals that translate to real hard cash. I started to notice subtle product placement among the #Tot and #DogsofInstagram posts: one Yorkie lounging on a bed with a “Stainmaster” logo, a Frenchie wearing a clearly labeled designer wristwatch.
AWARD WINNING POOCHES
As I dove deeper into this world of dogs, I decided a TV story was in order. I found out about a holiday event hosted by PetSmart and decided to bring a camera crew for my story. Their PR person promised me twenty-five of the city’s biggest “dog influencers” would be there and they’d have the chance to test out and try on all of the latest seasonal products for sale. It was like an Academy Awards swag-suite for pets: hundreds of dog toys, clothes, treats and grooming products all free for the taking in hopes the high-profile pups in attendance would tag the retailer in their social media posts. By the time we left an hour later, I had a stack of business cards. Not for the dog owners—but for the dogs themselves, naturally.
Free swag is hardly the only perk once your pet “makes it” in the world of Celebrity Dogs. Once a dog’s account breaks fifty or a hundred thousand followers, the brands may come calling. A number of the dog owners I interviewed for my story said they earned anywhere from a few hundred bucks to several thousand dollars just to post a picture of their dog with a brand’s product and a complimentary caption. One told me she quit her full-time job in graphic design to freelance thanks to new income from her dog’s account. Another, who is a professional photographer, said fielding e-mail inquiries and taking and posting pictures of her poodle with various products and brands had now become her full-time job.
But making your dog a social media celebrity, and a profitable one at that is not so easy. It’s been over a year, and poor @JaxArfhur hovers around 370 followers, despite my best efforts. The thing is a cute iPhone photo makes not an internet sensation. You need a good camera, professional lighting, wardrobes and props and excellent copywriting.
Loni Edwards is “momager” to Chloe The Mini Frenchie, (follower count: 140k) and last year saw an opportunity on her social media feed. She launched The Dog Agency (thedogagency.com) to pair dogs with brands. Despite the name she also represents some cats, pigs, and bunnies. Brand partners include Purina, Google and Merck & Co. “Animal-influencer marketing comes with all the benefits of human influencer marketing, but you get even higher engagement,” Edwards said. “There’s just an innate, positive feeling you get when seeing a warm fuzzy animal, and you don’t get that just from seeing a blogger wearing a pretty dress.” She also said she’s seen pet owners earn up twenty grand for a single brand-sponsored photo post on Instagram. In fact “posts are reaching millions of engaged people,” Edwards said.
STAR QUALITY
Which brings me back to Doug the Pug (@ItsDougthePug: follower count 2.1 million and counting), the self-proclaimed “King of Pop Culture.” I’d heard through the insta-dog grapevine he and his owner were frequently flying back and forth to New York for “business engagements,” so I reached out and asked if we could meet up with him and his owner for an interview. I offered to show up at their whenever worked for them, promised to take up minimal time, and kept my fingers crossed. But then came the rejection e-mail from Doug’s agent: “Hi Stacey, Doesn’t look like we’ll be able to do this. So Sorry!” When you make it big, there’s not much time for local news reporters. Especially the ones whose dogs only have 300 Instagram followers.
Stacey Delikat is a broadcast journalist in New York City. When she’s not chasing stories, she’s keeping up with her dog, Jax, and newborn son, Noah.