Email Strategy and Tactics for a Statewide Animal Adoption Campaign
Campaign Strategy | Email Marketing
Challenge
California Adopt-a-Pet Day was a statewide adoption event with a goal of 5,000 adoptions across California. The campaign goal for the San Francisco SPCA was to drive awareness, event attendance, and adoptions to the full marketing audience.
The campaign was structured around 4 stages.
Awareness → Consideration → Conversion → Post-Conversion
- Awareness: Introduce the day and provide information about waived adoption fees.
- Consideration: Give users information about adoptions and what to expect on the day of.
- Conversion: Create urgency around kitten pre-registration as well as adoptions on event day.
- Post-Conversion: Help new adopters take the next steps after bring home their new animal.
Action
I developed a five-email campaign that introduced the event, provided an opportunity for early engagement, and supported adopters after the event.
| Timing | Purpose | Key Content / CTA | Result |
| 2 weeks before | Build awareness | Event details + waived adoption fees → Learn More | 60.12% open / 1.05% click |
| 1 week before | Build intent + preparation | Event details + adoption resources → Learn More | 61.5% open / 2.0% click |
| 3 days before | Drive conversion | Kitten pre-registration → Register Now | 60.4% open / 2.1% click |
| Event day | Drive attendance | Event details + what to expect → Learn More | 59.6% open / 1.27% click |
| Post-event | Support adopters | Vet care, microchip, resources → Next steps | 60% open / 11.7% click |
Results
140 adoptions on event day (which was the most adoptions we had in a single day).
25–30% of adopters reported hearing about the event through email according to our survey.
60/60 kitten pre-registration spots claimed within two hours