Objectives

BARK's goal with the content it shares in every BarkBox and on social media is about forming a deeper relationship with dog people than they have with any other brand in their lives.

The metric goals of BARK's strategy have never been specific, instead they are directional and holistic. Instead of chasing specific engagement metrics on a certain channel or platform, BARK's loose-but-obsessive focus on entertaining and developing relationships with dog people has enabled the company to be nimble and quickly pivot to avoid becoming a has-been of the content world.

Strategy and Execution

Ever since launching BarkBox in 2012, BARK has worked to build an engaged community of dog people. With a tone that's fitting for the relationship that modern dog people have with their pups, BARK has connected with "the dog obsessed" in a way that's vastly different than other brands in the pet space: with content that entertains rather than sells.

While most of the connections with this community happen online, it all begins with BARK's design team. Every BarkBox holds irresistible photo moments for dogs and their humans to share together, and then proudly post online using hashtags placed inside the box. Subscribers are then targeted with a tailored email campaign to show them how to join the conversation.

This community is also fueled by BARK's content team -- a mix of comedians and marketers -- who develop original video content and hysterical dog memes on social that echo the emotional connection that modern dog people have with their pups. Their goal is to engage and entertain dog people with everything from well produced viral hits like "Dog Mom Rap" to timely activations like an angry squirrel takeover of the BARK channels after Squirrel Appreciation Day.

Results

With a massive and engaged pack of dog-obsessed humans, 11 million followers on social media and over 189 million video views on Facebook alone in 2018, BARK stands out as one of the most powerful brands in the pet industry. And it's not just because it's about dogs. The company sees far greater engagement than Petsmart and Petco -- companies that are much larger and also have cute animals in their content.

• BARK's influence with dog people online has led to curated product collections and collaborations with brands that want to tap into its community, including Target, Urban Outfitters, Shake Shack and Bluestone Lane.
• BARK's Dog Mom Rap has received 65 million views since it was published.
• From March 1, 2018 to Jan 31 2019, there were more than 69.7k uses of #barkboxday on Instagram alone. #BarkBox is up 114% YOY.
• BARK's ability to build a community for dogs and their people led the company to surpass $200 million in revenue in 2018. BarkBox continues to thrive with more than 600,000 subscribers and a 95% month-over-month retention rate – figures that far exceed most other box brands.

Media