PIBBLES
200 pit bulls are killed everyday in LA
they have a 93% Euthanasia rate and
1 in 600 find a forever home..
We created Pibbles to end that.
We created the Pibble Movement on the belief that we can help pit bulls in shelters by looking at the root of the problem: Breed Bias. We changed those negative perceptions towards pit bulls one Pibble cap at a time.
Instagram: managed by Nicole Castro
Website: design by Nicole Castro
To develop a profitable and sustainable social enterprise, movement or organization inspired by the Wallis Annenberg PetSpace, with the mission to promote and strengthen the human-animal bond.
Goal:
To end breed bias and rid of the negative stereotypes associated with pit bulls
Mission:
Advocate for pit bulls through Pibble Caps designed by an LMU student. 100% of proceeds go to support Angel City Pit Bulls’ foster Pibbles
Solution:
WHAT WE DID
Product Development
Finding a cap supplier that also did custom embroidery at good quality and price was one of our biggest challenges. We were initially funded $250 which extremely limited our options. We were surprised to receive $500 a few days after the pitch which made all the difference in making Pibbles happen! After going through countless online wholesalers, we were unable to find custom embroidery at a decent price. Luckily, we found some suppliers right here in LA that seemed to be more affordable. Most of them didn’t even have a website so all information and communication was done through long email chains. It was definitely a little sketchy and less sophisticated than the online wholesalers but it was the only option within our price range. We decided to source the caps and embroidery from one of the local suppliers in downtown LA!
Activations
Our first activation was tabling at Wellness Wednesdays, the farmer’s market on campus. This was our launch and the first time bringing Pibbles to the market and we were nervous about how it would be received. We had to be really scrappy and resourceful in our marketing strategies because most of our budget was used on our product. So, instead of paying for a poster to be made for us, we printed it out ourselves on letter paper and stuck them together to create a large poster. In the end, the event was extremely successful and we sold half our inventory in just one day! We then continued to table throughout the semester.
We built a website and started an Instagram business account as the home base of where our brand lived. Aside from selling our caps online, these served as another way to raise awareness for our brand and educate people on the issues of breed bias against pit bulls. To push this even further, we invested a portion of our earnings into paid social advertising to increase reach, awareness, and sales. Our biggest challenge here was figuring out the logistics of selling online. As a very small brand, we didn’t have the budget to outsource certain logistics like shipping. So, we bought boxes as packaging and are shipping the orders out ourselves as we receive them.
Finally, a huge part of our mission is to spread more pawsitivity for pit bulls to restore their reputation. Since a major factor in breed bias stems from negative media, we wanted to do whatever we could to change this. So, we created a GIPHY brand account where we created Pibbles stickers that anyone around the world can use to share on social media. These stickers are public and can be accessed by anyone on Instagram. We also did some PR outreach and are excited to be featured in the January issue of Hometown News!
RESULTS
Revenue: $747 (54 caps sold)
Instagram:
Followers: 291
Profile visits: 250 per week
Impressions: 15,000 per week
Website:
Unique Visitors: 317
Visits: 268
Pageviews: 594
But most importantly… we were able to change pit bull perceptions on campus and online and support adoptable pit bulls by funding their food and medical costs.