UNLEASHED

LAUNCHING THE WAG BRAND 

POSITIONING THE WAG VIA PR, DIGITAL, AND STRATEGIC EVENTS.

BRAND POSITIONING | MARKETING STRATEGY | CREATIVE DIRECTION

LAUNCHING THE WAG AS A TRUE THIRD SPACE FOR DOG LOVERS

Night view of a storefront with a yellow sign that reads "THE WAG" in stylized letters, and people inside visible through large glass windows, with a mural on the interior wall and a parked white car outside.

POSITIONING THE WAG BRAND: A MULTI-CHANNEL, IN-CULTURE STRATEGY AIMED AT REACHING THREE UNIQUE AUDIENCES

ROLE: Led brand strategy and positioning, including the full brand launch strategy. Guided event strategy and concepting, membership planning, PR direction and collaborations.

Art directed photography, oversaw web strategy, produced materials, coordinated with vendors, and managed day-to-day creative execution.

The Wag is Columbus’ first indoor and outdoor dog park bar located in the heart of Grandview. I was tasked with completing their initial positioning and concepting their grand opening strategy. This included tactics such as:

  • Multi-tier digital campaign targeted at Columbus dog parents – email & SMS

  • End-to-end PR management, including media outreach and placements, narrative positioning, gifting, and press tours to ensure accurate and compelling coverage

  • Partnership strategy and management

  • Full website strategy and buildout

  • End-to-end development and execution of three strategic events – two soft launches and a grand opening

  • Membership acquisition strategy including integrated campaign across digital channels, local activations, spatial touchpoints, partnerships, and promotional initiatives

  • Global: copywriting and art direction

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THREE STRATEGIC EVENTS

Text image reading 'First Sniff: An Exclusive Preview of the Wag' with a black background and white and yellow text.
Text reads: Breaking in the bar Play Hard: A night of booze, barks, & bass.
Text announcing the grand opening of Unleashed, described as a wag-worthy event, with 'Grand Opening' highlighted in green.

$25K+
IN BAR SALES

217+
NEW $55/MONTH
MEMBERSHIPS

68K+
SOCIAL
IMPRESSIONS

Row of logos of Columbus-based news outlets including Columbus Navigator, 614 Now, Dispatch, Columbus Dispatch, Columbus Business First, Columbus Underground, and What Now Columbus.
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THREE STRATEGIC EVENTS:
THE RUNDOWN

Black background with large white text reading 'First Sniff' and smaller yellow text reading 'An Exclusive Preview of the WAG'.

PRESS PREVIEW &
FRIENDS/FAMILY

PRESS PRVIEW 4P-5P

  • Intent

    • Arm press with the right story, familiarize them with park features, and prime future collaboration opportunities.

  • The Invitation

    • 15+ key press contacts received a custom mailed invitation package to First Sniff with a 6-month membership and a dog-park scented candle.

  • The experience

    • Guests were welcomed with a cocktail and a tour led by founder Casie Goldstein. Along the way, they picked up dog and human treats while their pups became some of the first to explore the park.

FRIENDS & FAMILY 5P-10P

  • Intent

    • Make All Paws Retreat customers, from the founder’s other project, feel like VIPs so the experience sparks word of mouth, strengthens brand affinity, and supports yearly memberships.

  • The Experience

    • After the press preview, we opened the doors for a VIP party featuring dog beer/dog wine, DJ Dog Mom, and a long list of giveaways, including bar-themed dog toys and custom Wag-branded can coolers.

Event poster titled 'Breaking in the Bar', featuring the phrase 'Play Hard', with the subtitle 'A night of booze, barks, & bass' on a black background.

INDUSTRY NIGHT

BAR & PET INDUSTRY 7P-10P

  • Intent

    • Our cultural catalysts: Industry Night draws those shaping our “cool” factor, sparks content, and drives engagement while priming them to share with their networks and audiences at their shops/bars.

  • The Invitation

    • We used a two-part invitation: a digital version for text and social sharing, and custom print invitations handed out by our bar staff, each with a card for a draft on us. Key players were encouraged to share the digital invite with their networks.

  • The experience

    • We hosted a party with industry favorite Cheffy Dawg, serving one-off theatrical footlong hot dogs, and offered glamour shots for bartenders and their dogs from local favorite Melody Kay. Guests also enjoyed a “shift drink” – a draft beer paired with a bone broth dog shot.

Unleashed: A WAG-Worthy Grand Opening

GRAND OPENING

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 9A-10P

  • Intent

    • Celebrate the opening with all-day programming that spotlights every feature of the park, introduces membership options to build a lasting habit, and gets guests excited enough to share it with their networks.

  • The Invitation

    • Using a multi-tiered approach, we engaged press to cover the build-in progress, sent custom Toast SMS invitations to pop-up sign-ups, amplified through partner-driven social posts, and executed an email and print campaign with Elford, the developer behind several nearby apartment buildings.

  • The experience

    • We kicked things off early with a dog-themed market in the on-leash area, created with neighborhood favorite Grandview Hop. We offered pet portraits in the event space, a dog birthday party raffle, treat promos like Pup High Tea and Barkuterie Boards, early grooming hours, custom pup drink specials, free bar-themed dog toys, and ended the night with a doggie dance party.

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BEHIND THE SCENES:
INITIAL STRATEGY DOCUMENT

A Dalmatian dog lying on grass with a white business card on its side. The business card has the name 'Kerry' and the title 'strategically-rooted storytelling.'
VIEW PRESENTATION
VIEW PRESENTATION

PRESS PREVIEW INVITATION

We identified 20+ key press contacts across lifestyle, traditional, and local grassroots outlets to receive a custom-mailed invitation to First Sniff, our press preview. It included a 6-month membership to enjoy the park in the months ahead, an invitation, and a “dog park” scented candle in line with our First Sniff theme.

They were also brought into The Howl Society, a VIP press circle that receives early access to updates, special perks, and ongoing insider moments tied to the brand.

A wooden surface with various items including a green and black lanyard with a badge, a packet for a dog membership, a flyer for the Dog Park, a candle, a small real estate flyer, and a large white box with a black and yellow circular sticker that says "People Bark Park".
Flyer for The Howl Society featuring a dog wearing sunglasses, sitting at a laptop computer, with a black and white background.
Invitation flyer for a dog park event called First Sniff at The Wag in Granadview, featuring details about early access, event date and time, and COVID guidelines.
Flyer offering a complimentary six-month VIP membership at The WAG People Park Dog Bar, with instructions to bring vaccination records for registration, located at 1330 Norton Ave, Grandview.
Invitation for a sneak peek of The Wag on November 14th, 4 to 5 PM, with a QR code, at 1330 Norton Ave, Grandview, at The Wag People Park Dog Bar.

INDUSTRY NIGHT INVITATION: DIGITAL & PRINT

We brought in a few familiar faces from the local bar scene and worked them into our promo materials for the night. From there, we sent DM invites to bartenders and friends in the pet community. Our team also reached out through their own networks with a mix of digital invites and custom printed cards, plus a set of promo draft “shift drink” cards they hand-delivered.

DIGITAL

Poster for a dog-themed event titled "Play Hard," featuring a photo of a dog sitting between a person's legs, a woman holding a French Bulldog, and two men sharing hot dogs. The event is scheduled for November 18 from 7 PM to 10 PM at The Wag, Grandview, with activities including glamour shots of dogs and their owners by Melody Kay and footlong hot dogs from Cheffy Dawg.
A promotional flyer for an event called 'Play Hard,' featuring an image of a dog and text about a bar night with drinks, dogs, and music on November 18 from 7 to 10 PM. The flyer also shows pictures of a woman with a dog and two men playing with a dog, along with event details and sponsors.

PRINT

A collage of various flyers and photographs pinned to a bulletin board, including promotional posters for events, a flyer with a dog image, a concert advertisement with a singer, and miscellaneous papers.
Dog sitting on a person's lap, who is seated with legs apart. The dog has a white and brown coat, piercing yellow eyes, and a pink nose. The person's legs are visible, showing tattoos on both thighs. The background includes a couch or seat and various objects, suggesting an informal setting.
Event invitation flyer with green and yellow design promoting a bar night called 'Play Hard' on November 18th from 7 to 10 PM at The Wag in Grandview. Features bullet points about photos, hot dogs, and dog requirements.
Man holding a black dog in front of a beige wall with event details for 'Breaking in the Bar' on November 18th from 7 PM to 10 PM at 1330 Norton Ave, Grandview, with social media handle @thewagcbus.
Event poster for a bar night featuring loud music and drinks, announcing 'Playing Hard,' a night of booze, dogs, and bass, happening November 18 from 7 to 10 PM at The Wag in Grandview, with dogs encouraged to attend.
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