When Dr. Irina Perdew was a first-year veterinary student, she had the opportunity to work with a NBA basketball player receiving therapy using a pneumatic compression device to accelerate the pro player’s recovery from an injury. A lifelong animal lover with a particular passion for horses, Dr. Perdew was surprised to learn that nothing similar existed for use with equine athletes.
After graduating from the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, she co-founded an animal healthcare company, Vetletics, and prepared to launch its flagship product—EQ Press, a patented compression device like that used by pro basketball and football players, but specifically designed to fit the contours of a thoroughbred racehorse’s body.
Dr. Perdew was clear about the product’s market potential but needed help connecting with her target audience: owners, trainers and veterinarians specializing in thoroughbred care, all heavy users of social media, especially Instagram. She enlisted The Bloodhound Group to support a launch campaign centered on Vetletics’ participation in the All-American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio, the largest single-breed horse show in the world.
BHG Social Media Manager Kendall Thorneburg developed a brand and product awareness program leveraging the free product demos Vetletics provided during the October show. She also organized B2B sales opportunities with horse trainers and owners. Partnering with local videographer Rob Underhill and photographer Elena Loeffler, Thorneburg supported the onsite activities with social media engagement through IG Live, IGTV, Instagram stories and posts. She also took more than 100 photos for the client to use for future social media posts.
“Social media is the preferred marketing vehicle of the elite-level thoroughbred community,” says Thorneburg. “The campaign for EQ Press provided extensive exposure for this innovative new product to a global audience predisposed to want it. We’ll be closely monitoring conversion of views and clicks to sales over the next few weeks.”