Owning the Pet Parenthood Conversation

How Talk Shop helped Rover become a trusted voice on the cost of pet ownership, turning original Canadian research into a national conversation about pet affordability.

Public Relations
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Media Relations
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Digital + Social Media
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Consumer Brands
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332
earned media hits, against a 150+ target
415.5M+
impressions
81%
increase in coverage volume year-over-year

Challenge

Rover is one of the best-known platforms for pet care, but as the brand looked to grow its presence in Canada, it had an opportunity to become part of a much bigger conversation. With affordability top of mind for Canadians, Rover wanted to establish itself as a trusted authority on pet ownership and help prospective and existing pet parents better understand the financial realities that come with caring for an animal.

The challenge wasn’t simply building brand awareness; it was giving Rover a credible and relevant role in conversations Canadians were already having about cost of living, while establishing the brand as a go-to source for pet care expertise and insights.

Our Approach

To turn the cost of pet parenthood into a national media conversation, Talk Shop commissioned an original survey of 1,000 Canadian pet parents to uncover what pet ownership really costs, pairing the findings with Rover veterinarian Dr. Rebecca Greenstein to bring credibility, expertise and a human perspective to the story.

Rather than simply releasing the data, Talk Shop built a targeted media strategy around the issues driving the news cycle. Embargoed outreach gave national outlets including The Globe and Mail, CBC and the Financial Post early access, while tailored angles connected the findings to inflation and household budgeting, regional affordability and rising veterinary costs. As tariffs and cost-of-living stories continued to evolve, Talk Shop kept Rover’s research in the conversation for months after launch, extending the life of the campaign and establishing the brand as a source media could return to.

Results

332
pieces of earned media coverage
415.5M+
earned media impressions
81%
YOY increase in media coverage
61
quality backlinks to Rover’s cost-of-pet pages

The campaign more than doubled its media coverage target, generating 332 placements and 415.5M+ impressions while increasing coverage volume by 81% year over year. Beyond immediate awareness, the campaign created lasting digital value: Rover’s “cost of dog” and “cost of cat” pages earned 61 quality backlinks and climbed in search rankings, extending the impact well beyond the initial news cycle.

Let’s Talk Shop.

Let’s Talk Shop.

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