Methodology

Benji plus media raises money and empties shelters.

This is not theorem but tested truth. The original Benji was adopted from a shelter and that fact, according to American Humane, caused more than one million adoptions nationwide. That is why a search was mounted in shelters all across the country to find the current Benji who was ultimately adopted from the Humane Society of South Mississippi in Gulfport. Now, whenever those big brown adopted eyes appear in the media, money comes into shelters and pets are adopted. During the search for Benji, adoptions went up wherever we went, and from the beginning of the search through the promotion of Benji Off the Leash more than one billion media exposures were generated for shelters and rescue groups everywhere!

After Benji’s adoption in South Mississippi, that facility had the biggest month in its history, completely emptying the shelter. The sad side of this result is that a month or two later , once the exposure was gone and forgotten, it was back to business as usual with full shelters begging for adopters. Thus, the thrust of Benji’s Buddies is to provide continuity of exposure through Benji media visitations, PSA’s, and paid advertising. To, in effect, actually brand homeless shelter pets as Benji’s Buddies. To brand so well that whenever a family considers a pet, the Benji Buddy name will come immediately to mind, and trigger a trip to the local shelter instead of a backyard breeder or a pet store; a multiple benefit, for not only does that save the life of a homeless pet, a Benji Buddy, it eliminates the sale of yet another puppy produced for profit.

When Benji media exposure is directed toward raising funds for local shelters (see Joe & Benji's Adoption Presentations) money comes in. A recent fund raiser built around Benji to benefit the Mississippi Animal Rescue League raised more than $100,000 for their new shelter construction program and focused an enormous amount energy and exposure on the League which will have continuing benefits. Once up and running, the Benji Buddy program will, through sponsors, help cover the fees and expenses for Joe & Benji to attend such functions, and will provide event structure and guidance for similar benefits throughout the country.

Results

Benji’s Buddies, like any other good marketing program, is a results-oriented program, designed to be measured. Money in and pets out are specific, finite measures of the program’s success.

Components

Shelter Fund Raisers

We know that well-planned shelter fund raisers in local markets focused around Benji and Benji’s Buddies, with Joe and Benji in the market making media visits, speaking, and appearing at the events to meet and greet and have photos taken can raise huge amounts of money for local shelters. A complete fund-raiser packet will be provided to every shelter accepted into this program. Printed material that contributed to the Jackson success (posters, mailers, tickets, press releases, media event sheets, etc.) will be provided in the kit. Details of advance timing, how to line up a press tour, how to get components donated, what usually has to be paid for and what doesn’t, ticket prices, and effective methodology will all be detailed, as will a typical accounting of expected results.

A typical event might have a high-ticket Friday night banquet for special donors to meet and greet Benji "up close and personal" and hear Joe speak, an adult gala honoring Benji replete with food, entertainment, auction and dancing on Saturday night, followed by Breakfast with Benji for kids the next morning.

Public Service Announcements

Three types of television and radio PSA’s are planned to be available to shelters, all featuring Benji and focused upon the fact that Benji was adopted from a shelter. One will be focused upon getting shelter pets, all Benji’s Buddies, adopted, one a generic fund raiser, and one specifically tailored to a major fund-raising gala event.

Shelter Promotion Kits

Benji’s Buddies posters for placement around town encouraging folks to come to the local shelter and adopt a Benji Buddy

Ad proofs for placement in local newspapers

Benji’s Buddies booklets for new pet owne rs with behavioral and care advice.

“I adopted a Benji Buddy” pins, buttons and stickers.

Paid Advertising

Paid broadcast advertising placed by Benji’s Buddies pro bono advertising agency designed to leverage PSA’s into a program of continuing, ever present media reminders that Benji’s Buddies make wonderful, caring, loving pets, just as Benji herself is.

Benji Buddy Foundation

The Benji Buddy program will be managed and administered by the Benji Buddy Foundation, a non-profit corporation formed specifically to utilize Benji’s awareness and cache to help shelters raise money for better facilities and to help shelters substantially raise their adoption levels by branding all adoptable shelter pets as Benji’s Buddies, thus saving lives and reducing the numbers of puppy-mill pets sold. Mulberry Square Productions, owner of all of the Benji copyrights and trademarks, and Joe and Kathleen Camp, owners of the dog who plays Benji will jointly donated the use of the Benji trademarks and copyrights and the use of Benji herself for the purposes of accomplishing the mission of the foundation. Joe Camp is the creator of the character Benji, the writer, director, and producer of all the Benji movies, and the chief executive officer of both Mulberry Square Productions.