Overview
Hartz, a beloved pet care brand since 1926, is a staple for pet parents across the U.S. and Canada. Known for its wide array of high-quality dog and cat products, including fan-favorites like Oinkies, UltraGuard, and Delectables, Hartz is dedicated to helping pets get the love and care they deserve. Although Hartz doesn’t have a direct-to-consumer eCommerce platform, it partners with major retailers like Walmart, PetSmart, and Chewy to ensure pet parents can easily access their favorite products. Their website serves as a critical resource for product education and brand storytelling, guiding customers to make informed purchases through their retail partners.
To elevate its online presence and drive traffic toward these partners while showcasing their amazing products, Hartz teamed up with StoryTap. The mission? To spotlight the true stars, the happy pet owners, by harnessing the power of authentic video stories that inspire trust and boost sales.
Challenge
Hartz wanted to inject real social proof into its website and channel more enthusiastic pet parents to their where-to-buy pages. With a passionate customer base, the challenge was to capture the genuine joy of pet owners engaged with Hartz products, without relying on hefty budgets or elaborate production crews.
After all, interviewing a pet can be a bit tricky – they bark, meow, and purr, so it’s essential to have their stories (with the help of their pet owners) told in a way that’s natural, engaging, and true to the Hartz brand.
Solution
Enter StoryTap! Their innovative platform allowed Hartz to effortlessly invite pet parents to share their experiences through video. In just a short time, customers submitted hundreds of heartwarming UGC videos, featuring everything from playful pups relishing their real meaty Oinkies to cats savoring every lick of Delectables.
With StoryTap’s help:
- Videos were collected through engaging, branded prompts.
- Each submission was automatically branded, transcribed, and optimized for search engines.
- The captivating content was seamlessly integrated across product pages, social media, driving towards partner retailer sites.
Results
Hartz was thrilled to see:
- Over 350 UGC videos collected in less than six months, exceeding expectations and showcasing strong customer participation.
- 3x more engagement on product pages featuring videos using the StoryTap embed, compared to pages without video content.
- Scalable library of authentic content now actively used across multiple marketing channels, increasing reach and consistency in brand messaging.
“StoryTap made it incredibly easy to spotlight the voices of real pet owners. The videos we received were not just adorable, they genuinely helped influence buying behavior. Pet parents trust other pet parents, and now those authentic stories resonate throughout our digital presence.”
–Stacy Kisla, Marketing Senior Director at Hartz
Conclusion
Thanks to StoryTap, Hartz transformed their happiest customers into compelling brand storytellers. The result? A treasure trove of authentic videos from pet parents that foster trust, drive engagement, and inspire purchases across every digital interaction.
Cheers to the joy of pet parenthood! 🐾
