Ontario SPCA and Humane Society

Brand building and engaging with supporters in the animal welfare industry

About The Project

From 2024-2025, Environics Research worked in close collaboration and consultation with the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society on a cohesive brand research study over a year-long engagement that involved a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods.

The purpose of the brand research study was to understand stakeholder perceptions of the Ontario SPCA brand and the animal welfare industry as a whole in order to guide long-term business objectives and inform branding and fundraising strategies that will engage and resonate with donors, supporters, and partners.

Challenge

Since moving away from investigations and enforcement in 2019 (after more than 100 years), the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society was faced with the challenge of shifting long-standing brand perceptions. While continuing to serve the needs of animals in other ways, misalignment existed between stakeholder perceptions and the organization’s actual role and offerings in local communities and the province at large.

Given changes in strategic direction, Ontario SPCA and Humane Society worked with Environics Research to uncover how to build a well-recognized, distinct brand identity and positioning that will be meaningfully relevant to the range of its different stakeholder groups within the province while aligning with the organization’s strategic plan and priorities. 

Research Objectives

1

Brand

Measure brand awareness, positioning and reputation among the general public, donors and supporters, as well as industry and community partners.

2

Role

Explore existing perceptions of the organization’s service offering, expected role in the animal welfare industry, and the prevalence of myths and misconceptions.

3

Support

Identify strategies to inspire support and grow brand engagement with supporters through donations and animal welfare advocacy.

Our Approach

Leveraging a multi-phase, multi-method research approach, insights gathered at each phase guided subsequent phases and contributed towards the overall research objective of informing Ontario SPCA’s brand development and long-term marketing and fundraising strategies. 

Social listening & online intelligence

Tracked online spaces to gather organic conversations about the general public’s needs and experiences with animal welfare organizations in Ontario. 

Online poll

Conducted an online survey to capture a ‘lay of the land’ of public opinion on animal welfare as a charitable cause and measure brand awareness and associations.

In-depth interviews

Gained a holistic view of brand perceptions and reputation through in-depth interviews with key stakeholder groups, including animal welfare organizations and industry and community partners.

Online discussion
boards

Engaged in qualitative discussions with existing and potential supporters in Ontario to explore experiences with the pet adoption journey and motivations for donating and supporting in other ways.

Online survey

Validated hypotheses from previous phases with a follow-up robust online survey focusing on strategies for attracting and engaging with supporters and assessing feedback on brand assets and positioning.

Actioning workshops

Through a series of consultation workshops with senior team members, we shared synthesized research outcomes and facilitated discussion and alignment on implications to guide strategic planning and brand building activities.​

Outcomes

1

Brand Strategy

Informed brand building strategies to grow recognition and familiarity, build associations that align with the organization’s strategic mandate, and develop a revitalized brand identity and positioning.

2

Role & Service Offerings

Identified the key role the organization can valuably play in Ontario’s animal welfare space and the specific service offerings and partnerships to focus on based on industry gaps and stakeholder expectations and needs.

3

Fundraising & Community Engagement

Guided fundraising and marketing strategies to strengthen relationships and grow engagement with donors, supporters, animal welfare partners, and the communities that the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society serves.

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society has been Ontario’s animal welfare charity for over 150 years. Over the last six years, our focus has shifted to a more proactive approach, helping not only animals, but also the people who care for them. Working with Environics has given us a better understanding of what the public knows about us and how we can strengthen our messaging to engage the community better and help more animals. Their year-long research process allowed us to review results, refine our questions, and ensure we had the insights we needed. The Environics team’s expertise has been instrumental in helping us share our story with clarity and impact.

logo for ontario spca and humane society

Alison Cross

Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Ontario SPCA and Humane Society

About The Client

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society is a registered charity that has been operating for over 150 years. The Society provides care, comfort and compassion to animals in need in communities across Ontario. It values all animals and advocates to treat them with respect and kindness. The Society strives to keep pets and families together and does so through a variety of community support services, such as sheltering and adoptions, including emergency sheltering, feral cat management programs, animal transfers, food distribution, humane education, animal advocacy, and spay/neuter services.

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society logo in white/blue
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