We formed The Marcus Project to help reduce the tragedy of euthanasia in shelters. Our goal is to apply our retail and brand-building experience to create new visibility for shelters and shelter animals - to galvanize a new wave of adoptions.
We began this venture by commissioning research at the University of Arizona, to understand the where the animal welfare system breaks down. We found a compelling answer. There are simply no resources to generate awareness and attract new customers. Shelters are, at the end of the day, retail operations. There is a great deal of latent interest in adoption and rescue. But without marketing and communication and outreach - that interest doesn't translate into action.
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So our focus is to fill that gap: with new strategies and support that can get the word out to a new cohort of adopters, and get them engaged. It's a different focus - not on meals or medical care or other direct forms of animal support. Not another new sanctuary. These are all admirable. But if you ask shelter directors what they need to take animals off the deadline list - they need adopters. Compelling marketing, that reaches millions of people, will generate that. We thank that is the highest ROI, in terms of lives saved, of anything we can do in this arena.
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Brand Partnerships Our research shows that there is great goodwill for brands that support shelters and rescue. So by incorporating rescue into stories and products, values-aligned brands can extend and amplify their own equity - while creating new awareness among millions of potential adopters. Our central mission is to catalyze and support these partnerships.
Community and business partnerships. We develop strategies and tools to help local businesses and community organizations create rescue visibility.
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Ecosystem support. We support rescue-oriented businesses, as retail investors. We support research and education through grants and participation.
Shelter Support We create imagery and stories for local shelters, and strategies to galvanize community awareness through grassroots marketing.
Awareness brands and products. We are incubating brands and products that fill needs and also communicate the rescue message.
