PuppyPal Case Study
Business Model, Brand Development, and Go-to-Market Strategy for an early stage start up
Client Overview
PuppyPal is an innovative pre-seed startup in New South Wales, Australia, aimed at helping new and prospective dog owners find the perfect breed for their lifestyle, budget, and living situation. The platform also connects users to essential care services, making dog ownership more accessible and manageable.
Project Goals
Craig and Rich, the two founders of PuppyPal, needed support in refining their business model, developing their brand identity, building a website, and preparing a pitch deck for potential investors and vendors. They also wanted to generate interest ahead of a major event at a Sydney dog show in August.
Challenges
Idea Refinement: The founders had a solid concept but needed help shaping it into a clear and actionable business model.
Brand Identity: They needed a brand that resonated with their target audience—urban and suburban dog owners between 25-40 years old—while positioning themselves as trustworthy and approachable.
Market Readiness: Preparing the right materials to showcase the idea to vendors, dog shelters, and potential investors at a dog show in Sydney.
Future Vision: They needed high-fidelity visuals to demonstrate what PuppyPal could look like in the near future to attract early interest.
Business Model Refinement
I started by working with the founders to refine their concept using the Business Model Canvas. This process helped clarify key aspects of the business, including:
Customer Segments: Targeting new and first-time dog owners.
Value Proposition: Helping users find the perfect dog breed, tailored to their lifestyle, and connecting them with care services.
Revenue Streams: Developing a commission-based model where vendors pay a percentage on click-through sales.
We also crafted a simple value proposition statement to articulate PuppyPal’s core offering clearly and concisely.
Brand Development
Following the business model work, we worked together on brand development through a series of discovery sessions. These sessions revealed that the brand needed to be:
Fun and approachable yet trustworthy to appeal to both new dog owners and experienced pet lovers.
Professional enough to attract partnerships with vendors and pet service providers.
The biggest challenge was to stay true to the purpose-driven values that was about keeping dogs out of shelters but to retain an element of ‘playfulness’ required from the initial brand personality discovery. It needed to avoid being too ‘clichéd’ and lean towards something clever, fun and memorable.
After several iterations we settled on the wagging ‘tick tail’ idea, which suggested both ‘approval’ (as in a vendor you can trust) and of course, a happy and healthy dog!Key Deliverables:
Logo Design: I designed a playful, memorable logo that aligned with PuppyPal’s values.
Colour Guidelines: We developed a vibrant and friendly color palette, balancing warmth and professionalism.
Website Creation and UI concepts
With the brand identity established, I created a website that showcased PuppyPal’s core features, brand ethos, and business model. This included:
User-friendly design based on brand guidelines.
High-fidelity visuals illustrating what PuppyPal could look like in the near future, offering potential users and investors a glimpse into the platform’s full potential.
UI Concepts - high fidelity
Finished logo design
Vale proposition in Miro
Brand workshop in Miro
Puppy Pal Website
Pitch Deck - telling the story
When crafting PuppyPal’s pitch deck, I followed key storytelling principles to ensure a compelling narrative. Rather than just presenting facts, the deck was structured to take potential investors and vendors on a journey—from understanding the problem new dog owners face, to how PuppyPal solves that with its unique approach. Each slide was intentionally designed to evoke an emotional connection, the purpose-driven values, the market opportunity, and the platform’s future potential.
By weaving data, visuals, and a clear story arc, the pitch deck captured attention and effectively communicated the brand’s vision.
The compelling need for Puppy Pal - the ‘why’.
PuppyPal’s value proposition and business model.
The market opportunity and growth potential in the Australian pet care market.
A clear go-to-market strategy and partnerships, such as click-through commissions with vendors and service providers.
Collaboration across time zones
Given our 9-hour time difference, effective collaboration was crucial. To ensure smooth communication and maintain progress, we relied heavily on asynchronous working. Tools like Miro allowed us to share ideas, leave comments, and reference inspiration in real-time, even when we weren’t online simultaneously. Additionally we had an informal ‘messaging window’ in the morning when we would need to get quick responses from each other. This approach enabled us to stay aligned on the project’s direction and maintain momentum, ensuring that creative input and decisions could happen efficiently despite the geographical distance.
Results
The result of this work was that by the time PuppyPal attended a dog show in Sydney in late August, they had a compelling brand, a functional website, and a clear value proposition. This gave them the credibility and trust to have meaningful conversations. The team garnered considerable interest from vendors, dog shelters, and a pet insurance company, and are pitching the idea to a major pet brand startup accelerator program. All of this is positioning them well for success and growth.
Conclusion
The work completed for PuppyPal, from refining their business model to creating a brand and a compelling online presence, helped them generate early traction and set the foundation for scaling. By ensuring that their value proposition and visual identity aligned with their audience’s needs, PuppyPal is now well-positioned to continue growing in the pet care market. The next stage is to co-create solid blueprints for the build phase.
“This work Steve did with us exceeded expectations. Initially we thought about getting help with a logo, but he helped us think more about brand, gain clarity around our idea and really challenge our assumptions. It felt having a valuable consulting advisor, but someone who could also get stuck in to the ‘doing’.”
Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your concept, I can help turn your ideas into a reality. From crafting a clear business model and designing a compelling brand, to building a functional website and creating investor-ready pitch decks, I’ll work with you to bring your vision to life.
Let’s chat about how we can grow your business together!