Driving Sponsorship Growth & Efficiency Through Smarter Search for Dogs Trust

Turning passive audiences into active sponsors with emotionally-led performance marketing

Last year, Dogs Trust sponsorships risked stalling. Acquisition costs were climbing, search intent was declining and competition for charitable giving was fierce. To unlock sustainable growth, we reshaped their entire approach to paid media. Anchored in search but powered by data, creative testing and multi-channel expansion, we built a scalable, emotionally resonant framework that didn’t just deliver more conversions – it gave thousands more dogs a brighter future.

What we did

Creative Testing & Optimisation

Activated Performance Max

Launched Demand Gen

Paid Search Restructure

The results

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Increase in conversions (YoY)

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Decrease in CPA

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Uplift in sponsorships during Valentine’s activation

The challenge

With CPAs rising and traditional search showing signs of fatigue, Dogs Trust’s sponsorship programme risked stalling. High-intent demand was shrinking, and the charity faced increased competition for supporter attention and spend. The brief was clear: reduce CPA by at least 10% while still driving year-on-year conversion growth. But with budget capped, that meant rethinking the entire approach – from targeting and creative to channel mix and timing.

Our approach

We restructured paid search to prioritise efficiency while unlocking incremental growth. Brand activity was scaled for cost-effectiveness, while generics were optimised for volume. Copy evolved to position sponsorship as a personal act of care, not just a donation. To expand reach, we layered CRM and intent signals across Performance Max and Demand Gen, building an acquisition engine that could both capture and create demand. Timely, emotionally-led campaigns (like Valentine’s Day) turned cultural moments into conversion spikes.

The impact

This campaign transformed how Dogs Trust acquires supporters – replacing short-term optimisation with a scalable, emotionally resonant model built for long-term growth. By combining smart targeting, bold creative and channel agility, we delivered real-world impact: more dogs supported, stronger donor connections and a sustainable approach that balances heart with hard results.