Overview
International Cat Care (ICC) is a globally recognised charity dedicated to improving the health and welfare of cats through education, advice, and expert guidance. The organisation works with veterinary professionals and cat owners worldwide to promote better standards of feline care. A key arm of ICC is the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM), the veterinary division of the charity, which provides training and professional development for veterinarians specialising in feline health.
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In 2023, ICC and ISFM launched two interactive, on-demand courses—Feline Dentistry and Feline Endocrinology—designed to provide practicing veterinarians with in-depth, practical training. However, despite the quality of the courses, initial enrolment numbers were lower than expected. Recognising the need for a more strategic marketing approach to increase course uptake, ICC and ISFM sought my expertise to develop comprehensive marketing campaigns, engage the right audience, and drive course enrolments.
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My work focused on developing robust, strategic marketing campaigns to boost awareness, engagement, and ultimately, course enrolments.
Tony Cooke, Deputy CEO, International Cat Care (ICC)
Rachel's expertise has been invaluable in helping us transform the way we promote our on-demand courses at International Cat Care and ISFM. She brought structure and clarity to our marketing strategy, driving significant improvements in course enrollment. Her ability to upskill our internal team has empowered us to run our own campaigns, ensuring the longevity and profitability of our courses. Rachel’s strategic approach and guidance have made a real difference to our organisation.
Challenges
Despite launching their Feline Dentistry and Feline Endocrinology courses, ICC and ISFM faced several challenges, including low enrolment numbers, website limitations that hindered the promotion process, and gaps in content utilisation. They needed a targeted campaign to increase course visibility, engage the right audience, and drive sign-ups from veterinary professionals.
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Low course enrolment
Both the Feline Dentistry and Feline Endocrinology courses struggled with low uptake following their initial launch, necessitating a targeted campaign to increase visibility and interest.
02.
Website limitations
Constraints on the ICC website, such as the inability to add lead capture forms, promotional banners, or new pages, made it difficult to create a smooth, optimized customer journey.
03.
Content utilisation gaps
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While ICC and ISFM had valuable content, much of it was hidden behind paywalls or not effectively optimized for marketing purposes, limiting its use in the campaigns.
04.
No dedicated product marketing function
At the time, ICC and ISFM lacked an internal marketing specialist focused on product marketing. Instead, the team consisted of individuals who were eager to learn but needed guidance on how to execute and manage effective marketing campaigns.
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Targeting & segmentation
The challenge of effectively identifying and engaging the right personas—veterinarians and practice owners—made it crucial to refine audience targeting and messaging to drive conversions.
Solutions & strategic approach
Campaign plan development
I worked closely with ICC & ISFM to develop comprehensive marketing strategies for both the Feline Dentistry and Feline Endocrinology courses.
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This included defining target personas, crafting tailored messaging, and establishing a clear content schedule to keep the courses top-of-mind.
Upskilling internal team members
As part of the long-term solution, I provided training & mentorship to two core team members, equipping them with the skills to run their own campaigns and think about product promotion in an evergreen way.
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This allowed them to maintain momentum after the initial campaign period, ensuring that the courses remained available and profitable.
Email & social media campaigns
I developed email nurture sequences for both existing and new members, targeting veterinarians with personalised messages to highlight course benefits.
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Organic and paid social media promotions across Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram & Twitter were key drivers for traffic to course pages.
Lead generation & optimisation
To drive conversions, I worked on optimising campaign touchpoints, including refining email content, creating compelling social media posts, and using paid advertising to reach a broader audience.
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Despite website limitations, I maximised available resources by running ads and promoting through newsletters.
Tracking & adjusting strategies
Throughout the campaign, I continuously tracked key performance indicators (KPIs), including email open and click-through rates, paid ad performance, and social media engagement.
Based on this data, I adjusted strategies to improve targeting and engagement​.
Results
Increased course enrolments
High social media traffic
Upskilled internal team
Effective email campaigns
Improved ROI on paid advertising
Optimised content for engagement
Both the Feline Dentistry and Feline Endocrinology campaigns saw significant engagement and enrollment increases. For example, the Interactive Feline Dentistry campaign led to 13 registered attendees in just two months, meeting revenue break-even targets​
Social media was the top traffic generator for the Feline Dentistry course, contributing to 37% of all site visits during the campaign period, with Facebook being the strongest performer.
By upskilling two core team members, ICC and ISFM now have in-house capabilities to manage and run their own marketing campaigns, ensuring the courses remain available and profitable in the long term.
The email campaigns had above-average engagement, with open rates of 41% and click rates of 3%, demonstrating strong interest from targeted veterinary professionals
LinkedIn ads for the dentistry course achieved a cost-per-click of just 13p, significantly lower than industry benchmarks, providing great visibility at a minimal cost​.
By repurposing and creating content aligned with veterinarians’ pain points, we positioned ICC and ISFM as trusted authorities in feline health education, enhancing both brand credibility and course appeal​.