We already know that the likes of Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid can be paid big bucks for just one Instagram post, but it seems that a host of cute canines are out to steal their thunder.
It’s all thanks to The Dog Agency, a relatively new enterprise from Loni Edwards, whose own French bulldog Chloe boasts over 125,000 Instagram followers. Edwards has fashioned her business as a “talent management firm geared specifically for canines and their “parents,” according to The Wall Street Journal.
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With her help, the likes of The Dogist, one of Instagram’s biggest accounts dedicated to NYC pups, has secured advertising deals with Google and Merck. Edwards focuses on connecting her clients with marketers looking to promote their products on the app. Among the superstar pooches in her portfolio are Piggy and Polly, French bulldogs with an Instagram following of 350,000, Samson, a doodle with 100,000 fans, and her very own pet bulldog, Chloe.
These popular pups are regarded as social media influencers in their own right, and with a large enough following, that can net them up upwards of $3,000 per post. The money may not be of any use for the dogs themselves, so let’s hope they get to keep the treats and toys they help sell.
It’s not just pet food brands that are looking to canines to promote their products. The big dogs of Instagram can attract brands that sell everything, from cars to designer shoes.
Edwards, who reportedly takes a “standard management commission” on the advertising deals she helps secure, claims that her canine clients boast a natural charm. “With dogs, you’re reaching men, women, kids, grandparents. They just have this wide appeal,” Edwards told The Wall Street Journal.
The problem for the owners, however, lies in the Federal Trade Commission’s strict guidelines when it comes to paid advertising on social media. As a result, much of the sponsored content is singled out using relevant hashtags, such as #ad, and #spon.
Dogs have forever been used in advertising and entertainment to sell products. Now, in our digital era of social media celebrity, it seems that their appeal has not only endured, but also accelerated. There’s obviously life in these old dogs yet.
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