Why Fetch Pet Insurance is Getting into the Beer Business

Fetch, best known as a tech-forward pet insurance company, is dipping its toe into another category entirely—craft beer—as a way to help fund a nonprofit veterinarian group. With the launch of Fetch Pale Ale via partner Torch & Crown Brewing Company, the insurance provider will give a financial boost to its favorite charity, Project Street Vet, the Southern California-born service that’s establishing its first chapter in New York. Support from Fetch—which spearheaded more than $400,000 in donations in the past year—has helped Project Street Vet grow from its San Diego home to outposts in Los Angeles, Atlanta and Orlando. The vet service—founded by Kwane Stewart, who has been named one of the 2023 CNN Heroes—offers free exams, vaccines, flea medicine, supplies and more to the pets of people experiencing homelessness and housing vulnerability. With the tagline, “no judgement, just help,” Stewart has turned his decade-long crusade into a rallying point for like-minded brands and donors. “When we first met Dr. Stewart, PSV was a small but mighty crew in San Diego with big dreams of expanding nationally,” Paul Guyardo, Fetch Inc. president and CEO, told Adweek. “We were determined to help make those dreams a reality, but we had no idea if it would really take off.” The insurance brand’s assistance has put PSV in “more cities than I ever could’ve imagined,” Stewart said in a statement. 'Dogs and beer. Duh.' Though there may not seem to be an obvious connection between all the various players, a meeting recently between Fetch and Torch & Crown started to close the loop. Fetch by The Dodo Targets ‘Love-Struck Pet Parents’ for Insurance Brand Rollout Torch & Crown’s co-founder John Dantzler proposed a product collaboration with Fetch, in keeping with the beer brand’s track record of givebacks and limited-run brews. T&C had previously created a Hazy IPA called Rainbows Everywhere, with a portion of profits going to local LGBTQ+ causes in New York, and also linked with The Dogist for a custom beer and a money-raising event. And as execs at the brewery have succinctly put it on their company blog: “Dogs and beer. Duh.” “The timing of our meeting was perfect,” Guyardo said, because Project Street Vet was laying the foundation for its initial New York operations. And according to data, the need has never been greater. New York City has one of the largest homeless populations in the U.S., per the 2022 Count in Time report, with some 20,000 pet owners among the 60,000 estimated total. Pet parents, dog parties Fetch, which officially debuted in spring 2022, has targeted much of its marketing at millennials and Gen Z, which it has dubbed “love-struck pet parents.” A campaign last summer—with the tagline, “What are they thinking?”—emphasized the deep human-animal bond via some awww-inspiring video and photos. With that demo in mind, Guyardo thought the Torch & Crown partnership was a solid fit because young consumers are big craft beer fans. (Half of the under 30-year-old drinkers polled by DSM have increased their consumption of small-batch specialty brews over the past few years). The overlap was undeniable, and Fetch Pale Ale was hatched as a product available to order online for delivery in New York and surrounding Westchester and Nassau counties. It could resurface again in New York, depending on consumer response, Guyardo said, or follow the PSV's expansion into new markets. As part of the product launch, the partners have brought in no-kill shelter North Shore Animal League America for an experiential activation later this month. The pet-friendly party May 20, open to the public at Torch & Crown’s SoHo location, will feature rescue animals available for adoption via North Shore’s mobile unit, pet portrait artists, raffles and giveaways and personalized pet treats. Part of the proceeds from the $30 ticket price will go to Project Street Vet.

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T.L. Stanley

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