Ark Wildlife.

Ark Wildlife is the UK’s leading independent supplier of bird food, wildlife feed, habitats, and accessories. But Ark Wildlife is an e-commerce business with a difference. Founded by passionate nature-lover Sean McMenemy, the retailer’s focus isn’t just to sell, sell, sell. Its mission is to inspire the Great British public to make one small change in their back gardens that will make a big difference to local wildlife – and that’s where we come in.

Our challenge was to join Sean and the Ark team on this quest to show people just how easy it can be to lend a helping hand to the creatures that visit our outdoor spaces. With over 30 years of experience, passion by the bucketload, and an infectious energy, our task was to download Sean’s never-ending pool of knowledge, package it up in an engaging and accessible way, and get his expert advice in front of the right audience.

But, being an online retailer, where we landed that coverage was key. Having just launched a brand new website, Ark Wildlife needed to drive traffic to the site, so securing those all-important backlinks from high Domain Authority (DA) websites was at the core of our strategy.

1. Increase brand awareness of Ark Wildlife to two main target demographics – existing Ark Wildlife customers and the next generation of wildlife-lovers
2. Generate thought leadership coverage to position Sean as an expert authority in the industry
3. Secure backlinks from websites with high Domain Authority scores and drive traffic to the site
4. Showcase Ark Wildlife’s product range to encourage sales and solutions to make caring for wildlife easy

After a full day immersing ourselves in the Ark Wildlife world down in Hitchin (and a lovely team lunch, of course!) we set about devising a Digital PR strategy centred around thought leadership and expert advice.

Our dedicated press office function and media relations strategy was designed to ensure a steady stream of content, targeting media outlets based on both DA rating and readership profile. We mapped out key wildlife moments in the calendar, such as nest box season and hedgehog hibernating periods, as well as notable national days like World Bee Day and International Bat Night, to create timely and relevant media opportunities.

Using these hooks, we crafted expert advice encapsulating Sean’s vast expertise and unmistakably approachable tone of voice, ensuring content was insightful, engaging and accessible.

Alongside this, we proactively pitched Sean for media interviews, event speaker opportunities and podcast guest spots, positioning him as an expert commentator on key wildlife and conservation topics.

In just eight months, our targeted media outreach resulted in extensive coverage for Ark Wildlife, with a total of 218 pieces of coverage and a reach of over 105.7 million. We generated 121 backlinks on leading websites such as The Independent, Daily Express, woman&home and Country Living, with an average DA of 64.

We also secured 135 pieces of expert advice covering a breadth of topics from what to feed birds in the winter and how to make a bug hotel to how to help hedgehogs and where best to position bat boxes, all of which firmly cementied Sean as a leading authority in the world of wildlife care.

Not only did our approach drive valuable traffic to the Ark Wildlife website, but it also resulted in meaningful coverage that would educate and inspire people to help nature thrive, not just today, but for generations to come. This is something that will remain at the heart of our strategy for Ark Wildlife in 2025, having set a solid foundation for some very exciting campaigns coming up over the next 12 months. Watch this space for more!