Labradoodles, Puggles, Cockapoos...Oh My!

I recently finished reading Malcolm Gladwell's 2000 book, The Tipping Point for a marketing class. If you're involved with animal rescue, I highly recommend this book. Even if you have to borrow it from the library and share it between everyone in your group, read it. Gladwell basically shows how little things can set off great trends. Take the popularity of Airwalk shoes in the 1990s: by tapping into a narrow market of teenage individualists, the brand soared beyond that one market.

But one point, that I feel has had the most impact on rescue, is what Gladwell refers to as the "Stickiness Factor."

Stickiness refers to the content in a message. In order for something to become a trend it must have a sticky message. "Where's the Beef?" is an example of a sticky message. As are the recently coined portmanteaus Labradoodles, Puggles, Cockapoos...the bane of rescues everywhere.

Think about it. We keep warning people of the dangers of throwing two different types of dog together for breeding. We continue to shake our heads at Hollywood starlets shelling out thousands of dollars for mixed breed pups. We continue to see mixed breeds languishing in our shelters. And yet people continue to buy so-called cross-breeds.

I hate to admit it but I admire whoever came up with the concept of using these cutesy portmanteaus. Which sounds better a "Lab-poodle mix" or "Labradoodle?" "Labradoodle" is sticky.

So these terms are sticky, now what? Well it's time to use stickiness to our advantage. I know a lot of shelters and rescues are hesitent about using terms like Labradoodle for fear of continuing the trend. Now, I personally think we can come up with better names. That Australian Shepherd you're fostering that's got a bit of retriever and rottweiler in her background could be referred to as an "Aussie Rottriever." Whatever. Just think stickiness and have fun with it.

Also, stickiness doesn't just mean creating cutesy names for mixed breed dogs. A shelter worker in Georgia created "papers" for the mixed breeds in her facility, listing their histories. For the histories, she found an opportunity to educate the public on spaying and neutering. Animal Sheltering magazine covered this campaign in 2005.

I would like to see more stickiness in the rescue community. For too long I've seen the same tiring campaigns. I propose that at the next group meeting for your rescue that everyone sit around, eating home-baked cookies, and create sticky campaigns for your group.

Nothing you come up with should be elaborate but you never know, you might just develop a national trend.


P.S. Gladwell wrote a very enlightening article in the New Yorker on breed-specific legislation, comparing it to racial profiling.