How Much is That Doggie on the Webcam?

Yesterday, I was incredibly excited to discover that one of my favorite internet memes from a year ago was revived for 2010! In case you missed it, a Shiba Inu breeder in San Francisco set up a webcam, livestreaming the development of a litter of six Shiba Inu puppies and their mother, Kika. For three months, bandwidths were eaten up and productivity dropped as the world became absorbed in the adorable canine family. At over 18 million live views, the Shiba Inu Puppy Cam has become the most popular video on Ustream, the site hosting the feed.

Yesterday, canine voyeurism returned as a new stream began, focusing on Kika's new litter of five puppies.

The anonymous breeders, dubbed Mr. Feet and Mrs. Shoes by the public, may not have set up the webcam as a marketing strategy, yet there are several smart principles at play. Utilizing the Internet, they were able to gain a more widespread audience beyond their local circle. Next, they were able to build client trust by providing complete transparency of both their business practices and their product. Their business gains credibility, verifying the use of humane care, as they fully disclose the techniques used to care for the pups. You can learn much more about the history of a puppy through direct observation than you could ever learn about a vehicle from a Carfax report. Furthermore, the constant availability provided by the livestream helped facilitate an emotional relationship between interested adopters and the puppies. Identifiable by color-coded collars, one could observe each puppy's personality over time and select a favorite to develop an attachment to.

The webcam allowed the audience to develop a relationship with both the breeders and the puppies, establishing for Mr. Feet and Mrs. Shoes a nurturing and trustworthy online persona. It is evident that the puppies come from a loving foundation and are well cared for by both their mother and their owners. Who wouldn't want one of these pups?

Sources:

• http://www.ustream.tv/sfshiba
• http://bayarea.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/visual-morphine-can-be-had-watching-shiba-inu-puppy-cam/?src=tptw
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiba_Inu_Puppy_Cam

Shalin Pei is a Designer on IDEA's Creative Team with experience in social media start-ups. She's also an avid snowboarder and traveler and loves live music.