the opportunity:
A platform that connects pet-boarding service providers to pet parents so that they can conveniently travel with their pets.
PARTNERS
Cassidy Heffner
Jonathan Potts
MY ROLE
Researcher
Business Writer
DURATION
10 weeks
Rover is an existing pet platform that connects people to pet care-givers. Their services include dog boarding, house sitting, dog walking, doggy day care and drop-in visits, depending on the pet care-giver.
What is Rover?
You can only book Rover services in the city you live in, but if you often travel, traveling with your pets can be a hassle. Sidekick provides an extension to Rover where you can book services for your pet in the cities you travel to, having access to Rover's secure platform anywhere you go.
It's like an Airbnb for pets!
So, why Sidekick?
Video created by Cassidy Heffner
The business opportunity
Our research led us to find that there is currently no industry-leading and wide-reaching platform that allows people to book a pet-boarding service in advance, in another city, and Sidekick exists to alleviate this need. With more people traveling with their pets, and Americans paying more for convenience, We saw this growing market as an opportunity for Rover to extend its reach and establish a blue ocean in the pet industry for traveling pet-owners.
A growing opportunity:
37% of pet owners travel with their pets every year, a 19% increase in just the last decade
Untapped cash:
Pet owners are willing to pay more for convenience, as a growing number of Americans are willing to pay for services that simplify their lives.
Service Structure: The service package
From Grönroos, Service Management and Marketing
With this project, our goal was to understand how the service would be brought together from a business angle, therefore we did not conduct extensive primary research. After discovering the business opportunity, we jumped right in to creating the must have's and nice to have's aspects of the service. We put together a service package which outlines the enabling and enhancing elements as well as the augmented offerings that would make Sidekick function, but also be differentiated.
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Augmented Offerings // customer-facing
Accessibility:
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Find us in all major cities.
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The Sidekick Guarantee 24/7 support, reservation protection and insured safety of your pets, anytime and anywhere.
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Access your reservations and more, anytime and anywhere on the app
Quality of Interaction:
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Be matched with the perfect sitter, based on your profile, and read verified reviews to pick the perfect sitter
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Our customer support personnel are trained to serve you and your sidekick
Degree of Participation:
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Once you’ve booked your sitter, all you have to do is relax, and enjoy your travels!
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Booking is quick and easy, all you need is your app and your sidekick.
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The Business Model Canvas
After analyzing and deciding on the service offerings Sidekick would need, we aligned on the customer segments that the service would cater to. We then strategized how to bring the business to life through a business model based on two value propositions for two different customer segments.
For transient pet parents, our platform connects them to pet-sitters to allow them to be able to travel with their pets through a trusted network.
For pet-sitters who want to start a business, our platform connects them with pet parents who need pet-boarding services in other cities.
The Service Delivery model
We created a service blueprint to highlight what an ideal journey would look like for a pet-parent using Sidekick, integrated on the Rover app. In the journey, we have pet-parent Hannah and her dog Juno:
Outcome:
Fostering positive association
with the Farmers market
Outcome:
Boosts confidence
with buying and interacting with vendors
The Business Report
To make the business case for a Sidekick and rover collaboration, we wrote a business report that detailed Sidekick’s concept, the industry, the context in which we live, and the structure of the service. We also explained the meaning behind our branding and why we chose our visual style and the language and tone in which we approach our customers. This informed our service delivery, the business model, our marketing strategy, corporate strategy, financial overview, and our expected outcomes.
To access the full business report, please click here: