How to get obsessive with performance marketing with Karim Mouahbi from Mad Paws

Metigy Podcast - Marketing for SMEs

Karim is the head of marketing for Mad Paws Australia, the pet service startup who bagged $12 million dollars in their IPO earlier this year. With the help of everyone’s common denominator, love for dogs, this pup business thrives on user generated content and is one of the largest content producers in the pet industry in the world. In this episode, Karim discusses how he applied the marketing funnel, growth mindset and SEO to grab the attention of 14 million dog owners across Australia.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Karim’s practical guide on how to learn marketing for your business
• The first marketing channel you should try when launching your business
• How to create ambassadors of your business from your existing customers
• How Mad Paws implemented their most successful User Generated Content campaign that resulted in national press coverage around the country
• The advantages of taking your dog to the office
• Ideas to start your first marketing competition
• How to instil a growth marketing mindset across your entire company
• How to identify the metric that matters the most when you are just starting your business
• What is a Northstar Metric?
• How Karim uses meditation apps to achieve balance in his busy day
• How Mad Paws built credibility and trust with their target audience
• What is technical SEO and why is it so important for your business

Notable Quotes:

• "I unlocked this obsession of mine with performance marketing and really seeing the potential that you can drive at the grassroots for businesses of all size"
• "It's something that we're very proud of - being able to unlock that community and network effects to provide value and validation for our brand.
• The north star metric obviously is the one metric the business cares about"
• "How do you convince a social media manager that they're driving that north star metric when they're focused on engagement? It's about breaking down whichever step in the funnel you're looking at moving"
• "We're living in a mobile first world anymore. Your whole user journey and user experiences is in someone's pocket"

Resources Mentioned:

• Mad Paws
• The Iconic
• Rocket Internet
• Food Panda
• Pets in the Office, 4 things we learnt!
• Linktree
• Billy Sixes – Vintage Style Streetwear
• Calm.com
• Headspace
• The Million Dollar Homepage
• Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore

What Business Would You Build On Mars?

I would literally find five different things, whether it be services, experiences, or anything like that. Fives probably putting a cap on it, maybe 10, maybe 20, maybe 50. I trial all of them and there would be a few of them that would stick.

I'm not necessarily the big entrepreneurial type where I'll come up with the next artificial intelligence software that's going to tell you when your car blink is out or something like... But I'm an executer. Being an executer enables me to try many different things and look for growth within those many different things.

Definitely something service-based. Something that's going to turn into a commoditised need on a daily basis. I wouldn't necessarily be an operator, but I'd be a person who has a lot of knowledge on Mars with that skillset.

Reach Karim here

• Karim on LinkedIn