Cuckfield Cattery Social Media Case Study
From understated to unmistakably trusted
A full brand and social media transformation that aligned Cuckfield Cattery’s online presence with the reassurance, expertise, and care they’re known for.
Real Results
+830% more visibility
New local audiences reached
No use of paid ads
Project Snapshot
Client: Cuckfield Cattery
Role: Brand Strategist & Social Media Strategist
Scope: Brand strategy, visual identity direction, social media strategy, ongoing content creation
Platforms: Instagram & Facebook
Focus: Trust, visibility, emotional reassurance, enquiry confidence
In person, the care spoke for itself. Online, that story hadn’t been fully told yet.
The Challenge
Cuckfield Cattery knew the care they provided was exceptional, but their online presence didn’t yet reflect it.
Their social media felt unclear, inconsistent, and stressful to maintain alongside the demands of running a busy cattery.
Their branding felt outdated, their messaging lacked clarity, and it was difficult to show new cat owners why the cattery stood out from others in the area.
They were facing:
Infrequent posting and long quiet periods
Low visibility beyond existing followers
Unclear messaging and emotional storytelling
Outdated, mismatched branding
The Approach
This project started at the foundations, because social media content only works when the brand beneath it is clear, confident, and emotionally aligned.
I created an intensive brand and social media strategy, beginning with a deep dive into their brand to define what truly sets Cuckfield Cattery apart. This approach ensured that every piece of content had purpose and that the brand could show up online with the same reassurance, professionalism, and care that defines the cattery experience.
Strategic brand foundations included:
Brand foundations and positioning
Audience insight and emotional decision drivers
Messaging and storytelling framework
Visual direction and tone of voice
Social media strategy included:
Clear content direction and platform roles
Competitor and platform analysis
Content mapped across the full buyer journey
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![A strategy document titled 'Brand and Social Media Strategy' from Cuckfield Cattery, featuring a background of a relaxed orange tabby cat lying on a bed.]()
72 Page Brand and Social Strategy
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![A close-up of a sleeping orange tabby cat with a soft, light-colored background.]()
Brand Foundations
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![A page with the title 'Brand Vision' and a paragraph about feline care and standards. The background features a grayscale image of a cat's tail on a textured white surface.]()
Brand Foundations
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![A person petting an orange tabby cat lying on a white surface with a light background. The image has overlaid text about a brand's mission related to cat care.]()
Brand Foundations
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![A professional profile of Sally Lewis showing her smiling portrait, personal demographics including age 68, gender female, retired occupation, and education in marketing, located in Cuckfield, Sussex. It includes her income details, marital and family status, homeowner info, ethnicity, and hobbies such as gardening and singing.]()
Audience Persona
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![An elderly woman with white hair and a garden greenhouse, carrying a box of green plants, smiling and dressed in a gardening outfit.]()
Audience Research
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![An airport waiting area with chairs, a young boy looking out the window at an airplane on the tarmac, and a large window showing the runway outside.]()
Audience Research
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![A table titled 'Their Struggles' listing five challenges faced by pet owners, with their pain points and consequences: 1. Financial pressure due to boarding costs, causing stress and limited travel options. 2. Lack of personalized attention leading to neglect or inconsistent care. 3. Trust issues with staff causing anxiety and emotional distress for pets. 4. Pet safety and escape risks causing constant worry and potential loss. 5. Medical and health care concerns leading to anxiety and potential neglect.]()
Audience Research
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![A close-up of a contented cat being gently held by a person.]()
Audience Research
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![A diagram showing various audience archetypes around a circle labeled 'Audience Personality', with descriptions like 'Power', 'Mastery', 'Intimacy', and 'Belonging'. The image is titled 'Discover Your Audience's Archetype' and has a dark green background.]()
Audience Research
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![A chart illustrating archetypal personality mix, showing 70% caregiver as the primary archetype characterized by caring, warm, and reassuring traits, and 30% everyman as the secondary archetype characterized by friendly, humble, and inclusive traits.]()
Audience Research
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![Information sheet about cat boarding facilities, listing four locations with descriptions, with a background image of white flowers and green foliage.]()
Competitior Research
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![A person holding a black and white kitten on a cozy brown sweater, with a beige background and green text. The text mentions making stays special for cats and emphasizes high-quality care at a luxury retreat.]()
Brand Positioning
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![Close-up of a cat's paw with claws retracted resting on a surface, with an overlaid green text layout discussing a primary core message, target audience, and location of cat owners in West Sussex.]()
Brand Messaging
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![A document titled 'Secondary Core Message' with a close-up of a cat's whiskers and fur at the top, and text discussing values and future goals for feline care.]()
Brand Messaging
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![A person hugging a black and white cat indoors, with green plants in the background.]()
Brand Messaging
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![A sleeping orange tabby cat lying on a green blanket.]()
Brand Positioning
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![Open book with cream-colored pages on a soft surface, with a person reading in the background. Overlaid text describes a brand story framework.]()
Brand Messaging
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![A web page with a travel or journey theme, titled 'The Challenge', featuring an article about taking a leap with your brand and sharing micro story ideas. The page has a header 'Let's Go on a Journey' and an issue number '05'.]()
Storytelling Framework
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![A digital poster titled 'The What-Ifs' with questions and answers about cat care. It features green background, white text box, and paw print graphics.]()
Brand Messaging
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![A moodboard featuring cozy, peaceful, and warm imagery including cats, a plant, a steaming cup of coffee, a girl with a cat, sunglasses, a steaming mug, a book with tea, sunlight filtering through trees, a person walking in a forest, a bed with a blanket, and a stretching cat.]()
Social Media Mood Board
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![Infographic titled 'The Content Funnel' with a vertical process flow from left to right, illustrating four phases: Awareness Phase, Consideration Phase, Decision Phase, with brief descriptions of each stage.]()
Content Strategy
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![Close-up of dried white flowers or plants in a soft, light-colored background.]()
Content Strategy
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![A Facebook strategy document featuring a green theme, with a smartphone displaying an image of an orange cat and the logo of Cuckfield Cattery. The document outlines steps for social media marketing, including audits, content creation, and audience engagement.]()
Platform-Specific Strategy
The role of colour was considered carefully, with muted greens, warm neutrals, and soft tones chosen to mirror the calm, reassuring environment of the cattery itself. The palette helps reduce visual overwhelm for anxious pet owners, creating a sense of ease, calm, safety and familiarity. And over time, it gently communicates trust and professionalism, without needing to spell it out for their audience.
I next collaborated with the very talented Carrie, at The Creative Accent, who brought the strategy to life visually, ensuring the refreshed brand identity reflected warmth, professionalism, and trust, not just aesthetics.
Let’s turn the way you care into the way you communicate.
The Transformation
Over a focused 90-day period, Cuckfield Cattery’s social media presence shifted from low visibility and inconsistent to a calm, confident and cohesive presence.
Results At A Glance
42,480 total views
+830% increase in views
Up to 61% views from non-followers
47,561 total views
4,775 accounts reached (+1,183.6%)
34.8K views (+139.8%)
757 interactions (+124.6%)
507 profile visits (+85.7%)
These results show what a strategic, organic social media strategy can achieve for pet-care businesses, without the use of paid ads.
Visual Transformation
Before and after Instagram grids showing the shift from reactive posting to professional, trust-led storytelling.
Before
Inconsistent tone and visual style
Reactive posting
Limited storytelling
Care and expertise were undersold
After
Professional cohesive identity
Clear emotional messaging
Consistent storytelling
Trust felt immediately
Care That You Can Truly Feel
A gentle glimpse into the care, enrichment, and peaceful moments that shape every stay at the cattery, designed to reassure cat owners who worry about leaving their cat while they’re away.
The Person Behind The Care
A founder-led reel that introduces Danni and the story behind Cuckfield Cattery. This helps to build trust, create connection and reassure anxious cat owners that worry about who is caring for their beloved pet.
Trusted by pet-care businesses
“Your contribution to our online presence has been invaluable. Customers are mentioning it, and it truly hasn’t gone unnoticed.”
Danielle Quested, Owner of Cuckfield Cattery
What this means for pet-care businesses
For a premium pet-care service, social media isn’t about posting for the sake of it. It’s about earning trust and connecting with the right audience.
This strategy ensured that when new people discovered Cuckfield Cattery, they didn’t just scroll past, they understood how much they cared, felt confident in their expertise, and trusted what awaited their cat for their stay.
The same principles apply to any pet-care business where trust, reassurance, and visibility directly influence enquiries and decisions.
My Reflections
This project was deeply meaningful because of the people behind it. From day one, the care, dedication, and heart Danni, Shane, and the whole team pour into the cattery is truly special.
On this project, I’m most proud of the collaboration with Carrie at The Creative Accent on the brand design. We worked seamlessly together to bring Danni and Shane’s vision to life, to create something that genuinely reflected who they are at their core.
What stayed with me most was how every cat is treated like family from the moment they arrive at the cattery. They truly care for them like one of their own.
