Lassie Has Turned Pet Insurance Into a Lifestyle Brand — and That Is Smarter Than It Sounds
Most insurers are invisible until something goes wrong. Lassie has built its business around keeping the animal healthy instead — which gives it a reason to be present in the customer's everyday life. That is where a lifestyle brand begins, not just an insurance policy.
Insurance is usually sold around something you hope never happens. Sweden's Lassie has flipped the perspective and works instead with how the owner can keep the dog or cat healthy in the first place. Wired UK lists the company among Europe's hottest startups.
Lassie combines pet insurance with education and rewards for preventive care. Users get access to knowledge about things like food, dental health, exercise and other parts of owning an animal.
The customer is buying the relationship with their animal
That makes the category unusually interesting from a branding perspective. An insurer can traditionally be almost invisible until something goes wrong, whereas Lassie has a reason to be part of the customer's everyday life even when the dog is in perfect health.
The relationship can become far stronger as a result.
BBMB's recommendation: build the whole life with a dog or cat
I would develop Lassie even more clearly as a lifestyle brand for modern pet owners. Content, events and collaborations with carefully chosen brands and experts can make the company relevant well beyond the insurance question.
There is a risk in selling too much, however. Every collaboration has to feel selected and relevant, or a good community quickly turns into a discount club.
BBMB's work with lifestyle, brand experiences and strategic partnerships starts from the principle that the partner should strengthen the desired position rather than simply deliver reach. It is a principle that suits Lassie unusually well.
The animals don't need to become influencers
The founders and the veterinary experts around Lassie could also be more visible as knowledgeable voices on animal health and preventive care. The company has the opportunity to combine warmth with medical credibility, which is a fairly attractive position to hold.
The dogs are welcome to keep carrying some of the content. They are hard to beat on social media, after all, even without media training.