The Brand Playbook for Success When 'Sharing The Love'

The Brand Playbook for Success When 'Sharing The Love'

How to Turn Adoption Rewards into Long-Term Customers

The 'Sharing the Love' (STL) Adoption Rewards program, powered by Astro Loyalty, is one of the most meaningful touchpoints a brand can have with a new pet owner. It’s also one of the most misunderstood.
  1. STL is not a giveaway program.
  2. It is not a sampling initiative.
  3. And it is not designed to be evaluated on redemptions alone.
STL is a high-intent brand introduction moment—and brands that approach it strategically see stronger repeat purchase behavior, higher in-store loyalty, and clearer ROI.

This guide outlines best practices for brands participating in STL, with a focus on what actually drives long-term value after the Adoption Bundle is redeemed.


Understanding STL from a Brand Perspective

Every pet owner redeeming an STL Adoption Bundle is:
  1. Newly committed to a pet
  2. Shopping in an independent pet store
  3. Actively choosing products for their pet’s future
Unlike traditional promotions, STL places your product in front of a customer at the exact moment they are forming brand preferences. The goal isn’t just to be chosen once—it’s to earn the next purchase.

How a Pet Owner Chooses Your Product

(And Why STL Is Competitive by Design)

When a pet owner redeems an Adoption Bundle, they make three intentional, layered decisions.

1. Category Selection

Pet owners can select up to three categories from a list of six possible options:
  1. Kibble
  2. Raw
  3. Wet/Can
  4. Treat
  5. Supplement
  6. Supply
Only one product per category can be selected.

This means each category represents a single opportunity to be included in the Adoption Bundle. Pet owners must prioritize which product types matter most to them—and to their new pet.

2. Brand Selection

Once a category is selected, the pet owner is shown multiple brands competing within that category. From those options, they choose one brand.
This is where brand positioning, product familiarity, and retailer education all come into play.

3. Item Selection

After selecting a brand, the pet owner chooses one specific product from that brand’s approved STL offerings.
At this point, the pet owner has:
  1. Chosen your category over others
  2. Chosen your brand over competitors
  3. Chosen your product over the rest of your lineup
That’s not passive exposure—it’s a clear signal of intentional preference.

Product Strategy: What Belongs in Your STL Program

STL Items Should Also Be Frequent Buyer Items

One of the most important best practices for STL success is alignment with your publicly published Astro Frequent Buyer programs.

Every product offered in STL should also:
  1. Be part of your public Frequent Buyer offering on Astro
  2. Be a product you want a customer to repurchase regularly
Why this matters:
  1. STL creates the first trial
  2. Astro Frequent Buyer creates habit and retention
  3. Together, they create long-term value
If a pet owner loves the STL product but has no ongoing incentive to stay with your brand, the opportunity ends too soon.

Products That Perform Best in STL

High-performing STL products tend to be:
  1. Entry-level kibble, wet, or raw SKUs that introduce the brand
  2. Core supplements with broad, everyday use cases
  3. Treats that reinforce daily routines
  4. Supplies that lead naturally to replenishment or upgrades
Products to avoid:
  1. One-off novelty items
  2. SKUs without repeat-purchase potential
  3. Products not supported by Astro Frequent Buyer
  4. Items that are inconsistently stocked at retail
A helpful framing:
If this is the first product a pet owner uses from your brand, does it lead naturally to a second purchase?

Adoption Eligibility: What Qualifies

STL is designed to support ethical, community-based pet placement.

Qualifying Adoption Types

The following adoption scenarios are eligible:
  1. Shelter adoptions
  2. Rescue adoptions
  3. Found or stray pets
    1. the pet owner is 100% certain this pet is not lost and does not already have a home
    2. ex. kitten found under porch
  4. Rehomed pets
    1. no money exchanged hands
    2. ex. the pet owner adopted a pet from a friend, family member, neighbor to prevent that pet from being surrendered to a shelter
Breeder purchases are not eligible.

Adoption Date Requirement

The adoption must have occurred within the past 90 days.

This ensures STL remains tied to the true adoption window and protects the integrity—and ROI—of the program for brands and retailers alike.


Additional Best Practices for Brand Success

Competition Is a Feature

STL is intentionally competitive. Being chosen means your brand stood out in real time—and that insight is valuable.

Curated Lists Outperform Large Ones

Brands with smaller, intentional STL item lists consistently outperform those offering too many options.

Retailer Education Amplifies Results

Brands that help retailers understand why their STL products matter—and how they connect to Frequent Buyer—see stronger in-store advocacy.

Measure Beyond Redemptions

True STL success should be evaluated through:
  1. Bounce Back Coupon redemption
  2. Frequent Buyer enrollments after adoption
  3. Repeat purchase behavior within the first 90 days


Bounce Back Coupons: Where ROI Is Earned

The Bounce Back Coupon is one of the most powerful—and most strategic—components of STL.

Unlike traditional promotions, this coupon is only issued to pet owners who have already demonstrated intent. They:
  1. Chose your brand for their Adoption Bundle
  2. Redeemed your product in-store
  3. Have had time to evaluate whether it’s a good fit for their pet
This is not cold traffic.
This is a warm, high-intent audience that has already taken a meaningful first step with your brand.

Timing Is the Strategy

When a Bounce Back Coupon is issued matters just as much as how strong the offer is.
The ideal issuance window is when:
  1. The pet owner has had enough time to assess product fit
  2. The product is approaching a natural replenishment point
  3. The pet owner has not yet run out and purchased elsewhere
Issuing the coupon too early risks discounting before confidence is established.
Issuing it too late risks losing the sale entirely.

The goal is to meet the pet owner at the moment they’re thinking:
“Yes, this is working—I’ll need more soon.”

Coupon Expiration Creates Urgency

Bounce Back Coupons are issued with a 30-day expiration, beginning on the date the coupon is sent to the pet owner.

This limited window:
  1. Encourages timely return visits
  2. Prevents indefinite discounting
  3. Helps brands convert trial into action
Brands should plan coupon timing with this 30-day window in mind, aligning issuance with realistic repurchase cycles for the selected product.

How Pet Owners Receive and Use the Coupon

Pet owners are alerted to their Bounce Back Coupon via email, which can include a personal message from the brand. This is an opportunity to:
  1. Reinforce why the product was chosen
  2. Acknowledge the adoption moment
  3. Encourage an in-store return
Pet owners can also view full coupon details directly in the Astro App, where it is stored on their pet owner account. 

Importantly:
  1. The coupon is tied to the specific pet store where the Adoption Bundle was redeemed
  2. It can only be redeemed at that store
This keeps the value local, supports the retailer relationship, and helps prevent leakage to online or big-box competitors.

Best-practice discount range: 20%–30% off

Why this range works:
  1. Discounts under 15% often fail to change behavior
  2. 20–25% competes effectively with online pricing
  3. 30% creates urgency without eroding brand value
Recommended sweet spot: 25% off

This level is strong enough to motivate an in-store return visit while respecting both brand value and retailer margins.

Notes
Note:
Bounce Back Coupons can only reward $Off a purchase, not percent off a purchase. So when submitting a coupon's details, please first determine what your unique $Off reward will be based on the SKU value and your chosen percent off. 

Example:
  1. You've decided to give returning customers a 25% discount on your range of kibble.
  2. Your small bags, on average, are valued at $35, your medium bags, on average, are valued at $55, and your large bags, on average, are valued at $85.
  3. So you would issue a BBCoupon for $8 off the small bags, $13 off medium bags, and $21 off your large bags. 

Idea
For more information about improving upon your coupon's perceived value, refer to 'Sharing The Love' Bounce Back Coupon Strategy Guide with Build Options.

What the Coupon Should Apply To

For best results, the Bounce Back Coupon should apply to:
  1. The same product the pet owner received or
  2. A direct step-up SKU within the same Frequent Buyer program
This creates a clean conversion path:
  1. STL item → trial
  2. Bounce Back Coupon → first purchase
  3. Frequent Buyer → repeat behavior
Strong coupons in this context don’t cannibalize sales—they protect them by keeping customers local.

Idea
For more information on How Bounce Back Coupons Convert Adoption Rewards to Acquired Customers, refer to 'Sharing The Love' Bounce Back Coupon Strategy Guide with Build Options

A Strategic Mindset for Brands

Bounce Back Coupons work best when they are:
  1. Timed intentionally
  2. Strong enough to change behavior
  3. Paired with products designed for repeat purchase
  4. Positioned as an extension of a positive first experience
When used thoughtfully, Bounce Back Coupons transform STL from a single moment into a measurable, repeatable growth channel.


A Final Thought: STL Is a Relationship Starter

STL isn’t about giving away product.
It’s about earning the next purchase.

Brands that succeed with STL:
  1. Design for repeat behavior
  2. Compete intentionally
  3. Invest in the second sale
  4. Treat adoption as the beginning of a customer relationship

When done well, STL doesn’t just introduce your brand.
It helps make it part of a pet’s lifetime routine.



Additional Resources


Understanding STL from a Retailer's Perspective

  1. Sharing the Love: Understanding the New Updates & Why They Matter
  2. How to Use the New Adoption Bundle Redemption Form (Step-by-Step)