The veterinary profession faces a significant challenge: a growing demand for veterinary care amidst chronic shortage of professionals. VCA Animal Hospitals recognised the need to make the veterinary field more appealing and sustainable, particularly for younger professionals. The organisation wanted to position itself as the top choice for veterinary students and early-career veterinarians, increasing awareness and engagement with its educational resources, career growth opportunities, and supportive community.

To do this, it decided to tap into social media where veterinary students were already sharing their educational journey – relatable voices whose stories would resonate deeply. Working with Ph.Creative, VCA partnered with seven rising veterinary student creators, generating a dynamic 21-piece content collection, including TikTok videos and Instagram Reels. The content journey mirrored a veterinary student’s experience, offering a wealth of VCA resources, advice, and real-world insights. These included ‘first-year frenzy’ – a look at the tough first year as a veterinary student; a study pack; day-in-the-life videos on #VetTok; and ‘woofs of wisdom – career advice from seasoned vets at VCA.

Content was posted organically on the influencers’ own channels before being amplified using spark codes, creating a darkposting campaign. As the content showed up directly from the creator’s page it added an essence of authenticity, boosted by the fact the influencers were not VCA associates but a trusted voice in the veterinary student community. VCA identified its core audience and crafted an ultra-targeted content funnel that maximised engagement, strategically selecting creators from key universities and markets. Each viewer would experience a personalised journey as VCA continually optimised and retargeted audience segments. Engagement with the campaign surpassed expectations, with shares more than 800% above benchmark and a more than 500% increase in sign ups for VCA’s learning platform.