Dewar Gaines | CEO & CMO of Gaines Family Farmstead
Dewar Gaines, CEO and CMO of Gaines Family Farmstead, breaks down the scrappy marketing plays behind the brand’s growth—from a low-budget 4th of July Meta ad that crushed, to influencer campaigns that unlocked retention insights, live selling as a zero-CAC growth lever, and the email machine powering 15 sends a month.
We caught up with Dewar Gaines, the CEO and CMO of Gaines Family Farmstead.
In this conversation, we talk through the low-budget 4th of July campaign that crushed, why one influencer partnership failed on conversions but revealed a goldmine in retention, how live selling is becoming their secret weapon for engagement and sales, the underused tactic that drove foot traffic to more than 200 retail stores, and why Dewar still swears by email marketing—sometimes sending up to 15 campaigns a month.
Can you share one marketing campaign you’ve executed (in the pet industry) that you're especially proud of? What made it successful or meaningful to you?
The 4th of July 2024 Holiday META campaign. I took a picture of my barefoot, shirtless son, standing on top of a 4-wheeler, at the top of a mountain, at sunset, waving an American Flag and holding a bag of our best-selling, single-ingredient, Sweet Potato Bones.
I won’t share specifically who we targeted, but it CRUSHED.
Obviously, I am partial to the picture of my namesake, but the simplicity of it is what I love. A picture of a happy kid, celebrating our country and holding a bag of dog treats. No influencer to manage, no UGC, cheap CPM, high conversion rate…. Homerun.
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