Cats Protection – National Cat Awards 2025

Challenge

Our strategy centred on a phased broadcast rollout built around real interview opportunities with the people at the heart of the stories. The first strand of activity focused on the announcement of the finalists, positioning cat owners as compelling contributors whose experiences of grief, illness, homelessness, community connection and recovery resonated far beyond pet ownership. By offering interviews with nominees from across the UK, we enabled broadcasters to localise the story while still contributing to a wider national conversation about companionship, wellbeing and resilience.

Approach

Our strategy centred on a phased broadcast rollout built around real interview opportunities with the people at the heart of the stories. The first strand of activity focused on the announcement of the finalists, positioning cat owners as compelling contributors whose experiences of grief, illness, homelessness, community connection and recovery resonated far beyond pet ownership. By offering interviews with nominees from across the UK, we enabled broadcasters to localise the story while still contributing to a wider national conversation about companionship, wellbeing and resilience.

This initial wave of pitching was designed to introduce the awards, drive voting and establish emotional investment in the campaign. Once public engagement was established, we returned to broadcasters with a second strand of activity offering interviews with the category winners and the overall National Cat of the Year. This ensured continuity, rewarded early interest from producers, and allowed the story to evolve naturally from anticipation to celebration.

Throughout the campaign, we prioritised broadcast-ready storytelling, flexible interview availability and strong regional relevance, ensuring outlets could tailor the content for their audiences while maintaining the integrity of Cats Protection’s message.

Impact

The campaign secured high-impact coverage across national, regional and youth-focused broadcast outlets, including Good Morning Britain, Newsround, Heart Breakfast, ITV News Central and multiple BBC regional stations. This broad mix of platforms helped the National Cat Awards reach families, younger audiences and local communities alike, reinforcing Cats Protection’s position as a charity that champions the powerful bond between cats and people and bringing the finalists’ stories to life for millions of viewers and listeners across the UK.