The giveaway that outlasts the expo: pet tags as event merchandise
Pet AWOL
It's 4pm on the last day of a pet expo. A woman walks out with her staffy on a lead and a tote bag full of freebies: a pen, a stress ball, a keyring, a sachet of treats and a fridge magnet.
By the weekend the treats are eaten and the rest is in the kitchen drawer.
The tag never made it to the drawer. It went on the dog's collar that night, and it'll be there for years.
Event merch has a keeping problem
Most of us have stood at a stand handing out branded stuff and wondered how much of it gets used. APPA research¹ gives a clear answer on what people keep: 86% of recipients say usefulness is the number one factor in whether they keep and use a branded item.
Get it right and people remember you. The same study found 81% of recipients can name the brand on a promotional product they've been given, which APPA says beats average recall for digital and print advertising.²
So the question for your next event is simple. What can you hand a pet owner that they'll use every single day?
A tag can be used every day for 10–12 years (subject to use)
A Pet AWOL tag is a QR-code smart tag with your logo on one side. It clips onto the collar and can stay there for 10–12 years (subject to use), which is roughly the life of the pet.
It's on the morning walk, at the vet, at the dog park and on every trip in the car. And if the dog ever gets out, it's the thing that gets them home.
Pens get lost and mugs chip. A tag stays on the collar every day.
Your brand is there when they activate it
The first time someone scans the tag, it opens an activation page with your logo and your message on it. They tap Activate Tag, create an account, and add their dog's details.
That's a pet owner's full attention, on a page with your branding, at a time when they're thinking about looking after their pet. It's set up automatically for your batch of tags, so owners go through the same simple activation as everyone else. You also get a dedicated page on the Pet AWOL site with your logo, your sponsorship message and the rescue or shelter you support.
Owners keep it on because it works
Set-up is simple, and it covers what an owner wants on file:
- A photo of the dog
- The microchip number
- A second contact, like a pet sitter or the vet
When someone finds the dog and scans the tag, they land on the dog's page with a Call Now button at the top. The call goes through a masked number, so the owner's own number stays private. The finder can also leave an SMS message, and share the dog's location by GPS if they choose to.
Further down that page, a "Tag sponsored by" section shows your logo. The dog's details and the contact buttons stay front and centre, so your branding never gets in the way of getting a lost pet home.
It works on any phone with no app to download. Owners get email notifications, so they know when something's happening with their tag.
Owners in our pilot singled out the privacy. One owner had never wanted her number on a standard engraved tag, for privacy and safety reasons, including not wanting an ex to have it.
You can see your tags being used
Most merch disappears into the crowd and you never hear about it again. With Pet AWOL tags you get a monthly emailed report covering only your tags: tags supplied, tags activated, total scans, and new activations and scans that month.
That gives you something to report after the event: how many tags went out, and how many ended up on a collar.
Tip: have your stand staff help owners scan and activate their tag on the spot. It only takes a phone, and fewer tags end up forgotten in a tote bag.
Who it suits
Any business with a stand where pet owners turn up:
- Pet insurers and pet food brands at expos and dog shows
- Vet clinics at open days and puppy preschool
- Pet retailers at store events
- Councils and local businesses at community dog days
Pricing covers the tags, your branding and shipping, with a minimum order of 100 tags. Spread across the tag's life, it works out at around a dollar a year for something a pet owner uses every day.
| Tags | Price per tag | Cost per tag per year (10–12 years) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100–999 | $15 + GST | about $1.25–$1.50 |
| 1,000–4,999 | $12 + GST | about $1.00–$1.20 |
| 5,000+ | $10 + GST | about $0.83–$1.00 |
Every order includes a monthly emailed report on activations and scans. Orders of 1,000 tags or more also include the full branding package: your branded activation page, your dedicated page on the Pet AWOL site and the "Tag sponsored by" section on pet profiles. For smaller orders, the branding package is a one-off setup fee of $225 + GST.
Talk to us about your next event
If you've got an expo, open day or community event coming up, Karen Askew can walk you through options and pricing. Email <Hello@petawol.com> or call 0451 394 027.
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¹ Australasian Promotional Products Association (APPA), APPA Recipient Study 2025/26, survey of 399 recipients across Australia and New Zealand. Reported in 77% Purchase Intent: The Conversion Case for Intentional Branded Merchandise.
² APPA, Fast Facts: The Power of Branded Merchandise, APPA Recipient Study 2025/26.