Megan Varela x Columbus Humane: Walk-In Wellness & Feral Cat Care
The Situation
Irvin PR has long wanted to engage local influencers in a way that felt authentic and aligned with our client, Columbus Humane’s, mission—but influencer partnerships in animal welfare can’t be transactional. You can’t pay someone to adopt an animal or manufacture a personal moment. The challenge was finding the right opportunity to activate an influencer organically while educating the community about Columbus Humane’s Essential Care Center and its Walk-In Wellness services in Columbus, Ohio.
That opportunity came when Megan Varela, a Columbus-based content creator, reached out months after initial relationship-building conversations our team had with her. Megan had taken in a volunteer cat, Maple, who needed spay services, wellness care, and guidance for her two kittens. She remembered our outreach and asked for help navigating Columbus Humane’s resources—creating a genuine, real-world moment to share with her audience.
What We Did
We facilitated and executed an organic influencer campaign centered on Megan’s real experience with Columbus Humane. We coordinated Maple’s visit to a Walk-In Wellness Friday at the Essential Care Center, supported messaging around accessible veterinary care, and guided content that also highlighted Columbus Humane’s feral cat services for Maple’s kittens.
We managed campaign planning, messaging, and compliance, ensuring all content followed Columbus Humane brand standards through a thorough campaign brief. Deliverables included a collaborative Instagram Reel, multiple Instagram Stories, and a TikTok video documenting Maple and her kittens’ care journey. The campaign emphasized education, access, and community impact—without scripting or staging Megan’s experience.
The Results
The campaign delivered strong earned results from a single, fully organic influencer partnership. Megan published 10 posts across Instagram, Stories, and TikTok, generating 15.5K total reach and more than 604K impressions. Content earned 721 engagements and produced $21.3K in earned media value (EMV), with Instagram driving the majority of reach and EMV. The audience skewed heavily female (79%), aligning with Columbus Humane’s core supporter base.
Beyond performance metrics, the campaign demonstrated a scalable model for influencer engagement rooted in trust, long-term relationship-building, and real service utilization—reinforcing Columbus Humane’s role as a critical resource for pet families in Central Ohio.
