Is pet influencer marketing really a thing? In this episode of Open For Business, we chat with June Kweh, Founder of Hey Pawfriends!, a platform that connects pet brands with pet influencers (yes, that’s a thing!). The idea came about after brands started approaching her to promote pet products on her dog’s Instagram account with Hey Pawfriends! launched in mid-2024. Leveraging her background in e-commerce and digital marketing, with stints at Group M, Lazada, and Shopee, June was driven by the need to address the fragmentation and lack of structure for pet creators.

Hey Pawfriends! operates on three key pillars: a self-serve platform for SMEs to discover pet influencers, agency services for larger brands needing managed campaigns, and an emerging e-commerce initiative that empowers pet creators to launch their own product collaborations. In our conversation, June gets into how her platform aims to tackle the unique challenges of the pet creator economy, as well as her own challenges building the product, educating potential clients about the value proposition, and generating revenue on a lean, bootstrapped budget. The conversation also dives into strategic growth priorities for 2025, including expansion plans and the potential to raise external funding.