We were lucky to catch up with Kristina Mckean recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kristina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I started The Elephant Project in 2017 after a trip to Thailand with my family. My daughter and I were devastated to witness baby elephants being exploited on the streets for entertainment. This experience also opened my eyes to similar animal abuse in circuses in the U.S. I could not understand how this abuse could be construed as entertainment. I spent years signing petitions and creating social media campaigns but felt that I needed to do more.

At the time, I noticed that my two young daughters were also interested in helping after learning about the plight of elephants. They were confused as to how humans could hurt these sweet and innocent creatures. Using my background in product design, I created the first elephant project stuffies, Kiki and Tembo. In creating The Elephant Project, I wanted to start a movement that inspired children to use their voices for change, as well as helped rescue real elephants.

Over the years, The Elephant Project has grown from a passion project to my life quest. We are continuing to use this platform to save elephants, as well as other animals like Big Cats and soon- dogs!

Kristina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Kristina Mckean and I’m the owner of The Elephant Project. I started this mission after witnessing elephant abuse in Thailand. I knew that I had to do something to help these innocent creatures, and so, The Elephant Project was born. The Elephant Project creates adorable stuffed elephants for children of all ages. Each of our dolls comes with a lovely poem and information about the elephant crisis and our mission. We donate 100% of our net proceeds to organizations across the globe that help rescue abused, abandoned, and injured elephants. Our stuffed animals also help spread awareness and education about the plight of elephants.

I have had the amazing opportunity to visit some of these organizations, such as The Elephant Nature Park in Thailand, and see the change happening first-hand. It was vital for me to physically connect with the elephants we are fighting to save, along with the people and spaces that are having such a remarkable impact on the cause.

I am most proud of how The Elephant Project’s mission has connected with so many children. It has been amazing to see the younger generation standing up for change and using their voice for the voiceless.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients for The Elephant Project has been PR from magazines and interviews. One of the most difficult parts of having an online business is spreading the word and gaining traction in the media. For us, forming connections has been crucial to getting new media and reaching new audiences. We focus a lot on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Email outreach. I have found that oftentimes, the best things come from the most random connections. Sometimes, it can feel like your PR efforts are not getting anywhere, but all it takes is one person to hand your story off or share your business with someone.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Since The Elephant Project is an online business, it is essential to share more about the brand through social media platforms such as Instagram. Social media influencers were not as prevalent when I first built my brand, so I focused my efforts on producing quality content and connecting with local celebrities. I hired a photographer to do different photoshoots with my elephant plushies so that I would have diverse content to post. I found that through tagging big news outlets and celebrities, people were able to find my brand and share it with their own platforms. I have had a lot of success connecting with people and sharing our story over social media. The Elephant Project just recently got verified on Instagram, which has been amazing for further sharing our brand and reaching new audiences. My best piece of advice would be to do some research on influencers/celebrities/news outlets that align with your brands values, and then continuously reach out and share your content. There is so much opportunity and potential within social media, and everyday you have the ability to reach new audiences and consumers!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theelephantproject.com
• Instagram: @theelephantprojectofficial
• Facebook: @theelephantprojectofficial
• Twitter: @KikiandTembo

Image Credits
Jessica Dalene Sara Prince